The 5 most famous paintings in the world that we should know

2025-06-07 19:53:00, Kuriozitete CNA

Every year, billions of dollars worth of artworks pass through international auction houses, while major museums each hold tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of works of art in their collections. But few of them achieve the fame required to be truly considered household names.

Since "famous" is a subjective term, here are which paintings topped search results worldwide over the past five years.

Here are the 5 most famous paintings in the world that we should all know.

1. 'Mona Lisa'

The 5 most famous paintings in the world that we should know

Artist: Leonardo da Vinci

Estimated date: 1503 to 1519

Where you can see it: Louvre Museum (Paris)

It should come as no surprise that the most famous painting in the world is that mysterious woman with the enigmatic smile. But that's one of the few certainties about this work of art.

2. 'The Last Supper'

The 5 most famous paintings in the world that we should know

Artist: Leonardo da Vinci

Estimated date: 1495 to 1498

Where you can see it: Santa Maria delle Grazie (Milan, Italy)

Painted in an era when religious imagery was still a dominant artistic theme, "The Last Supper" depicts the last time Jesus broke bread with his disciples before his crucifixion.

3. 'Starry Night'

Artist: Vincent van Gogh

Date: 1889

Where you can see it: Museum of Modern Art (New York City)

The relatively abstract painting is a striking example of van Gogh's innovative and bold use of thick brushstrokes. The painting's striking blues and yellows and dreamy, brooding atmosphere have intrigued art lovers for decades.

4. 'Scream'

Artist: Edvard Munch

Date: 1893

Where to see it: National Museum (Oslo, Norway - opening in 2020) and Munch Museum (Oslo - until May 2020)

First - "The Scream" is not a single work of art. According to a British Museum blog, there are two paintings, two pastels, and then an unspecified number of prints. The paintings are in the National Museum and the Munch Museum, and in 2012, one of the pastels sold for almost $120 million at auction.

5. 'Guernica'

Artist: Pablo Picasso

Date: 1937

Where you can see it: Museo Reina Sofía (Madrid)

This is the latest painting on this list and depicts the German aerial bombing of the town of Guernica in the Basque region during the Spanish Civil War.

The painting has that distinctive Picasso style and its unflinching examination of the horrors of war made it an essential part of 20th-century culture and history./CNA