Vincent Van Gogh sold only one painting during his lifetime, in spite of his passionate commitment to his craft. Enduring hunger and poverty to fully devote himself to art, Van Gogh produced work that saw little recognition until after his death. His painting "The Starry Night" represents a popular image in contemporary culture. Found on mugs, umbrellas and shopping bags, reproductions of this painting abound in art prints. Tensions in color and psychological mood enliven this image and reflect the inner struggles of the artist. Its cool blues and glowing oranges grace many a wall today, over 100 years after its production.
In 1510, Michelangelo laboriously painted "The Creation of Adam" on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. Over 500 years later, the image hangs in offices, dorms and living rooms around the world as an art print. The original fresco painting meditates on the moment of man's creation according to the Bible. It features God the Father extending his hand actively towards the hand of Adam. A detail of the two figures' hands, a small yet central component of the original, has grown into a popular print. The negative space between the two outstretched fingers, representing creativity and the spark of life, speaks to audiences across the world.
French Impressionist Claude Monet obsessively painted waterlilies. This subject dominates many of his canvases. His cottage in Giverny, France, boasted a reflective pond, scattered with the small flowers. Many prints of the artist's various waterlily paintings exist today. Some prominent examples include "Waterlilies Morning" and "Waterlilies: Green Reflections." These images now decorate greeting cards, tableware and innumerable prints and posters. Monet's broken, flickering brushstrokes convey the lively movement of light in nature. His works still dance with color and energy a century after he painted them.
Gustav Klimt completed "The Kiss" in 1908. To audiences today, it represents the timelessness and transport of love. Reproduced in numerous prints, this image lives on in jewelry, handbags, and clothing, among various incarnations. A quick look at the painting reveals that the two lovers strike nearly impossible poses. The image captures the feeling of a kiss, rather than a believable act of kissing. The two figures, shrouded in shimmering gold, lose their individuality in a colorful mosaic of pattern and color. They seem unaware of the external world, yet thousands of viewers have connected to this intimate, tender moment.