The average citizen is usually versed in art, frankly, not really. Over its long history, mankind has created so many different works of art that now try it, remember them!
And what is there, the works themselves — here one could manage to shove at least the names and surnames of the most famous artists (those that are “on the ear”) into their troublesome little head.
No, well, for example, the majority of us still know the same Dali, and his paintings are quite easy to guess: everything is quite simple - if what you see in front of you can be seen by the sane person only “under the acid” (well, or “Under the squirrel”), then this is for sure he - old Dali. Long-legged strange elephants, burning giraffes, "semi-liquid" watches ... Brrr ...
Or Picasso - if the picture is clearly a man, but many parts of his body are not where it should (or are completely absent): one eye on the chin and the other somewhere in the back of the head, nose under the ear, hands from ... Well obviously this is comrade Pablo, no questions asked!
Some experts immediately recognize, for example, Rubens, - if all the characters depicted on the canvas as one naked, “fat meat” and with cellulite (yes, all polls, including men and young children, have huge asses), then this is Mr. Peter Paul, one of the founders of the Baroque style.
But how to distinguish all the others - those whose works lack the same characteristic "signs"?
Hold, here are a few "cheat sheets" that will help you remember a few more masters and, if necessary, "show off" your knowledge:
10. If all people are like Putin
If you look at the picture and understand that you see on it too “dear and kind eyes” that are well known to all Russians (“Yes, this is Putin!”), Then this is definitely the work of Jan van Eyck. He has all the characters (including women) for some reason terribly similar to our president.
And it is not for nothing that a huge number of memes on the topic of immortality and the "ubiquity" of Vladimir Vladimirovich go on the Internet: for example, van Eyck, for example, lived in the Netherlands in the first half of the 15th century. And then Putin was called (judging by his portraits) Giovanni Arnolfini.
9. If the background is dark, and the person is clearly suffering
Let's go to the next room, gentlemen! Here we have several paintings where, against a dark background, characters with blissful faces suffer and suffer unbearably (sometimes clutching at a heart or other sore spots).
Hmm ... Most likely, this is Titian. This late Renaissance master loved to write biblical stories, and there, as you know, there is little joy.
In fact, he painted plots from mythology, and portraits of nobles and their wives, as well as Venetian doges, etc. But there, mainly, a gloomy atmosphere and harsh faces turned out (and for women too).
8. If the picture is many, many small people
Well, if you see a lot of people in the picture (of course, they come out very small), and it immediately becomes intuitive to you what they are doing, then this is clearly one of the Bruegels.
"One of? ..." - you ask in surprise. Surprise! Imagine there were three Bruegels: Peter the Elder, Jan and Peter the Younger. Of course, all of them were relatives (more precisely, Peter the Elder was the father of Peter the Younger and Ian), and therefore their style was very similar.
True, dad loved to paint everyday scenes from peasant life most of all, his namesake son - paintings about the Last Judgment (for which he received the nickname "Hellish"), and Jan - beautiful landscapes, still lifes and flowers (and for this he was nicknamed "Paradise ").
7. In the picture, not only a lot of people, but something strange happens
A similar case - there are a lot of people on the canvas again, but, firstly, they are strangely dressed (and many are even without clothes), secondly, the people themselves and everything around are very bright, and thirdly, it’s not clear what is going on here.
Among the people here and there some ridiculous monsters with huge mouths flashed, huge fish with legs, birds in human height and a lot of other incomprehensible garbage.
Someone is eating someone, the next one is riding naked on a pig, and the third is “hanging out” with mermaids (while two more are hatching from a giant egg) ...
In short, complete sur and chaos, - here in some places Dali himself would have applauded standing. Congratulations, now you will definitely recognize Bosch! Nda ... Old Jerome was that same joker!
6. The picture is a tramp in the dim light
We move on. Again a dark background, dim yellowish lighting, but people do not look like martyrs and inquisitors, but, hmm ... like homeless people with soaked faces.
With a high degree of probability in front of us are paintings by Rembrandt. For some reason, whoever he painted (even if they were aristocrats in rich clothes), they all turned out to be not very attractive and somehow “worn out” and “beaten by life”: wrinkled or wrinkled faces, very realistic bags under the eyes, etc. P. What is characteristic, the artist’s self-portraits are exactly the same - “vitally true”.
5. In the picture, naked "bodybuilders"
Here is a completely different style and exactly the opposite characters - almost all men are naked and muscular, like champions in power disciplines, the body relief is anatomically correct, each muscle is carefully drawn.
However, women (even though they are “more dressed”) are also from the breed “stop the galloping horse, enter the burning hut”. Why are there women! Here and in infants, biceps are such that our modern bodybuilders can only cry offendedly offended.
Beauty, isn't it? This is Michelangelo Buonarroti - the master of the High Renaissance. In fact, he was more a sculptor than an artist (and this is noticeable). Just in case: the famous David is just his work.
4. Everything is contrast, people are thin and bearded
And again a gloomy background (but this time with a bluish tint), the picture is harsh, contrasting, and all the men depicted are thin, bearded and very serious. Oh yes! Most are also in dark clothes.
Women, thank God, do not have a beard, but they are also somewhat "underfed" and look stern and reproachful. The plots, more often than not, are biblical — we see many prayers (with eyes raised to heaven) and tormented characters, including several times - of the sad Christ.
You know, in front of us are pictures of a Spaniard with Greek roots, nicknamed El Greco.
3. The picture shows a fantasy landscape and curly Madonna
If the canvas depicts a slightly smiling (and slightly curly) Madonna and child, who actually pulls in weight and height by at least three years, and somewhere there, in the background, you can see a beautiful landscape in the style of "Lord of the Rings" - picturesque dense forest or mountains in a blue misty haze, then (almost certainly) this is Leonardo da Vinci.
However, in the picture, in this case, a beautifully built young man, or even an archangel, may appear, but the fantasy landscape will still remain. Hmm ... About who wrote "Gioconda" do not need to be reminded?
2. The picture has a colorful background and bright colors
Well, now we are gradually turning to the impressionists. They all have in common: a colorful background, bright (often very sunny) colors, and at the same time everything is painted with large, quick strokes. And now the differences.
Claude Monet: many flowers, many trees, generally a lot of nature, but almost no people.
Eduard Manet: also a lot of nature, but a lot of people. Hmm ... True, many of them are very sad and gloomy.
Auguste Renoir: a lot of greenery and flowers, a lot of people, most of them are contented and happy.
Vincent van Gogh: especially a lot of yellow, blue and green.
Edgar Degas: ballerinas, dancers, ballerinas again, harlequin ...
1. Everything is golden, but people have something with necks
Finally, if you see a patchwork-style background (consisting of many small and colorful triangles, rectangles, spirals and other figures), as well as a lot of yellow and gold, then this is most likely Gustav Klimt.
Take a closer look, are there still people in strange poses and with uncomfortably arched necks? Then definitely Klimt!
But do not confuse him with Alfons Mucha - a colleague from the same Austria-Hungary. Mukha also often has a golden background, but his characters are mainly very beautiful girls, surrounded by beautiful flowers and plants, dressed in dresses similar to antique tunics, and (very often) placed in original vignettes from floral ornaments.
Well, now it will be much easier for you to “identify” at least some of the great painters!
A remark for professional art historians and connoisseurs: for God's sake, do not consider our tips tactless, disrespectful, rude or even vulgar. Treat them easier and with humor. Indeed, not every ordinary person will be able to get through the jungle of special terms (and, to be honest, it’s incredibly boring).
And at least something will be remembered with benefit (perhaps even for a lifetime).