G01
Naturalism, Scientific Illustration, Romantic Realism
The definitive artist directory
Famous Artists: The World’s Greatest Painters and Creators
Explore carefully researched biographies of history’s most famous artists. Discover their masterpieces, artistic movements, techniques, influences and enduring contribution to global culture.
Discover famous artistsBrowse by name, movement, nationality or century.
G02
Naïve Art, Post-Impressionism (associated)
Henri Rousseau
May 21, 1844 – Laval, France–September 2, 1910 – Paris, FranceG03
Neo-Impressionism, Post-Impressionism
Georges Seurat
December 2, 1859 – Paris, France–March 29, 1891 – Paris, FranceG04
Post-Impressionism, Proto-Modernism
Paul Cézanne
January 19, 1839 – Aix-en-Provence, France–October 22, 1906 – Aix-en-Provence, FranceG05
Impressionism (associated), Realism, Modernism
Edgar Degas
July 19, 1834 – Paris, France–September 27, 1917 – Paris, FranceG06
Romanticism, early Modernism
Francisco Goya
March 30, 1746 – Fuendetodos, Spain–April 16, 1828 – Bordeaux, FranceG07
Dutch Golden Age, Baroque
Johannes Vermeer
October 31, 1632 – Delft, Dutch Republic–December 15, 1675 – Delft, Dutch RepublicG08
Symbolism, Art Nouveau, Vienna Secession
Gustav Klimt
July 14, 1862 – Baumgarten, near Vienna, Austria–February 6, 1918 – Vienna, AustriaG09
Dutch Golden Age, Baroque
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn
July 15, 1606 – Leiden, Dutch Republic–October 4, 1669 – AmsterdamG10
Baroque (foundational figure)
Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi)
September 29, 1571 – Milan, Duchy of Milan–July 18, 1610 – Porto Ercole, TuscanyLearn about the most famous artists in history
From Renaissance masters and Baroque painters to Impressionists, modernists and contemporary innovators, famous artists have changed how people understand beauty, identity, society and the world around them. This growing directory brings together artist biographies, defining artworks, historical context and connections between movements.
Use the alphabetical directory or explore artists by country, century and movement. Every profile is designed to answer important questions clearly while offering a deeper path into the artist’s life, techniques, major works and cultural legacy.