Top 10 Painters

Since the time of Homo erectus, man has been expressing himself through art. Whether on the walls of a cave, the tombs of great kings, a canvas, or the walls of a building, the human desire to put ink to paper has left the world with some of the most beautiful masterpieces. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 painters of all time.

For this list, we are only focusing on artists whose painting contributions have made them stand out in history.

#10: Pierre-Auguste Renoir
1841 - 1919

One of the most famous modern French painters, Pierre-Auguste Renoir was one of the earliest members of the Impressionist Movement, which was all about capturing modern life by depicting everyday events. His talents for portraiture soon secured him a range of wealthy patrons, and he was free to take his art in other directions. By the late 1890s, Renoir’s style had become more classical, and more reminiscent of the great masters. His most famous works include “Bal du Moulin de la Galette,” “Luncheon of the Boating Party” and “Nude,” to name a few.

#9: Francisco Goya
1746 - 1828

Francisco Goya was a painter at the Spanish court in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. An oil painter, fresco painter, sketcher and engraver, Goya’s work chronicles and criticizes the era he lived in. His portraits particularly stand out because they didn’t necessarily flatter the subjects but seemed rather to bring out their worst, or at least, more realistic, qualities. There is one portrait of King Ferdinand VII, for example, which shows the king looking more like a statue or mannequin than regal. More impressive than his paintings though, is the fact that he got away with it.

#8: Paul Cézanne
1839 - 1906

Categorized as a Post-Impressionist, Paul Cézanne developed a style all his own, which opened the door for so many avant-garde art movements of the 20th century, including Fauvism and Cubism. His early work depicts romantic and classical scenes, full of dark contrasting colors and expressive brushstrokes. He painted portraits, still-life scenes, and landscapes. The Card Players has been described as his best figure composition and remains one of his best-known paintings.

#7: Salvador Dalí
1904 - 1989

With a crazy moustache, an imagination to match, and creativity that far surpassed the norm, Salvador Dali is one of the most famous Surrealist artists. Even though he was “expelled” from the Surrealist Movement, his painting, “The Persistence of Memory,” which features melting clocks, is still one of the most recognized Surrealist works to date. He takes the viewer into a world that is dark, bizarre, macabre, seriously cool – and persistently memorable.

#6: Claude Monet
1840 - 1926

The most uncompromising of all the Impressionists, Claude Monet was obsessed with painting outdoors. He even had a makeshift boat-studio that he used to paint on the river for as long as possible. The founder of French Impressionist painting also loved to study the play of sunlight on things and his paintings are full of intensive brushstrokes. His series of water lily paintings is one of the most popular and most reproduced works of all time.

#5: Rembrandt van Rijn
1606 - 1669

This Dutch painter was a portraitist extraordinaire! His use of light and dark and his ability to get to the very soul of his subjects have made Rembrandt stand out as one of the best portrait painters of his time and possibly of alltime. After his rich wife died, his career took a turn for the worse and by the 1650s, he had to sell his house and his collection. In addition to his portraits and self-portraits, Rembrandt holds a place in art history thanks to this landscapes, narrative paintings and Biblically-inspired illustrations.

#4: Pablo Picasso
1881 - 1973

Co-creator of Cubism, Pablo Picasso is one of the best-known names in art today. Turning traditional painting upside down, literally, Picasso created a completely new style that was unlike anything seen before. But Picasso wasn’t a one-trick pony: he could paint, sculpt, draw, write, and etch. He produced close to 50,000 works in his lifetime and in 2010, his “Nude, Green Leaves and Bust” painting sold for a history-making $106.5 million dollars!

#3: Vincent van Gogh
1853 - 1890

We all know Vincent van Gogh as the fruit loop who lived his later years in France and hacked off his own ear. But before he went totally crazy and presumably shot himself, van Gogh produced some truly spectacular works. Despite the neglect he suffered while alive, selling only one painting, he became enormously successful after death. His painting “The Starry Night” is one of the most popular images in modern culture and some of his other works have fetched over $100 million dollars at auction.

#2: Michelangelo
1475 - 1564

Definitely one of the greatest artists to ever live, Michelangelo was a true triple threat: painter, sculptor, and architect. His mastery of all three fields set him apart and put him in a league all his own. His completion of his work on the Sistine Chapel ceiling between 1534 and 1541 is an awe-inspiring feat, and the sheer beauty of the fresco has kept tourists and art lovers flocking to Rome for centuries.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Frida Kahlo

1907 - 1954

- Jackson Pollock

1912 - 1956

- Edvard Munch

1863 - 1944

- Gustav Klimt

1862 -1918

- Eugène Delacroix

1798 -1863

- Henri Matisse

1869 - 1954

#1: Leonardo da Vinci
1452 - 1519

Good ol’ Leo was the true Renaissance man. Painter, scientist, theorist, and draftsman, Leonardo mastered oil painting like no other, specifically the technique of sfumato, which involves blurring outlines or hiding them in shadows. On permanent display at The Louvre in Paris, his “Mona Lisa” attracts 6 million visitors each year and is arguably the most famous painting ever. His ultramodern views and pure genius make him our choice for the top painter of all time!

Do you agree with our list? Who are your favorite painters? For more awe-inspiring top 10s published daily, be sure to join WatchMojo.com!