Art History  •  Movements and techniques

Famous Landscape Paintings You Should Know

August, the popular holiday season when Europeans’s take their leave of the city and seek refuge in the country or by the seaside. Most of us seek out expansive landscapes that provide relief from the bustle of everyday life. Just like us, the best painters throughout time were attracted by landscapes, endeavoring to pay tribute to the natural beauty of the world. Perhaps its no surprise that landscape painting is one of the most popular genres in the history of art. In this article, Singulart takes you on a journey through the most famous landscape paintings of all time. From Van Gogh to Rousseau, there’s so much to discover.

Plus, get lost in contemporary landscape painting on Singulart!

Famous Landscape Paintings in America

Thomas_Cole_The_Garden_of_Eden_Amon_Carter_Museum

Thomas Cole produced a whole series entitled Garden of Eden which explored the mythical garden where Adam and Eve were created. Garden of Eden is idealistic yet realistic, detailed but not fantasized. As one of the founders of the Hudson River School, Thomas Cole is known for reproducing American landscapes as famous historical and allegorical locations. His works are among the most famous landscape paintings of all time.

Georgia O’Keeffe, Black Mesa Landscape, New Mexico / Out Back of Marie’s II

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Georgia O’Keeffe was famously enraptured by New Mexico and its rugged landscapes. Here she created many paintings of the mountains, grasslands, and great rocks that characterized the state. The above painting is one such landscape by O’Keeffe: dry and hot, shady and mountainous at the same time.

Vincent van Gogh, Starry Night

sternennacht van gogh

Starry Night is perhaps chief among famous landscape paintings. The work is a composition in blue, which draws the viewer into a stirring as well as calming atmosphere. The moving sky, with its radiant and restless stars, contrasts with the quiet, sleepy village. Van Gogh was not in a good state of health during the time when he made this seminal work. Many believe that his restless soul found release in this artwork. Thus, it seems fitting that Starry Night often changed hands until it finally found its home in the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Famous Landscape Paintings: Henri Rousseau’s Tropical Paradise

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Although Henri Rousseau never left France, he managed to paint tropical landscapes as if they were his home. Stylized lines, wide areas of color, accurate and detailed, Rousseau drew several jungle scenes. Using the Botanical Garden in Paris as a reference, he created his own unique landscapes from his imagination. The result are paintings suffused with dreamy scenes of another world.

Claude Monet (1840 – 1926) – “Bras de Seine près de Giverny II”

Claude_Monet_-_Branch_of_the_Seine_near_Giverny

Without a doubt, the most famous landscape paintings of all time were made by Claude Monet. His above painting, Morning on the Seine near Giverny, pulls the viewer into this idyllic scene. Monet worked en plein air, spending long hours completing his landscapes. Consequently, his paintings are highly evocative presenting lush natural scenes that seem to invite you in.

Love landscape paintings? See similar works by contemporary artists on Singulart!

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