WE bring you five stories behind some of the most famous paintings in the world.
The Great Wave of Kanagawa – Ukiyo-e artist Hokusai
This legendary work by Japanese Ukiyo-e artist Hokusai was made on a woodblock print. The print was produced in between 1829 and 1833. This artwork is his most famous work and also considered the most well-known piece of Japanese art in the world. The canvas is made up of three main elements: a sea swaying in a storm, a mountain and three ships. The snow-capped Mt. Fuji is considered a symbol of Japan’s national identity and of beauty while the big wave threatens three ships off the coast of Sagami Bay, Kanagawa Prefecture, and the waves shows the artist’s fear of the unpredictable sea.
The Scream – Edvard Munch
The Scream is one of the world’s most expensive paintings. This masterpiece of Norwegian artist Edvard Munch is often interpreted as a primary reaction to the overwhelming pressures of modern life. Originally titled as “Nature’s Cry”, this image, as Munch himself put it, was created for a completely different purpose. The story behind this art makes the graphic representation even more powerful.
It is said that one evening the painter Edvard Munch was walking down the street. He was extremely tired and he suddenly noticed that the sunset clouds looked red. Only then did he feel startled and anxious and came into an interpretation that nature itself was screaming. He painted the entire incident as it is on canvas.
In the specific picture, the clouds are painted in a bright red colour just as he saw them that evening. This painting also depicts frustration, the mental anguish to some.
The popularity of The Scream is evidenced by the fact that the painting was stolen twice – but fortunately recovered each time.
The girl with a pearl earring – Johannes Vermeer
The painting of a beautiful woman with an earring that looks like a large pearl was painted on canvas around 1665. She is considered the Mona Lisa of the North. She depicts a European woman in an unusual costume, an oriental headdress. There are rumors that she is the daughter of Vermeer, but no one is completely sure who she is. The painting was in Hague’s collection at Mauritshuis and has been the subject of several literary adaptations. In 2006, the Dutch public voted the painting as one of the most beautiful works of art in the Netherlands.
Mona Lisa – Leonardo da Vinci
Who doesn’t know Mona Lisa? This enigmatic painting holds the Guinness World Record for the highest insured value, US$100 million (RM418.5 million) in 1962. It was painted by the talented artist Leonardo da Vinci. The name of the painting is derived from the Italian words Mona and Lisa, which are polite expressions similar to madam. This famous lady in this painting is assumed to be Lisa Del Giocondo, wife of a rich silk merchant Francesco del Giocondo. In order to celebrate the birth of their second child, the husband asked Leonardo to paint a portrait of his wife. The picture is also famous for its mysterious smile that disappears depending on the viewing angle.
Starry Night – Vincent Van Gogh
Starry Night is arguably the first on the list of Van Gogh’s most famous works. It can also be found on the wall of the eye-catching Museum of Modern Art in New York. The painting is one of the most iconic works of art in existence. The swirling night sky filled with expressionist-style spirals still evokes strong emotional responses from viewers today. The beautiful swirls and captivating colour palette of Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night are truly mesmerising, and the story behind the paintings is just as captivating. The painting depicts the view from the asylum where the artist was housed. Van Gogh was in a mental hospital when this painting was conceptualised in the winter of 1889, after suffering mental breakdown. The bright star in this picture is Venus, which Gogh referred to as the “Morning Star”. It seems that Van Gogh personally regarded this painting as a failure. The statement was briefly mentioned in a letter already written several months later to his brother Theo.
