Painter

Explore 6 of history's most influential painter, ranked by historical influence. Each figure links to a full biography, feats, trivia and similar people.

Portrait of Michelangelo

Michelangelo

95

Artist · 1475 – 1564

Michelangelo was an Italian Renaissance sculptor, painter and architect, one of the greatest artists in history, creator of the David, the Pietà and the Sistine Chapel ceiling.

  • The David
  • The Sistine Chapel ceiling
Portrait of Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso

94

Painter · 1881 – 1973

Pablo Picasso was a Spanish painter and sculptor who co-founded Cubism and ranks among the most influential and prolific artists of the twentieth century, creating works such as Guernica and Les Demoiselles d'Avignon.

  • Cubism
  • Guernica
Portrait of Vincent van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh

93

Painter · 1853 – 1890

Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter whose intense color, expressive brushwork, and emotional depth made him one of the most influential artists in Western history, though he found little recognition in his own lifetime.

  • The Starry Night
  • Sunflowers
Portrait of Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn

91

Painter · 1606 – 1669

Rembrandt was a Dutch painter and etcher of the Golden Age, regarded as one of the greatest artists in history, celebrated for The Night Watch, his searching self-portraits, and his mastery of light and shadow.

  • The Night Watch
  • Self-portraits
Portrait of Claude Monet

Claude Monet

90

Painter · 1840 – 1926

Claude Monet was a French painter and the leading founder of Impressionism, whose studies of light and atmosphere — from Impression, Sunrise to the Water Lilies — revolutionized modern painting.

  • Impressionism
  • Impression, Sunrise
Portrait of Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino

Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino

90

Painter · 1483 – 1520

Raphael was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance whose works, prized for their harmony and grace, include The School of Athens and a famous series of serene Madonnas.

  • The School of Athens
  • Sistine Madonna