Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci

The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci

The Virgin and Child with St. Anne by Leonardo

Da Vinci

St. John the Baptist by Leonardo Da Vinci

The Madonna of the Carnation by Leonardo Da

Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci
Born out of wedlock in Vinci, Italy (just outside Florence), Leonardos
illegitimate standing kept him from receiving a good education and excluded him
from the most lucrative occupations. However, such limitations never hindered (and
perhaps even fueled) da Vincis desire for knowledge and great ambition.
At the age of 15, da Vinci became the apprentice of the painter Andrea del
Verrochio in Florence, where his skills as an artist developed, flourished and even
intimidated his mentor. While always interested in inventions, it was a change of
scenery in 1482 that truly unleashed the inventor in da Vinci. Looking for a broader
scope of work, da Vinci moved from Florence, widely considered the cultural capital
of Italy, to Milan, a much more political and militaristic city. There, da Vinci sold
himself to Duke Ludovico Sforza (a successful military leader called "the dark one")
as a military engineer. In the city that "lived and died by the sword", da Vinci began
developing many of his famous war inventions.
Da Vinci spent 17 years in Milan working for the Duke, inventing, painting,
sculpting, studying science and conceiving an endless stream of innovative and
daring ideas. Without a doubt, the 17 years spent in Milan were da Vincis most
productive period. But, of course, all things must come to an end.
In 1499, the French invaded Milan and Duke Sforza was sent fleeing the city.
Leonardo spent the remaining years of his life traveling to cities like Venice and
Rome to work on different projects, with a greater concentration on his art (starting
on his most famous piece, the Mona Lisa, in 1503) and studies in anatomy (da Vinci
conducted over 30 autopsies in his lifetime). After envisioning hundreds of
inventions, bringing to life legendary works of art and making breakthroughs in a vast
array of other fields (ranging from astronomy to architecture), da Vinci died in 1519
at the age of 67.

Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh

Caf Terrace in the Place du Forum by Vincent van

Gog

The Street, the Yellow House by Vincent Van Gogh

Avenue of Poplars Inn Autumn by Vincent Van Gog

Irises by Vincent Van Gogh

Vincent Van Gogh

Van Gogh is now one of the most well-known post-Impressionist painters,
although he was not widely appreciated in his lifetime.
Vincent Van Gogh was born on 30 March 1853 in Zundert in the southern
Netherlands, the son of a pastor. In 1869, he took his first job, working in the Hague
branch of an international art dealing firm. He began to write to his younger brother
Theo, a correspondence which continued for the rest of Van Gogh's life.
In 1880, at the age of 27, he decided to become an artist. He moved around,
teaching himself to draw and paint and receiving financial support from Theo. In
1886, Van Gogh joined Theo in Paris, and met many artists including Degas,
Toulouse-Lautrec, Pissarro and Gauguin, with whom he became friends. His style
changed significantly under the influence of Impressionism, becoming lighter and
brighter. He painted a large number of self-portraits in this period.
In 1888, Van Gogh moved to Provence in southern France, where he painted
his famous series 'Sunflowers'. He invited Gauguin to join him but they soon began
to quarrel and one night, Van Gogh threatened Gauguin with a razor. Deeply
remorseful he then cut off part of his own ear. This was the first serious sign of the
mental health problems that were to afflict Van Gogh for the rest of his life. He spent
time in psychiatric hospitals and swung between periods of inertia, depression and
incredibly concentrated artistic activity, his work reflecting the intense colors and
strong light of the countryside around him. On 27 July 1890, again suffering from
depression, Van Gogh shot himself. He died two days later.

Girl With A Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer

The Kitchen Maid by Johannes Vermeer

The Glass of Wine by Johannes Vermeer

The Milkmaid by Johannes Vermee

The Concert by Johannes Vermeer

Johannes Vermeer or Jan Vermeer

Johannes Vermeer or Jan Vermeer (baptized October 31, 1632, died at the
age of 43, December 15, 1675) was a Dutch Baroque painter who specialized in
domestic interior scenes of ordinary life. His entire life was spent in the town of Delft.
Vermeer was a moderately successful provincial painter in his lifetime. He seems
never to have been particularly wealthy, perhaps because he produced relatively few
paintings, leaving his wife and children in debt at his death.
Virtually forgotten for nearly one hundred years, Vermeer was rediscovered in
1866 when the art critic Thore Burger published an essay attributing 66 pictures to
him (only 35 paintings are firmly attributed to him today). Since that time Vermeer's
reputation has grown, and he is now acknowledged as one of the greatest painters
of the Dutch Golden Age, and is particularly renowned for his masterly treatment and
use of light in his work.

The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali

Autumnal Cannibalism by Salvador Dali

The Persistence of Memory Surreal Art by Salvador

Dali

Millet Architectonic Surreal Paintings by Salvador

Dali

Surreal Paintings by Salvador Dali

Salvador Dali
Salvador Dal developed visual surrealism together with Magritte. But being
more talented, successful and commercial than the others, Dal was eventually
expelled from the surrealist group.
Born: 1904, May 11, Figueres, Catalonia, Spain
Died: 1989, January 23, Figueres, Catalonia, Spain
Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dal is the most famous of the surrealist painters.
But to begin with, the surrealists did not include painters in their group. Surrealism
was a cultural movement that began in 1920 with its center in Paris. The group
would meet in cafes and discuss psychology and social revolution. But later, visual
arts played an important role in delivering the surrealist message to the public.
Salvador Dal, being an accomplished painter with an eccentric personality and a
genius for marketing himself, became a
foreground figure of the surrealist movement.
Dal showed talent for drawing and
painting at a very early age, as can be seen from
his Landscape Near Figueras from 1910. At the
age of 18, he began his studies at Academia de
San Fernando (School of Fine Arts) in Madrid. He
was well known among his fellow students for his
eccentric behaviour and dandy like manners, but
even more so for his paintings; he was very
gifted. In 1926 he was expelled from the school
just before his final examination, after proclaiming
that none of the professors were qualified to
examine him. In his work, Salvador Dal was
influenced by Raphael and Velzquez among
others. Diego Velzquez inspired him to grow his
his famous moustache, which became his
trademark. During a few years, Dal was noticeably influenced by Picasso and Mir
(Dal and Picasso met in Paris in 1926). The cubist influence can be seen in Dal's
painting Cabaret Scene from 1922 for example.
Salvador Dal accomplished a lot of things outside of painting. Some well
known examples of his work are The Lobster Telephone, Mae West Lips Sofa and
the logo for Chupa Chups. He often managed to create scandals, thus contributing to
the mystic aura surrounding his person.
The Dal Theatre and Museum in his home town Figueres houses the single
largest collection of Dal's work. He started working on the museum in 1960, and it
was opened in 1974. The museum is a testament to the fantastic imagination of
Salvador Dal. In the basement of the museum lies Dal's crypt engraved with his title
Marquis of Pbol, bestowed upon him by King Juan Carlos in 1982.

The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo

Bacchus by Michelangelo

The Last Judgement by Michelangelo

The Holy Family With the Infant John the Baptist

by Michelangelo

Pietn I by Michelangelo

Michelangelo

Michelangelo was born on March 6, 1475, in Caprese, Italy. Born to a family

of moderate means in the banking business, Michelangelo became an apprentice to
a painter before studying in the sculpture gardens of the powerful Medici family.
What followed was a remarkable career as an artist in the Italian Renaissance,
recognized in his own time for his artistic virtuosity. His works include the "David" and
"Pieta" statues and the ceiling paintings of Rome's Sistine Chapel, including the
"Last Judgment." Painter, sculptor, architect and poet Michelangelo, one of the most
famous artists of the Italian Renaissance, was born Michelangelo di Lodovico
Buonarroti Simoni on March 6, 1475, in Caprese, Italy. Michelangelo's father,
Leonardo di Buonarrota Simoni, was briefly serving as a magistrate in the small
village when he recorded the birth of his second of five sons with his wife, Francesca
Neri, but they returned to Florence when Michelangelo was still an infant. Due to his
mother's illness, however, Michelangelo was placed with a family of stonecutters,
where he later jested, "With my wet-nurse's milk, I sucked in the hammer and chisels
I use for my statues."
Following a brief illness, Michelangelo died on February 18, 1564just weeks
before his 89th birthdayat his home in Macel de' Corvi, Rome. A nephew bore his
body back to Florence, where he was revered by the public as the "father and master
of all the arts," and was laid to rest at the Basilica di Santa Crocehis chosen place
of burial.
Although he always considered himself a Florentine, Michelangelo lived most
of his life in Rome, where he died in 1564, at age 88.

Sarimanok by Maranao
The Sarimanok is a legendary bird deeply rooted from the arts and culture of the
Maranao people. It is a colorful bird associated to a Maranao legend where a Sultans
daughter was swept by a colorful rooster which eventually transformed into a handsome
young man and both were never seen again. And for the memory of his daughter not to be
forgotten, he created replicas of Sarimanok. This artwork takes pride in showcasing the
colorful and amazing arts and culture of Mindanaoan people.

Okir Motif by Maranao

The Okir Motif is an art depicting the indigenious originality and skill of the Maranaos.
It is a fine art of figuring, painting, curving and sculpturing depicting the social and
psychological identity of Maranao Society. It is being patronized long time ago, until today
and possibly in the coming generations of Maranao people. Every artifact or Maranao made
ornament or device or decoration is designed with authentic okir revealing that the Maranaos
have a distinct and original culture and civilization not being imitated from other culture.