From the mysterious cave paintings that are 30,000 years old to more recent works, at Kuadros we have chosen the most important artworks in history and in which part of the world they can be appreciated.
1. Leonardo da Vinci - The Fetus in the Womb (1510-13 AD)
In The Fetus in the Womb, Leonardo expresses the human condition in few words. In fact, his interpretation of the womb resembles an open chestnut shell. Inside is the beginning of naked humanity. Five hundred years ago, this artist and scientist was able to capture the human mystery with a wonder that is not religious but biological and which he considers humanity to be a fact of nature. For some critics, it is one of the most beautiful works of art in the world.
2. Caravaggio - The Decapitation of Saint John the Baptist (1608 AD)
In The Decapitation of Saint John the Baptist, Caravaggio depicts a murderous moment in the courtyard of a prison. The executioner has drawn a knife to cut the last tendons and skin of John the Baptist's neck. A person looks from a barred window at the horrifying moment. Around him is a sepulchral dimness. In the painting, Caravaggio explicitly displays human cruelty.
Acquire a reproduction of The Decapitation of Saint John the Baptist in the Kuadros store.
3. Self-Portrait with Two Circles - Rembrandt
In the Self-Portrait with Two Circles by Rembrandt, the observer is looking at Rembrandt, while he is also looking at them. He seems to be seeing the soul of the viewer and perceiving every flaw, even judging you. This is one of the most extraordinary examples of the greatest series of self-portraits ever painted, perhaps the greatest achievement of one of the most famous artists in the European tradition.
Acquire a reproduction of the Self-Portrait with Two Circles in the Kuadros store
4. Cave Paintings of Chauvet (30,000 BC)
Who painted these remarkably realistic animal portraits?
What is known is that early on, Homo Sapiens made their intellect and love for art clear. Our ancestors left their mark with these paintings that are as beautiful and intelligent as any masterpiece created since then.
5. Las Meninas - Diego Velázquez (AD 1656)
For over 350 years, art lovers have been fascinated by Las Meninas. This oil work by Diego Velázquez is a nuanced representation of life at the court of King Philip IV of Spain. Perhaps it is one of the most important paintings in the entire history of Western art. This masterpiece from 1656 continues to influence artists today.
Acquire a reproduction of Las Meninas in the Kuadros store
6. The Prisoners - Michelangelo (1519-34 AD)
The Prisoners or Slaves by Michelangelo were commissioned for the tomb of Pope Julius II, but were never completed. The ensemble, including the dying and rebellious slaves in the Louvre, along with the statue of Moses in the final and reduced version of the tomb finally erected in Rome, is the largest unfinished masterpiece in the world. But Michelangelo did not leave things unfinished out of laziness. The struggle of the prisoners to emerge from the rough stone is seen, in a unique expression of the human condition.
7. Statue of Khafre (2800 BC)
The painter Francis Bacon concluded that the ancient Egyptians were the best artists of all, and Kuadros agrees. No work supports that assertion better than this sculpture of Pharaoh Khafre, in black diorite with white veins, his head embraced by the falcon god Horus. The sculpture possesses a concentrated strength and an unparalleled presence for 5,000 years.
8. Riace Warriors (mid-5th century BC)
The Riace Warriors, also called the Riace bronzes, are two life-size Greek bronze statues of naked, bearded warriors. The statues were discovered by Stefano Mariottini in the Mediterranean Sea, near the coast of Riace Marina, Italy, on August 16, 1972.
The statues are currently housed in the Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia in the Italian city of Reggio Calabria.
9. The School of Athens - Raphael Sanzio
The fresco by Raphael The School of Athens has come to symbolize the union of art, philosophy, and science that was a hallmark of the Italian Renaissance. Painted between 1509 and 1511, it is located in the first of the four rooms designed by Raphael, the Stanza della Segnatura
Acquire a reproduction of The School of Athens in the Kuadros store
10. The Trevi Fountain
Standing 26 meters tall and 20 meters wide, in Baroque style, built in the 18th century, this fountain in Rome, Italy, is one of the largest of its kind. The god Neptune is driven by his chariot and his entourage on either side. The reading of the animals symbolizes the serenity and pure spontaneity of the sea.
Fans of Kuadros thank Salvi, who began the work, and Pannini, who finished it in 1762, for gifting us this wonderful work of art, of incalculable beauty.
KUADROS ©, a famous painting on your wall.
