Artists are often recognised for their individual style, symbolic motifs or engaging content, but have you ever thought about the size of a painting? The physical size of paintings can have a real effect on the meaning and the message of a piece - from acting as a symbol for world peace to representing an important moment in history. Especially when they are larger than life like these paintings! Read on and discover 5 of the most famous large paintings ever created.
5. Picasso - ‘Guernica’
'Guernica' was created in June 1937 and is probably Picasso’s most famous work. It depicts the tragedies of war and the suffering that is inflicted upon innocent individuals. Picasso created 'Guernica' in a direct response to the Nazi’s reckless bombings on the Basque town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War and it has since become an emblem of the devastating truth of war in modern society. The grey tones and the sheer size of the painting (3.5 metres tall and 7.8 metres wide) makes Guernica even more powerful, as it reminds us of the atrocities that war and fighting brings. This is why 'Guernica' is recognised globally as a call for peace that holds a powerful anti-war message.
4. Rembrandt - ‘The Night Watch’
‘The Night Watch’ was completed in 1642 and is not only recognised as the highlight of Rembrandt van Rijn's career, but also considered the greatest portrait of the Dutch Baroque era. The painting is famous not only for its size (3.63 metres tall and 4.37 metres wide), but also for its dramatic shades and use of light and shadow. Additionally, it is a huge contrast to other paintings of this era which traditionally portrayed individuals lined up in a formal arrangement, as opposed to ‘The Night Watch’ which does not have two people looking the same way or holding the same pose. Interestingly, the painting was originally named ‘The Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch’ and was later nicknamed ‘The Night Watch’ due to the dark background which gives the viewer the sense of a nocturnal scene. However, the dark background was actually caused by several layers of varnish which darkened prematurely.
3. Tintoretto - ‘Il Paradiso’
'Il Paradiso' is found in the Doge's Palace, next to San Marco's Cathedral in Venice and is considered one of Italy’s best kept treasures. Tintoretto created a representation of heaven, which shows Christ crowning the Virgin with many other famous individuals, such as the twelve apostles, angels, prophets, Adam and Eve, church fathers, Christian heroes, popes, and bishops, who are all in hierarchical order. This enormous canvas stretches almost 25 metres long and had to be painted in sections. Tintoretto was known as a very determined and ambitious painter, to the point that he was nicknamed ‘il furioso’. This determination is definitely shown in ‘Il Paradiso’, which is now admired by many from around the world.
2. Monet - ‘Water Lilies’
The lily set by Monet is considered one of the greatest achievements in early 20th century painting. The dimensions of the set and the area covered by paint means that it covers almost 100 linear metres. The reason for the enormous scale of the water lily set was to create an illusion of an endless shore with no horizon. He sought to create serene paintings which would encapsulate peace and wellbeing. The set was actually offered to the French State the day after the Armistice on November 11th, 1918, in an attempt to restore peace and to act as a symbol of serenity.
1. Hendrik Willem Mesdag - ‘Panorama Mesdag’
'Panorama Mesdag' in The Hague, Netherlands, is the oldest 19th century panorama in the world on its original site. It provides the viewer with a 360 degree historical view of the sea, the dunes and the fishing village of Scheveningen. This cylindrical painting, more than 14 metres high and with a diameter of 120 metres, was painted by one of the most important painters of The Hague School, Hendrik Willem Mesdag.
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