Throughout history, there have been pieces of art that have won more recognition — and in some cases, more infamy — than others. Introducing your grandchildren to these works, whether in person or in print, will give them a broad sense of historical culture that will be theirs for a lifetime.
Listed here are 25 seminal pieces, spread out over centuries, that will spark conversation and, we hope, inspiration. Each piece on the list includes the title, artist, date it was created, and where you can see it.
What follows aren't necessarily the greatest 25 artworks of all time. Ask any two art critics or historians what they consider to be the top masterpieces and you'll surely end up with surprisingly different lists; art is that subjective.
1. Bust of Nefertiti, artist unknown, 1350 BCE, on display at the Altes Museum, Berlin
German archaeologist Ludwig Borchardt discovered this bust of Nefertiti in 1912 within the ruins of the workshop of sculptor Thutmose in Egypt. The bust of painted limestone pays tribute to the woman who is, arguably, the second most-famous Queen of Egypt after Cleopatra. In translation, her name,
Nefertiti, means "a beautiful woman has arrived." She was the wife of Pharaoh Amenhotep IV and mother-in-law of the famed Pharaoh Tutankhamun.
2. Mask of Tutankhamun, artist unknown, 1323 BCE, on display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo
This is puportedly the most famous mask in the world, even though it's a traditional Egyptian funeral mask. Tutankhamun became Pharaoh at age nine — thus his nickname "the Boy King" — and ruled for nearly 10 years before his death. Howard Carter, a British archaeologist, discovered Tut's tomb in 1922, the artifacts of which went on tour in the 1970s, spawning the famous Steve Martin humorous song, "King Tut." So when you think about masked heroes, tell Spider-Man, Batman, and the Green Hornet to step aside. For masks, Tut is king.
3. Discus Thrower, by Myron, 450 BCE, on display at the British Museum in London
Found in 1781 in Rome, the
Discus Thrower has been praised for its brilliance in capturing the movement and release point of a man throwing a discus. The statue, admired for more than 200 years for its near-perfect depiction of the musculature of the thrower, is made of marble.
4. Herakles and the Three-Bodied Monster Geryon, by Exekias, 550 to 540 BCE, on display at the Musée du Louvre in Paris
This traditional Greek water vessel, or amphora, depicts two soldiers in battle, both standing over a dead or wounded man on the ground. The characters are formed in classic black-figure drawing from that era. Exekias is considered one of the masters of this style.
5. Venus de Milo, artist unknown (although it's thought to be the work of Alexandros of Antioch., circa 130 BCE, on display at the Musée du Louvre in Paris
A classic example of Greek sculpture. The mystery of her missing arms continues to breed speculation and debate within the art world. A peasant named Yorgos Kentrotas discovered the
Venus de Milo in 1820 within the ancient ruins on
the Aegean island of Milos
6. David, by Donatello,1430-35, on display at the Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence
Not to be confused with
David by Michelangelo (nor
David by del Verrocchio or Bernini, for that matter), this bronze cast caused something of a controversy when it was first shown more than 500 years ago. It depicts the young David, nude (except for a hat and boots), standing atop Goliath's severed head. The statue is currently undergoing a restoration that is expected to be completed in December 2008.
7. The Gates of Paradise, by Lorenzo Ghiberti, 1452, on display at the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo in Florence
Ghiberti was commissioned to design a pair of bronze doors for Florence's Baptistery in 1425. His grand doors, or gates, became so elaborate and intricate that the project took 27 years.
The Gates of Paradise consist of ten panels, one column of five panels to each side of the 17-foot-high double doors. From the story of Adam and Eve at the top left to Solomon at the bottom right, each panel represents a succession of events. Ghiberti's fellow Renaissance-era artist Michelangelo Buonaroti was so overwhelmed by their beauty, he named the doors
The Gates of Paradise.
8. La Primavera, by Sandro Botticelli, 1477-78, on display at the Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence
Botticelli was one of the first Renaissance painters to use the gods of Greek mythology in his work. In this piece, the gods Venus, Flora, Zephyr, and Mercury help announce the arrival of spring, or
primavera,
in Italian.
9. The Birth of Venus, by Sandro Botticelli, 1485, on display at the Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence
Botticelli, again influenced by mythology, painted the classic Greek goddess Venus. The goddess is emerging from the water on a seashell, blown toward the shore by the Zephyrs and handed a flowery cloak by one of the Horae, goddesses of the seasons. This classic has been reproduced, interpreted, paid homage to (and in some cases, botched in countless movies and on TV shows.
10. Last Supper, by Leonardo da Vinci, 1495-97, on display at the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan
Is it the
Last Supper or is it the
Mona Lisa that is thought of as da Vinci's greatest work? Let the debate rage on. Da Vinci painted
the
Last Supper on dry wall,
so it is not considered a true fresco, which is a painting made on wet plaster, using pigments combined with water. The work represents, of course, the final meal that Jesus Christ shared
with his 12 apostles at the moment he reveals that one of them will betray him. The painting specifically portrays the reaction of each disciple.
11. Mona Lisa, by Leonardo da Vinci, 1504-06, on display at the Musée du Louvre in Paris
Some have called her the most beautiful woman in the world. Da Vinci's portrait is idyllic in its simplicity, which sparks the eternal question about the reason for Mona Lisa's smile. Some say she was pregnant or had recently given birth; others say da Vinci deliberately used shadowing in the corners of her lips to create the impression she was smiling, when she wasn't. Look at the painting with your grandchildren and ask them to determine whether or not da Vinci intended to create the controversy.
12. Pieta, by Michelangelo Buonaroti, 1497-1499, on display at St. Peter's Basilica, Rome
Originally commissioned by a French cardinal, the marble statue depicts Jesus' mother, Mary, holding his body after he was taken down from the cross. Michelangelo, hearing that someone questioned if he was the artist, carved his name and the phrase "
faciebat," Latin for "made it," on Mary's sash.
 Copyright © 2005 Rico Heil |
13. David, by Michelangelo Buonaroti, 1501-1504, on display at the Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence
A masterpiece by any definition. Unlike previous interpretations of David, this marble statue does not depict his vanquished foe
Goliath. Instead, Michelangelo's work suggests a strong, youthful David preparing for battle. In 1991, a vandal attacked the statue with a hammer, damaging the toes of the left foot before being restrained.
14. Ceiling Fresco of the Sistine Chapel, by Michelangelo Buonarotti, 1508-1512, on display at the Vatican in Rome
No, Michelangelo did not paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
while lying on his back. Only Charlton Heston did that in the movie,
The Agony and the Ecstasy. Nonetheless, this brilliant work remains one of the most important frescoes in the history of the world. There are more than 300 painted figures on the ceiling, the most famous of which is the oft-reproduced fresco
The Creation, which shows God reaching out with his finger to touch the finger of Adam.
15. The Gates of Hell, by Auguste Rodin, 1880-1917, on display at the Musée d'Orsay, Paris
The bronze sculpture was actually commissioned in 1880, and Rodin would continue to work on it and tweak it until his death in 1917. It depicts a scene from the poet Dante Alighieri's
Divine Comedy and contains some 180 figures.
16. The Thinker, by Auguste Rodin, 1881, on display at the Musée Rodin, Paris
Arguably one of the most classic — and copied — poses in art history,
The Thinker is in deep thought, with his head resting on his hand. Rodin himself wrote that
The Thinker was originally meant
to be the poet Dante Alighieri, but has come to represent any man in deep thought.
17. Starry Night, by Vincent Van Gogh, 1889, on display at the Museum of Modern Art, New York City
Van Gogh
painted this oil on canvas while he was in an asylum in Saint-Remy, France. It is considered by art historians to be the finest piece of work produced by the Dutch post-impressionist artist. The painting was the inspiration for the 1970s song "Vincent," by Don McLean, a song known for its opening line: "Starry, starry night."
18. The Scream, by Edvard Munch, 1893, on display at the National Gallery, Oslo
Guaranteed your teen grandkids will immediately recognize this work from the adaptation of the mask in the hit film
Scream. It shows an agonizing figure, both hands held to his head, suffering an attack of major angst. The work on display in Oslo, a rendering in oil, tempera, and pastel on cardboard, has been the target of high-profile attacks; most recently, in 2004, it was stolen from the museum and recovered in 2006.
The Scream underwent renovations and was put back on display in May 2008.
19. The Kiss, by Gustav Klimt, 1907-1908, on display at the Osterreichishe Galerie Belvedere, Vienna
The painting, executed in oil and gold leaf on canvas, depicts a couple sharing a kiss against a bronze background. The interpretation is subject to debate, and theories about
The Kiss go from celebration of a first kiss to the indifference and aloofness of the woman, who looks as if she is turning away from the man.
20. American Gothic, by Grant Wood, 1930, on display at the Art Institute of Chicago
This painting, in oil on beaverboard
, has been the subject of humor and ridicule, as it depicts a farmer, with a pitchfork, standing next to his wife. The piece originally angered many in rural communities, especially in Iowa, where Wood's dentist and sister were used as the models for the painting. They perceived the portrayal as a slight.
21. The Persistence of Memory, by Salvador Dali, 1931, on display at the Museum of Modern Art
Dali, said to be among the greatest of the surrealists, may be best-known for this painting, an oil on canvas, which is sometimes called
The Persistence of Time or
Melting Clocks. The idea for the painting truly depicts how the artist thought: On a hot summer day, Dali watched the way a wedge of cheese melted and became runny because of the heat. That night, he began painting this masterpiece.
22. The Two Fridas, by Frida Kahlo, 1939, on display at the Museo de Arte Moderno, Mexico City
Immortalized in the art community for her work, her marriage to fellow artist Diego Rivera, and her untimely death at the age of 47, Kahlo painted
The Two Fridas after her divorce from Rivera. It is a double self-portrait that shows her, holding hands with herself.
23. Detroit Industry, by Diego Rivera, 1933, on display at the Detroit Institute of Art
Edsel Ford, then president of the Ford Motor Company and the city of Detroit's Arts Commission, commissioned this mural cycle. The panels represent the races of North American culture that make up the work force, the automobile industry, and other industries in Detroit. Rivera considered it one of his finest works.
 Photo © 2001 Pollock-Krasner Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS) |
24. Number 22, by Jackson Pollack, 1950, on display at the Philadelphia Museum of Art
It was Pollack who created the art of "dripping" —
Time magazine dubbed him "Jack The Dripper" in a 1956 article. Pollack was one of the most influential artists in the abstract expressionist movement. He was married to another abstract painter, Lee Krasner, who said that her husband went from naming his paintings to numbering them because numbers are neutral and force people to see something for what it is and interpret it for themselves.
25. Best Buddies, by Keith Haring, 1990, in a traveling exhibit
Haring is best-known for his bold line drawings. He was quoted as saying, "... My father made cartoons. Since I was little, I had been doing cartoons, creating characters, and stories. In my mind, though, there was a separation between cartooning and being an 'artist' ..." And that separation shows in Haring's work: stylized, line art, accessible, fun, but definitely art, and grandchild-friendly. Haring is said to have begun his career with chalk drawings in the subways of New York City.
(Additional reporting by Kai Alexis Smith and Fran Claro.)
If you enjoyed this article, you might also enjoy Poems to Share With Your Grandchildren. For a complete guide to what your grandchildren are learning in school, click here.
4 comments so far...
