DARLENE’S HOUSE.

a pick six

by Hunter Jon

I think when someone says ‘art’ most people picture paintings, drawings, sculptures, etc. But I bet mostly paintings. So let’s put the entertainment side of art - movies, television, music, books and such - aside for a moment and look at some more so-called ‘traditional art’… by which I mean paintings. And where better to start than with the really famous ones. Naturally, famous works of art by famous artists are hard to have a subjective view of, but I find this to be especially true with paintings. Maybe that’s because they tend to carry with them a unique amount of historical baggage. They’re often viewed and judged in the context of their age or worth or the artist’s life story or so on. That’s fine. It’s nearly impossible not to when looking at something so iconic. We’re all guilty of it. I look at the Mona Lisa and a lot of thoughts come to mind before I’m able to appreciate the actual painting. I think about how I saw it recreated in cartoons throughout my childhood before seeing a photo of the real thing. I think about the infamous mystery surrounding the smile. I think about how da Vinci biographies take up an entire shelf in Indigo. I remind myself of how small it actually is. I think about how much it’s worth and/or has been insured for but can’t remember even though I looked it up once. I wonder whether or not the elaborate security measures protecting it are any match for Thomas Crown. You get the point. When I’ve exhausted such thoughts, though, I’m able to absorb any given painting with an empty head and active eyes. The thoughts that follow are about the piece itself and not the reputation that precedes it. In those afterthoughts an unbiased opinion forms. It’s this that I try to listen to and let cloud my mind. And of all the very well-known paintings I’ve taken the time to truly look at in my life, there are a dozen or so that I still can’t get out of my head. I never tire of staring at and analyzing them, which I think I’ll do right now.

Here are my six favourite famous paintings by famous painters.

(I’ve included the appropriate amount of honourable mentions)