While we might recognize most of these masterpieces and their artists, we probably don’t know much about the stories behind them. From personal experiences to hidden messages, each painting has an origin story that’s as captivating as the artwork itself. Some artworks weren’t understood, while others received critical acclaim. But what they all have in common is that they became revolutionary pieces of art that broke barriers in their time. We’ve compiled a list of 21 paintings that changed art forever, along with the intriguing stories behind them.
#1 Café Terrace At Night, Vincent Van Gogh (1888)
We really don’t have to dig very deep into the history of this painting to figure out how it came about. Vincent Van Gogh himself described his work in a letter to his sister, detailing the reasons why he didn’t want to use black, despite painting a night scene. It turns out that he wanted to capture the true colors of the night and portray it as full of life rather than darkness.
Image credits: Vincent van Gogh
#2 Lady With An Ermine, Leonardo Da Vinci (1489)
For decades, there was much debate about whether the Lady with an Ermine painting was a Leonardo da Vinci piece or not. This was mostly because the painting was found to have layers of overpaint, and Leonardo’s signature appeared to have been added to it way after its creation. But when the painting underwent extensive analysis from 2012 to 2014, the stylistic and material consistency of the original work confirmed, without a doubt, that it was a Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece.
Image credits: Leonardo da Vinci
#3 The Scream, Edvard Munch (1893)
While this painting doesn’t look haunting at first glance, it does, however, take on a different form when you discover that Edvard Munch captured his own raw emotions in the artwork. He painted the distraught figure and the menacing surroundings to convey what he felt when he heard an “infinite scream passing through nature” while taking a walk.
Image credits: Edvard Munch
#4 Christina’s World, Andrew Wyeth (1948)
Initially, this 20th-century painting of a woman enjoying nature seems pretty ordinary; however, the true scene is actually quite sad. The woman depicted in the artwork was Andrew Wyeth’s neighbor, Anna Christina Olson. She suffered from a muscle disorder that left her unable to walk and would often be seen dragging herself across the grass on her family’s farm to make it home.
Image credits: Andrew Wyeth
#5 Mona Lisa, Leonardo Da Vinci (1503)
The Mona Lisa painting is believed to depict Lisa del Giocondo, an Italian noblewoman. It’s said that Leonardo was commissioned to paint her to mark a special occasion; however, instead of delivering the painting as promised, he kept it for the rest of his life. Today, historians still debate why he chose to do this.
Image credits: Leonardo da Vinci
#6 Andolfini Portrait, Jan Van Eyck (1434)
Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini and his wife are said to be the couple depicted in this 15th-century painting by Jan Van Eyck. While the exact reason why they commissioned the portrait remains a mystery, every detail in it is thought to carry some meaning. Historians speculate that the couple might have been marking a marriage, taking an oath, or simply showing off their wealth.
Image credits: Jan van Eyck
#7 The Kiss, Gustav Klimt, 1908
Gustav Klimt’s reputation had taken a serious knock after the public called his earlier work, the Vienna Ceiling series, too scandalous. However, he still took a chance on creating new artwork, starting on The Kiss. This painting was so well-received by critics and the public alike that the Belvedere Museum scooped it up before it was even finished, at a very high price, too.
Image credits: Gustav Klimt
