There are a number of social platforms that art lovers use to share the art that they are the most passionate about. Instagram is one of those places. Below is a list of the top ten most shared paintings, and a little about their history.
The Most Popular Paintings Shared on Instagram
10. Son of Man (1964) by René Magritte
The Son of Man was painted by Belgian painter René Magritte. As you can see, there is a man in a suit with a large green apple in front of his face. You can see a glimpse of the man’s eye, but besides this small detail, most of his facial features are hidden. Margritte explained what this represents:
At least it hides the face partly well, so you have the apparent face, the apple, hiding the visible but hidden, the face of the person. It’s something that happens constantly. Everything we see hides another thing, we always want to see what is hidden by what we see. There is an interest in that which is hidden and which the visible does not show us. This interest can take the form of a quite intense feeling, a sort of conflict, one might say, between the visible that is hidden and the visible that is present.
9. The Persistence of Memory (1931) by Salvador Dalí
This painting by Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dalí is one that has been analyzed for almost a century to find real meaning. It’s so ambiguous that you could look at it and form so many meanings. Most believe that the painting represents the advancements in science during Salvador’s lifetime and that it also depicts Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. But one thing is for certain, looking at the painting gives me many parallels to what life is like in 2022. And it makes me think about the future we’re heading to.
8. The School of Athens (1511) by Raphael
This painting by Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (who went by the name Raphael), depicts the Italian renaissance. It reflects a time when ancient greek philosophy and culture spread throughout Europe. Leonardo Da Vinci is also a central figure in this painting, depicted as Plato, an Athenian philosopher in the classical era.
7. Salvator Mundi (1510) by Leonardo da Vinci
This painting depicts a version of Christ existing in a time in which he didn’t exist. More specifically, this Christ is existing during the renaissance, which is why he is wearing the blue robes. The crystal ball also represents his role as Salvator Mundi (Savior of the World). There is much debate on whether da Vinci created the work from scratch or whether he merely remixed it.
6. Las Meninas (1656) by Diego Velázquez
This is a highly ambiguous painting in which people still debate about its meaning. Art historian Francisco Javier believed that the painting depicted the main chamber in the Royal Alcazar of Madrid during the reign of King Philip IV of Spain. The 5-year-old Infanta Margaret Theresa is surrounded by her entourage of maids of honor, a chaperone, bodyguards, two dwarfs, and a dog. Just behind them, Velázquez portrays himself working on a canvas. Velázquez is said to be looking directly at the viewer of the painting, breaking the fourth wall.
If you go far enough down the rabbit hole, you might find deeper theories about this piece. But that’s what makes art so fun, the ability to debate true meanings and artist intention.
5. American Gothic (1930) by Grant Wood
While the two people at the front of the painting seem like the subject of the painting, you could make an argument that the American gothic style house is the true subject. Grant Wood painted the two people he believed would be living in the home. The man is a farmer and the woman next to him is believed to be his daughter, although it was once believed to be his wife. Because the mam is holding a pitchfork, there is enough in this painting to make a wild imagination go into overdrive.
4. Guernica (1937) by Pablo Picasso
Picasso painted Guernica in response to the bombing of Guernica in 1937. The painting shows the chaos and disorder brought on by the act of violence. It is perhaps the most famous anti-war painting in the world.
3. The Kiss (1908) by Gustav Klimt
The Kiss is an oil canvas painting depicting a couple embracing each other with their bodies entwined in elaborate robes. Much of Austrian painter Gustav Klimt’s works are based on deep intimacy.
2. The Starry Night (1889) by Vincent van Gogh
The Starry Night depicts the view from van Gogh’s asylum room at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. The addition of the village is said to be completely imaginary. The dreamy style is said to show the dark side of van Gogh’s mind, brought on by his isolation. The cosmic elements reveal a deep curiosity about what was beyond the Earthly view of the sky.
- Mona Lisa (1506) by Leonardo da Vinci
There is no painting more famed than the Mona Lisa, so it being the number one shared painting on Instagram makes sense. The painting is of the Italian noblewoman Lisa Gherardini. Leonardo never gave the painting to the Giocondo family. It later ended up on his will and was awarded to his apprentice Salaì.
Summary
The list consists mostly of European paintings, which some might find issues with. While I do have an interest in European art, and the stories behind them, I would love to see more paintings from around the globe enter the public consciousness. This means that media platforms (including this one) have a responsibility to shed light on those works and their history.
