Ranker Art lists at Ranker - the ultimate source for lists and rankings in all categories

Ranker Art - Lists at Ranker

Culture

Since the dawn of time, people have explored life, death, and the great beyond in works of art. Some death paintings depict the grim reaper as nothing but bones and a sickle, but some classic death paintings reveal a kind and gentle guide rather than a scary skeleton. Several memeto mori paintings are even beautiful.

There are many iconic paintings about death personified including &ldquo;Death and Life&rdquo; by Gustav Klimt. This oil painting &ndash; constructed between 1908 and 1915 &ndash; is colorful and even a bit hopeful as death patiently waits for humanity to acknowledge his presence. &ldquo;Death and Life&rdquo; is part of the Leopold Museum&#39;s collection located in Vienna. Hieronymus Bosch&#39;s &ldquo;Death and the Miser&rdquo; and Paul Gauguin&#39;s &ldquo;The Spirit of the Dead Keep Watch&rdquo; are also compelling depictions of death in classic works of art.

There are so many great paintings about death, but which works of art are the best? Give your favorite paintings of death a vote up.

The Visage Of Death Stalks These Classical Works Of Art

Artwork

The Best Paintings Of Death Personified, Ranked

Ranker Art

“Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” - Andy Warhol 

The Art of Art

Hieronymus Bosch

Hieronymus Bosch filled his &ldquo;Garden Of Earthly Delights&rdquo; with monsters, creatures, and men pulled from dreams and nightmares. Scenes are overflowing with allegories told through moments of weirdness and whimsy. Some Hieronymus Bosch creatures are simply oversized animals while others are creepy Bosch monsters enjoying earthly delights.

One of the most unique Bosch creations in the &ldquo;Garden Of EarthlyDelights&rdquo; is his Butterfly Monster. This angry creature&#39;s wings jut off its head as it stabs a captive human with a giant sword. Elsewhere a pack of green and grey beasts feed on a fallen knight. Not all of Bosch&#39;s subjects are monsters. &ldquo;Garden Of Earthly Delights&rdquo; also features a duck feeding a man and maybe the first pre-internet appearance of a Unicorn Cat

Which of Hieronymus Bosch&#39;s creepy and charming creatures best captures your imagination? Vote your favorites from &ldquo;Garden Of Earthly Delights&rdquo; up to the top of this list.

Hieronymus Bosch Filled His Paintings With Creepy And Hilarious Creatures

The Strangest Monsters In Bosch's Garden Of Earthy Delights, Ranked

Claude Monet

Oscar-Claude Monet&nbsp;is a master of &nbsp;Impressionist art - in fact, Monet founded the French Impressionism movement in the late 1800s. Monet&#39;s greatest paintings feature water lilies, his wife Camille, the Thames river, and the French gardens of his country home. The best Claude Monet paintings are among the world&#39;s best-known pieces of art.&nbsp;

On a list of the Claude Monet top 10 paintings, you would likely see the lily pad painting, famous for its beauty and display of impressionism. Which do you believe are the Monet best paintings? Perhaps you think &ldquo;Woman with a Parasol&rdquo; is the best of Claude Monet. Be sure to make your opinion known by voting on the Claude Monet best paintings below.&nbsp;

Claude Monet's Greatest Works Of Art

The 20 Best Claude Monet Paintings, Ranked By Art Fans

Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol is one of the most important and influential (as well as controversial) artists of the 20th Century. Andy Warhol Art is known for being abstract pop culture that questions, &quot;What is art?&quot;

The Andy Warhol most famous art piece is probably Campbell&rsquo;s Soup Cans. However, you can make your opinion on the Andy Warhol most famous artwork below. Andy Warhol artwork features starts such as Marilyn Monroe and Elvis.&nbsp;

Which do you think are the Andy Warhol best paintings? Vote up your favorite Warhol artwork below.&nbsp;

Andy Warhol's Greatest Works Of Art

The 25 Best Andy Warhol Paintings, Ranked By Art Aficionados

Vincent van Gogh

Vincent <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/famous-vincent-van-gogh-paintings/reference?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Van Gogh paintings</a> are some of the world&#39;s best-known and most-loved pieces of art. The 19th century painter&nbsp;suffered from depression and poverty, but famously also created some world-famous works of art. From self-portraits to dreamy skyscapes, van gogh artwork has certainly made an impression on the art world.&nbsp;

The Vincent Van Gogh most famous artwork, The Starry Night, shows the incredible skill of an artist expressing movement, light, and emotion in his brushstrokes. The Vincent Van Gogh sunflowers are another beloved painting.&nbsp;

Which are&nbsp;the best Vincent Van Gogh paintings? Now is your chance to make your voice heard. Vote up the Van Gogh best paintings below.

Vincent Van Gogh's Greatest Works Of Art

The 25 Best Vincent Van Gogh Paintings, Ranked By Art Aficionados

Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo art was often&nbsp;inspired by Mexican folklore and native artfacts. Frida Kahlo&nbsp;artwork explores identity, gender, class, and race in Mexican society. The Frida Kahlo most famous artwork ranges from beautiful paintings like&nbsp;Roots, to depressing and darker pieces such as&nbsp;The Suicide of Dorothy Hale.&nbsp;

Below you will find Frida Kahlo best paintings, many of which contain themes of fertility, mortality, and rebirth. Which do you think is the Frida Kahlo most famous painting? Vote up your favorites below and check back to see if they rank in the top 10 best Frida Kahlo paintings.

Frida Kahlo's Greatest Works Of Art

The 20 Best Frida Kahlo Paintings, Ranked By Art Aficionados

Salvador Dali

It&#39;s hard to dispute the mark Salvador Dali made on the surrealist movement. But the Salvador Dali greatest works are certainly up for debate. Which do you think are the Dali best paintings? The Salvador Dali best works include mostly paintings, but also more abstract pieces such as the Face of Mae West Which Can Be Used as an Apartment. Many would&nbsp;argue that The Persistence of Memory - AKA, the famous melting clock painting - would be one of the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/surrealism-paintings/reference?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Salvador Dali top 10 paintings</a>.&nbsp;

Also, many of the Salvador Dali best paintings feature Gala Dali, the artist&#39;s wife and longtime muse. The Salvador Dali best artwork can be found in prominent museums throughout the world, such as the Dal&iacute; Theatre-Museum in Figueres, Spain. Check out some of Dali&#39;s best works below, and be sure to vote up your favorite paintings of his.&nbsp;

Salvador Dal&iacute;'s Greatest Works Of Art

The 20 Best Salvador Dalí Paintings

Francisco Goya

What are the best Francisco Goya paintings? Goya was a portraitist and painter, known for being part of the Romantic art movement of the 1800s. Goya artwork run&nbsp;the gamut from macabre sketches and truly twisted paintings, to portraits of royals, and&nbsp;colorful scenes of daytime outings. Goya famous paintings include The Clothed Maja and The Dog. However, there are other types of Goya artwork, such as his sketch The Garroted Man.&nbsp;

Goya&#39;s best paintings might be some of his darkest, such as Saturn Devouring His Son and&nbsp;The Third of May 1808. The Goya Witches Sabbath painting is another well-known piece from the artist&#39;s black period. The Goya black paintings were from the end of the artist&#39;s life, when he was feeling more disillusioned.&nbsp;

Meanwhile,&nbsp;The Parasol and&nbsp;Portrait of Do&ntilde;a Isabel de Porcel&nbsp;show that Goya also understood real beauty. Which do you think are Goya&#39;s best paintings? Check them out below, and be sure to vote up the ones you love most.

Francisco Goya's Greatest Works Of Art

The 20 Best Francisco Goya Paintings, Ranked By Art Fans

Lists about the period of political upheaval between 1765 and 1783, when the Thirteen Colonies finally said 'cheerio' to King George III and founded these independent United States of America. 

You Say You Want a Revolution

American Revolutionary War

The United States of America has only been a nation since it declared Independence from Britain in 1776, but that Declaration of Independence would be nothing were it not for the world-changing conflict it launched. Within short order, the former British Colonies united to call themselves the USA and King George wasn&#39;t about to let that go without a fight! Between 1775 and 1783, the United States and Great Britain fought a war, which came to be known the American Revolutionary War, or sometimes, the War for American Independence.

During the conflict and now, many years later, artists have put their paint to canvas to depict the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/a-list-of-all-american-revolutionary-war-battles/reference" target="_blank">various battles</a> and the men and women embroiled within them. The conflict was fought on land and at sea with many of those scenes painted by some of the most talented artists of the day. Of particular note is&nbsp;Emanuel Leutze&#39;s famous <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/george-washington-art/reference?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">painting of Washington</a> crossing the Deleware, but other artists such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/modern-update-of-john-trumbulls-declaration-of-independence/stephanroget" target="_blank">John Trumbull</a> captured some of the most important aspects of the war in their paintings, which are good representations of the people and places of the time.&nbsp;

With more than 240 years of classic artwork supporting the various points of view of the conflict, there have been some beautiful and impressive paintings made. Of the many thousands of representations of that great conflict, these are arguably the best. Don&#39;t forget to vote for your favorite down below!

The Best American Revolution Paintings

The Best Paintings of the American Revolutionary War Ranked

Jesus Christ

The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most well-known paintings in all the world. The famous fresco stands as not only an example of a beautiful <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-most-incredible-pieces-of-artwork-ever-made?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">piece of artwork</a>, it is an important depiction of <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/what-it-was-like-at-the-last-supper/genevieve-carlton" target="_blank">the final supper of Christ and his Apostles</a> before he was executed and stands as a classic representation of one of the most important religious figures in history.

Because the final meaning is such an important aspect of the Catholic faith, the scene has been captured by thousands of talented artists over the millennia in numerous beautiful paintings. <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/history-painting-artworks-by-leonardo-da-vinci/reference" target="_blank">Da Vinci</a> wasn&#39;t the only master to take on the subject - many other artists, some who are unknown and some whose work is easily recognizable, took on the task. Because there are so many paintings of The Last Supper, this&nbsp;list helps to identify many of the best Last Supper artwork.

The Best Paintings of The Last Supper

The Best Paintings Of The Last Supper, Ranked

Lists about the period between July 28, 1914, and November 11, 1918, during which the Allied Forces fought the Central Powers for control of the developed world.

World War I, otherwise known as The Great War, was one of the most important military conflicts in the history of humanity. Before the conflict erupted in 1914, no war had cost as much loss. While it was the most calamitous event - touching the entire world - up to the point it occurred, the conflict is often overshadowed by the deadlier event that followed: World War II. Through art, such as paintings of WWI, we can see how <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/life-inside-a-world-war-i-trench/setareh-janda" target="_blank">intense and overwhelming</a> the time was for everyone, even if it pales next to the events that began two decades later.

Like all military conflicts, WWI was depicted in various forms including film, photography, and of course, paintings. Some of the most important artists of the 20th century painted works of art showing the emotion and action of the world&#39;s soldiers at the time the events were unfolding and continued returning to the subject for many years later. The artwork of <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/famous-john-singer-sargent-paintings/reference" target="_blank">John Singer Sargent</a>&lrm; is well known and make up some of the most classic depictions about the conflict and the events around it while many other paintings by other talented artists show good representations of one of humanity&#39;s greatest and most devastating moments in history.

The Best WWI Paintings

The Best WWI Paintings & Artwork of World War One, Ranked

Winslow Homer

Between the springs of 1861 and 1865, the American Civil War ravaged the South and the East, changing the still-young country forever. Although <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/colorized-photos-of-the-us-civil-war/kellen-perry" target="_blank">photos of the Civil War</a> are well-known, thanks to their familiar format, there were also many paintings of the Civil War. These striking images created both during the war and after, can offer an emotional balance to the sometimes stark photography we often associate with the war.

<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/famous-winslow-homer-paintings/reference" target="_blank">Winslow Homer</a>, sent by Harper&#39;s Bazaar to the frontlines, might have created the bulk <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/famous-american-civil-war-art/reference?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Civil War paintings</a>. Capturing both quiet moments such as Pitching Quoits and battles like Skirmish in the Wilderness, Homer&#39;s paintings also range from painted sketches to carefully rendered pieces. Homer didn&#39;t have the monopoly on Civil War paintings, with others such as the Albert Bierstadts landscape-forward works, the spare panoramas of Conrad Wise Chapman and the more formal compositions of Julian Scott.

There are so many great Civil War paintings, but which images of the American Civil War are the best? Vote up the great paintings that captured the event.

The Best Civil War Paintings

The Best American Civil War Paintings, Ranked

There have been so many sculptures of such a wide range of subjects and in so many materials and styles across history that it can be difficult to narrow a selection to the best sculptures ever. This list of the best sculptures in history includes Renaissance statues, Baroque sculpture, and even work by abstract sculpture artists.

Even though some of the sculptures on this list may be from famous artists who have names that are familiar, like Gian Lorenzo Bernini or <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/auguste-rodin-sculptures/reference" target="_blank">Auguste Rodin</a>, you may also find some classic sculptures you recognize from artists whose names you didn&#39;t know, like Antonio Corradini. There are even famous sculptures that may be new to you, like Fernando Botero&#39;s Bird and the Surrealist sculptures from Alberto Giacometti. From the haunting realism of <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/what-famous-art-actually-looks-like-in-context/melissa-sartore" target="_blank">sculptors</a> like Michelangelo to the deceptively simple planes of Pablo Picasso&#39;s sculptures, these <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-paintings-all-time/ranker-art?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">famous art pieces</a> are of the very best by the greatest sculptors of all time.

The Best Sculptures Of All Time

The 100+ Best Sculptures Of All Time

Popular Opinion

There have been so many paintings in such a wide range of subjects and movements across history that it can be difficult to narrow a selection to the best paintings ever. This list of the <a href="/list/classical-paintings-zodiac/megan-summers" target="_blank">best paintings</a> in history includes the best Baroque period <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/what-famous-art-actually-looks-like-in-context/melissa-sartore" target="_blank">art</a>, the most famous Renaissance paintings, and even the most famous portraits.

Even though some of the paintings on this list may be from famous artists whose <a href="/list/most-expensive-painting-ever-sold/alby-thompson" target="_blank">works sell for lots of money</a>, like Picasso or <a href="/list/dark-origins-of-frida-kahlo-paintings/erin-wisti" target="_blank">Frida Kahlo</a>, you may also find some classic paintings you recognize from artists whose names you didn&#39;t know, like Jan Brueghel the Younger. There are even famous paintings that may be new to you, like Tiger by German Expressionist Franz Marc and Espa&ntilde;a y Filipinas by Juan Luna. From the smooth precision of painters like Peter Paul Rubens to the broad strokes of Matisse paintings, these famous art pieces are of the very best by the greatest painters of all time.

The Best Paintings Of All Time

The 200 Best Paintings Of All Time

Ranking the best and most influential photographers across all genres, now and since the beginning of the art form.

Behind the Lens

Controversy

This is a list of the most controversial photographers. Throughout history art and fashion photographers have pushed against the bounds of convention, the law, and good taste.The scope of controversy in photography is broad, including fashion photographers known to shoot <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/most-controversial-magazine-covers/anncasano" target="_blank">provocative campaigns</a>, like Steven Klein or David LaChapelle; to photographers who use corpses as their models, like Joel-Peter Witkin. Profane themes&nbsp;are all possible subjects for a controversial photographer.All of these photographers have created notable bodies of work and though some of their scandalous photos might even seem tame in the modern day, it's difficult to determine who has truly been the most controversial photographer of all time. Even if some of the names are new to you, their fashion campaigns and controversial art are familiar. It’s up to you to help determine which photographers have made, or are still making, the most controversial photographs.

The Most Controversial Photographers Of All Time

Person

The Most Controversial Photographers Of All Time, Ranked by Photography Fans

LGBTQ+

As long as people have been making art, LGBTQ+ artists have been painting from their perspective. From gay painters like Leonardo da Vinci and Andy Warhol to bisexuals like Frida Kahlo and trans artists like Lili Elbe and Jeffrey Catherine Jones, the rainbow of great LGBTQ+ painters stretches around the world.&nbsp;

All of these artists have created amazing bodies of work and changed art history books for the better, but it&#39;s more difficult to determine who has truly left their mark. Even if some of the names are new to you, their paintings are familiar, and it&rsquo;s up to you to help determine which painters have made, or are making, history with their art.

The Best LGBTQ+ Painters Of All Time

The Best LGBTQ+ Painters in History, Ranked by Art Fans

This list contains information on the greatest painters of all time, ranked from best to worst by user votes. History&#39;s greatest painters come in many forms. Some famous painters are impressionists while other painters are surrealists. Many of the top painters of all time have been inspired by a variety of classic religious imagery and biblical verses.

What artists will you find on this greatest painters of all time list? Leonardo da Vinci has to be near the top. His works include such iconic paintings as the Mona Lisa&nbsp;and The Last Supper.&nbsp;He was known as <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/famous-renaissance-artists/reference?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">a Renaissance artist</a> and his works now auction for hundreds of millions of dollars. Pablo Picasso is another one of the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-paintings-all-time/ranker-art?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">best painters of all time</a>.

Claude Monet has inspired many art fans with his beautiful Water Lilies.&nbsp;More modern artists including Jackson Pollock, Georgia O&#39;Keeffe, and Roy Lichtenstein are also featured on this famous painters list.

Which artist do you think is the greatest painter of all time? Vote your favorites to the top.

17 lists