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39 Famous And Culturally Significant Paintings That Are Kept In The Most Surprising Places
You don't need to be an art expert to have heard the names of some of the world's most famous masterpieces. The Mona Lisa, for example has become a staple meme in modern days. But if you wanted to see the real thing, you'd need to travel to Paris, where it's held behind bulletproof glass in the Louvre Museum.
The painting is among dozens of closely guarded original works of art around the world. From van Gogh's The Starry Night to other masterpieces from Leonardo Da Vinci, Monet, and greats from years gone by, each has its own special home.
Bored Panda has compiled the ultimate travel bucket list for anyone who wants to inject some culture into their next trip. We take you to Poland, Paris, New York and more, to reveal where some of the world's most famous artworks are currently being kept. So keep scrolling as you dream of starry nights and long strolls through gorgeous galleries and museums.
We also also tell you how old classics have stood the test of time, and give some tips on preserving your own works of art. You'll find that info between the images.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
"Lady With An Ermine (Cecilia Gallerani)" By Leonardo Da Vinci, Located At The Czartoryski Museum, Krakow, Poland
LtKernelPanic 1 year ago
Krakow is high on my list of places I want to visit again and I'm going to have to put this on my list of things to see there.
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#2
"The Arnolfini Portrait" By Jan Van Eyck, Located At The National Gallery London, United Kingdom
martymcmatrix 1 year ago (edited)
For anyone who's interested in high resolution images should visit → http://closertovaneyck.kikirpa.be
#3
"The Lady Of Shalott" By John William Waterhouse, Located At The Tate Britain, London, United Kingdom
#4
"The Kiss" By Gustav Klimt, Located At Austrian Gallery Belvedere, Vienna, Austria
Multa Nocte 1 year ago
This is one of my favourite paintings of all time. I have a lovely tote bag and a gorgeous scarf of this print.
#5
"Water Lily Pond", (Symphony In Green) By Claude Monet, Located At Musee D'orsay, Paris, France
Kyra Heiker 1 year ago
I have seen it and I have to say that all of the paintings on that floor of that museum need to be seen in person. Photographs simply do not capture the depth and the stunning radiance.
#6
"Wanderer Above The Sea Of Fog" By Caspar David Friedrich, Located At Thehamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany
#7
"Portrait Of Adele Bloch-Bauer" By Gustav Klimt, Located At Neue Galerie, New York, USA
#8
"The Milkmaid (The Kitchen Maid)" By Johannes Vermeer, Located At The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
#9
"Vase With Irises Against A Yellow" By Vincent Van Gogh, Located At The Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
#10
"Whistler's Mother" By James Whistler, Located At The Musee D'orsay, Paris, France
greenideas 1 year ago
I can never look at this painting without thinking about Mr. Bean's sneeze...and the resulting masterpiece.
#12
"The Scream" By Edvard Munch, Located At The The National Museum Of Norway, Oslo, Norway
#13
The Skiff (La Yole)" By Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Located At The National Gallery, London, United Kingdom
#15
"The Girl With A Pearl Earring" By Johannes Vermeer, Van Delft, Located At The Mauritshuis Collection In The Hague, The Netherlands
Rubyjune45 1 year ago
Saw it in Atlanta Georgia U.S. when it toured. It’s tiny. Was very surprised.
#16
"Woman With A Parasol - Madame Monet And Her Son" By Claude Monet, Located At The National Gallery Of Art, Washington, D.C, USA
#17
"Still Life: Vase With Fourteen Sunflowers" By Vincent Van Gogh, Located At The National Gallery, London, United Kingdom
#18
"The Polar Sea (The Sea Of Ice)" By Caspar David Friedrich, Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany
#19
"Napoleon Crossing The Alps" By Jacques-Louis David, Located At The Chateau De Malmaison, France
Torben Møller-Nielsen 1 year ago
Or you can look at version 3 at the Belvedere and have a look at the "The Kiss" at the same time. Tha painting is huge, almost life size.
#20
"The Cafe Terrace On The Place Du Forum, Arles" By Vincent Van Gogh, Located At The Kroller-Muller Museum, Otterlo, Netherlands
#21
"Two Sisters (On The Terrace)" By Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Located At The Art Institute Of Chicago, USA
#22
"Composition 8" By Wassily Kandinsky, Located At The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, USA
#23
"The Last Supper" By Leonardo Da Vinci, Located At The Basilica Di Santa Maria Delle Grazie Church, Milan, Italy
#25
"The Laughing Cavalier" By Frans Hals, Located At The Wallace Collection, London, United Kingdom
#26
"Guernica" By Pablo Picasso, Located At The Museo Nacional Centro De Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid, Spain
Lynda Steinwand 1 year ago
No photo can do this justice. Picasso was under a deadline to finish this and in person you can see all the erased lines and changes he made before the final product. You can almost feel the t*****e he went through for this piece.
#28
"American Gothic" By Grant Wood, Located At The Art Institute Of Chicago, Illinois, USA
Twidder Sux 1 year ago (edited)
Cool Story Bro: I used to live in an apartment building that used to be a hotel before it was converted. One of the large conference rooms had a mural painted by Grant Wood. Most of the mural was carefully removed before the renovation, but some sections of it still remain hidden behind drywall and drop ceilings. Google up "The Corn Room".
#29
"Mona Lisa" (La Gioconda) By Leonardo Da Vinci, Located At The Louvre Museum, Paris, France
#30
"Wheat Field With Cypresses" By Vincent Van Gogh, Located At The Metropolitan Museum Of Art, New York, USA
#31
"Breezing Up (A Fair Wind)" By Winslow Homer, Located At The National Gallery Of Art, Washington, D.c., USA
#32
"Paris Street; Rainy Weather" By Gustave Caillebotte, Located At The Art Institute Of Chicago Building, Chicago, USA
#34
"The Man With The Golden Helmet" By Rembrandt, Located At The Gemaldegalerie, Berlin, Germany
martymcmatrix 1 year ago
A quote from wikipedia → In November 1985, Berlin-based art expert Jan Kelch announced that important details in the painting's style did not match the style of Rembrandt's known works, and that the painting was probably painted in 1650 by one of Rembrandt's students.
#35
"Dancers In Blue" By Edgar Degas, Located At The The Pushkin State Museum Of Fine Arts, Moscow, Russia
#37
"The Sleeping Gypsy" By Henri Rousseau, Located At The Museum Of Modern Art, New York, USA
#39
"Mont Sainte-Victoire And The Viaduct Of The Arc River Valley" By Paul Cézanne, Located At The Metropolitan Museum Of Art, New York, USA
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LtKernelPanic 1 year ago
I know it's cliche but the Mona Lisa really is a disappointment to see in person. Am I glad I saw it? Yes, it is one of the most famous paintings in the world after all but there were so many more interesting pieces in the Louvre.
LtKernelPanic 1 year ago
I know it's cliche but the Mona Lisa really is a disappointment to see in person. Am I glad I saw it? Yes, it is one of the most famous paintings in the world after all but there were so many more interesting pieces in the Louvre.
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