Most Inspiring Visual Artists of All Time

Are you experiencing artist block?

Have you run out of ideas for your art?

Or are you just in need of some artistic motivation?

Well, then, buckle up because we’re about to journey through time to revisit the stories of some of the most influential visual artists ever!

You see, learning about different styles from the masters can help you improve your art and creativity. In fact, the best way to get some inspiration is by looking and learning from artwork of those that are great! But then again, there are so many wonderful artists out there, so where should you start?

Lucky for you, we’ve prepared a list of the most notable and inspiring artists in the world of visual arts!

#1 Pablo Picasso

Whether you’re an artist or not, you’ve definitely heard of Picasso! Pablo Picasso was a Spanish painter, ceramicist, sculptor, printmaker, and theatre designer. And there’s really no question about him being among the best artists of all time! He also invented the constructed sculpture while he c-invented the collage. Picasso always had a love for art, and thus, he had been working on it ever since he was a kid. It was also said that his first word was pencil! How cool is that? However, he experimented and played around with different styles, techniques, ideas, and theories.

Another famous artist, Henri Matisse ,inspired him to explore more radical styles. The generally accepted division of his work includes the Blue Period (1091-1904), the Rose Period (1904-1906), the African-Influenced Period (1907-1909), Analytic Cubism (1909-1912), and the Crystal Period or Synthetic Cubism (1912-1919). His art can also be categorized as Neoclassical or Surrealism. His most famous art pieces are Les Demoiselles d’ Avignon, and Guernica, for which he has been not only widely acclaimed but also received numerous accolades.

#2 Vincent Van Gogh

You’ve probably already seen the “Starry Night Sky” painting by Van Gogh somewhere on the internet. Because yes, it’s literally everywhere!

Dutch Post-Impressionist painter Vincent William Van Gogh was one of the most well-known figures of Western Art. He created almost 2100 artworks, including still lifes, landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, and 860 oil paintings- all in just ten years! His bold, dramatic style was intensified by his unreal brushwork. So much so, his brushwork even laid the foundation of modern art as we know it. Unfortunately, though, despite his outward success, Van Gogh struggled with poverty and severe depression, which eventually led to his suicide. He had also previously suffered from delusions and psychotic episodes, but he greatly neglected his health. Because of this, he had been admitted to psychiatric hospitals as well, (which is where he created his famous painting Scream) but he had little commercial success, and his depression only grew worse. However, his work was widely recognized and appreciated after his death. In fact, his paintings are some of the world’s most expensive, and there’s a whole museum in Amsterdam dedicated to him- the Van Gogh Museum!

#3 Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci is another great name in the world of art and creativity. So, if you’re looking to learn about art or just get inspired, this is your guy! Leonardo was a draughtsman, painter, engineer, theorist, scientist, architect, and sculptor- yes, just one man! Nevertheless, he owed most of his fame to his paintings. He was also known for his notebooks where he had notes and drawings of anatomy, cartography, botany, paleontology, and of course, painting.

Da Vinci’s contributions to different fields were truly valuable for his successors. However, life had not always been a bunch of rainbows and sunflowers for him. He was born out of wedlock to a lower-class woman, but he soon went on to become the Renaissance Humanist ideal. Undoubtedly, he is one of the greatest painters in the history of visual arts, and there hasn’t been a time when people weren’t impressed by his beautiful art expressions. So much so, he is even considered the founder of the High Renaissance. Even some of his unfinished works are a great source of learning about art for modern-day young artists. Hence, if you want to improve your art, this is the place to start!

Mona Lisa is definitely his magnum opus, but other works include The Last Supper and the Vitruvian Man. But that’s not all because he also made considerable contributions to anatomy, hydrodynamics, civil engineering, optics, geology, and tribology, although he couldn’t publish his findings.

#4 Michelangelo

Michelangelo is yet another great painter of the High Renaissance. The Italian sculptor, poet, architect, and painter was multitalented and greatly influenced the naturalism and humanism ideas of his time. He is even considered for the title of the Renaissance man, held by Leonardo da Vinci. However, he is certainly the best documented and most well-accomplished artist of his time! In fact, his famous Pietâ and David were completed before he even turned thirty. And though he wasn’t a big fan of painting, he still managed to create some of the most beautiful frescos in Western art history. Also, he was the first-ever Western artist whose biography was published in his life- and he had two of them! So, the people from his time even called him II Divino (The Divine One).

#5 Banksy

Banksy is a pseudonymous street artist from England. He is also a film director and political activist. However, his real name and identity are still unconfirmed, and also a subject of speculation. He has been around since the 1990s, and his somewhat satirical street art is a beautiful blend of graffiti with dark humor. His distinct stenciling technique speaks for itself and serves to show it is Banksy’s work. In fact, his social and political commentary adorn walls, streets, and bridges worldwide. However, he started small in the Bristol underground scene before he was inspired by graffiti artist 3D, who was also part of the musical group Massive Attack. Now, you can see Banksy’s art everywhere on surfaces plus self-made props.

Unfortunately, though, Banksy doesn’t sell photographs of his art anymore, though only a few works are still sold via an agency called Pest Control. His documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in 2010. And in 2011, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. And in 2014, he even won the Person of the Year Award at the Webby Awards.

#6 Jan Van Eyck

Jan Van Eyck was among the early innovators of Early Netherlandish painting and the most significant representative of North Renaissance art. Some historians even attribute the invention of oil paintings to his name. Almost 20 surviving paintings are attributed to him, including the Ghent Altarpiece as well as the illuminated miniatures of the Turin-Milan Hours. Van Eyck has both religious and secular paintings and led a relatively secure life with complete artistic freedom under Philip. Some of his work comes from the International Gothic Style, but later works include a streak of realism and naturalism. Additionally, he also contributed to developing the use of oil paints. And overall, he was a very influential and creative man.

#7 Rembrandt

Rembrandt was a Dutch painter from the Golden Age, plus a draughtsman and printmaker as well. So, if you want to learn about art or boost your creativity, this is the place to start because Rembrandt is one of the greatest visual artists of all time! His work includes a range of different styles and subjects, including landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, allegorical and historical scenes, genre scenes, animal studies, and even biblical and mythological themes. His contributions even brought in great wealth for the Dutch. During his time, the Dutch were specifically inclined towards the Baroque style of painting, but his innovation and creativity introduced new genres. Rembrandt was also an art collector and dealer.

Unfortunately, after achieving great success as a portrait painter, Rembrandt had to face many financial and personal hardships, but his paintings remained steadily successful. He even took up teaching painting to Dutch painters for over 20 years. His self-portraits were so accurate, and thus, highly regarded. They actually served as a sort of autobiography for him. He was even recognized as one of the best etchers in the history of etching. Furthermore, Rembrandt was labeled “one of the great prophets of civilization” because of his immense empathy for the human condition.

The Bottomline

Creativity is the first step in creating art, but sometimes you can just feel a little disconnected and unable to come up with any ideas. This is the part where you learn about art to improve your own art. You can turn to other artists for inspiration. They are called the masters for a reason! This helps by giving you a break from the actual creation part and some time just to think. Plus, going over the work of some of the most phenomenal artists can help you get ideas of your own. Art is all about getting inspired. Look at their technique and try to put yourself in their shoes. What were they thinking about when they did this? Why did they choose this color? What did they mean by this here? Asking these questions and finding the answers can help you think more about what it is that you are doing in your artwork. The more you dig, the more you will find!

Because as Picasso himself once said, “Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.”