Whether it be love, anger, sadness, or joy, those feelings come from the very depth of who you are. Another beautiful aspect of looking at art is that it doesn’t take much effort to simply enjoy. All you need to do is gaze at the masterpiece. For as long as humans have been on earth, art has been an essential part of life. Some of the earliest pieces of art were images of bulls, bison, and horses painted on a cave wall almost 17 thousand years ago. Ever since then, art has continually evolved. Some of the most brilliant works of art worth seeing in person range from the early Renaissance period to the modern 21st century. It was created by simply laying a canvas on the ground and dripping paint across the surface. This way of creating art is now called action painting. Thousands of people travel to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City to get a glimpse of one of the first pieces of action art. The painting displays a tender passionate kiss between two lovers. The Kiss is currently housed in the Austrian Gallery Belvedere. The mural is located on the sidewall of a Poundland store in Wood Green, London. It depicts a young boy sewing together small Union Jack flags. Banksy has been known to create art that revolves around political issues, war, and peace. More than a thousand years later, the sculpture resurfaced on April 8, 1820. Pieces of the masterpiece were found on the Aegean island of Melos and presented to Louis XVIII. The artwork is now displayed at the Louvre in Paris, France. The painting is one of his most famous pieces. It is currently displayed in the Dutch Royal Cabinet of Paintings at the Mauritshuis in The Hague. The stunning painting depicts a floating angel appearing to give Saint Matthew divine inspiration. Centuries later, the painting can still be seen in the church of the French congregation San Luigi de Francesi in Rome, Italy. Monet’s inspiration for his masterpiece came from a pond near his home in Giverny, France. Pieces from his series can be found in museums all over the world Art historians believe it was created to symbolize strength, youth, and beauty. The original sculpture is located in the Accademia Gallery of Florence, Italy. There is also a second copy located in Piazza Della Signoria. One of the reasons that she is seen holding an ermine in the painting is because it symbolizes purity. The famous Renaissance painting can be found in the Main Building of the National Museum in Krakow, Poland. The beautiful Renaissance sculpture depicts Mother Mary sorrowfully holding her son Jesus’ dead body in her lap. The masterpiece can be found at St. Peter’s Basilica located in Vatican City. When he created Liberty Leading the People in 1830, he wanted to create a powerful symbol of France. The picture displays a woman raising a French flag in the middle of a battlefield. Many people believe she is a symbol of freedom. Caillebotte also gracefully depicts Paris as a modern city and the class differences between its residents. This photo-realistic painting can be found at the Art Institute of Chicago. Art critics believe the painting depicts a human’s experience from life to the afterlife. The masterpiece is currently being housed at the Museo del Prado in Madrid. American Gothic is perhaps one of Wood’s most famous pieces because it is considered a primary example of American Regionalism. Outside the United States, the picture has been displayed at the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris and at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. The 6’10” x 10’1” sized painting of fashion-savvy Parisians enjoying a lovely Sunday afternoon can be found at the Art Institute of Chicago. The picture’s strange subject matter is portrayed in a dream-like manner. The melting clocks symbolize the passage of time. The famous painting is currently displayed at The Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Rijin used dark neutral colors with pops of aqua-green and deep reds to bring his painting to life. The famous Dutch Golden Age painting can be found at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Botticelli’s masterpiece is considered a landmark of 15th-century Italian artwork. Every year, thousands of visitors travel to Florence, Italy, to see the prized piece for themselves at the Uffizi Gallery. The masterpiece is considered one of the most moving anti-war paintings in the world. Picasso began painting the piece on April 26, 1937, and is believed to have finished just three months later. There is also a lot of mystery that surrounds this painting. You can see The Mona Lisa for yourself at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. No one knows who the girl in the painting really is or if she ever existed. The masterpiece currently resides in the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague. It’s widely believed that The Scream is a reference to Munch’s soul and his inner troubles. The masterpiece is currently displayed in the Munch Museum in Oslo. The Starry Night, painted in June 1889, is one of his most renowned. The piece depicts the east-facing view from his asylum room at the Saint-Rémy-de-Provence just around sunrise. The painting is currently located at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. In 2007, Giovanni Maria Pala, an Italian musician, created a 40-second melody from the notes that are allegedly hidden in the scene. The 15th-century mural painting currently resides at the Convent of Santa Maria Delle Grazie in Milan, Italy. A few depicted scenes that were painted include “The Separation of Light From Darkness” and “The Drunkenness of Noah.” It is thought to have taken Michelangelo around four years to complete. An estimated five million people travel to Vatican City every year to see the piece of art located within the Apostolic Palace.
