The most captivating and inspirational artworks of all time

Art has, and always will be, subjective, and that’s the beauty of it.

While some of us will be captivated by Gauguin’s colourful post-impressionist paintings, others will be more impressed or moved by Louise Bourgeois’ colossal spider sculptures and the context in which they were created.

And excitingly, art can be found everywhere and anywhere, with plenty of galleries offering free entry, making it accessible for all. Even outside the galleries and show spaces, there’s interesting street art to be admired, splashed on walls from Cairo and Tbilisi to Naples and London - it’s never been easier to be immersed in the creative world.

Spanning the subversive and the political to works of pure beauty, we look at some of the world’s most fascinating pieces of art.

The most inspirational pieces of art of all time

Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird by Frida Kahlo

This self-portrait, painted in 1940, shortly after her divorce from fellow artist, Diego Rivera, is filled with symbolism and depicts Kahlo looking straight out to the viewer wearing a necklace of thorns adorned with a dead hummingbird. While birds typically represent freedom, the hummingbird Kahlo painted is without colour and lifeless perhaps symbolising how she felt at the time of painting. The other creatures in the painting; a black cat and a spider monkey are also said to be bad luck symbols, and it's no coincidence that Diego Rivera gave Kahlo a spider monkey as a gift during their relationship.

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No Woman No Cry by Chris Ofili

This mixed media painting by Turner prize-winning artist Chris Ofili depicts a woman weeping, with each tear featuring an image of Stephen Lawrence, who was murdered in 1993. Created as a tribute to Lawrence, the piece comments on the institutional racism of the British police force at the time of Stephen’s murder and was inspired by Stephen’s mother, Doreen’s dignity and grace. The painting stands on two pieces of varnished elephant dung, with a further piece being incorporated into the painting as a pendant on the necklace. No Woman No Cry can be viewed at London’s Tate Britain gallery.

Another Place by Antony Gormley

Consisting of 100 cast-iron, life-size figures dotted across Crosby Beach in Merseyside, England, Another Place was created by British sculptor Antony Gormley to explore our relationship with nature. Gazing out to sea, the figures were all created from a cast of the artist’s body and weighed 650 kilos each. As the tide flows in and out the figures become submerged in seawater providing an eerie yet beautiful site that mesmerises viewers and provides a stunning photo opportunity.

Flexible by Jean-Michel Basquiat

Created in 1984 by the American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, Flexible portrays a griot (a West African storyteller, historian, and musician) painted in Basquiat’s trademark style on wood that was taken from the fence that once enclosed his courtyard. A comment on society, ethnicity, and politics, the piece sold for an impressive £36 million in May 2018.

Armoured Dove by Banksy

Perhaps inspired by Picasso’s Dove of Peace, this profound Banksy artwork painted directly onto the Israel-Palestine separation wall can be found in Bethlehem close to the artist’s hotel, The Walled Off Hotel. Depicting a targeted dove carrying an olive branch while wearing a bulletproof vest, the piece comments directly on the suffering of the Palestinians affected by the conflict in the region.

Self Portrait by Amrita Sher-Gil

As one of the most underrated artists in the world, Sher-Gil often draws comparisons to Frida Kahlo thanks to the personal nature of her work. A true pioneer in modern Indian art, she completed 21 self-portraits in her short life including this unnamed piece that shows the artist wearing a yellow hat and blue gown.

Palingenesis by Lee Krasner

Shown as part of the Living Colour exhibition at London’s Barbican Art Gallery in 2019, this bold cerise and green painting called Palingenesis commands attention and evokes a sense of joy and freedom. A master in abstract expressionism, Krasner was constantly evolving as an artist, saying in 1972 that “evolution, growth and change go on. Change is life".

Infinity Mirror Room by Yayoi Kusama

Kusama's largest Infinity Mirror Room to date impressed stream after stream of visitors, each eager to photograph the enthralling installation. Throughout her career, Kusama has worked in a wide variety of media, including painting, collage, sculpture, and performance art, most of which exhibit her continued interest in psychedelic colours, repetition, circles and patterns. Her mirror rooms have been exhibited across the world for decades but perhaps gained in popularity since the emergence of Instagram.

Dance (I) By Henri Matisse

Painted in 1909, this stunning painting hasn't dated at all with its pretty hues and whimsical figures. Said to reflect Matisse's fascination with Indigenous art, the piece uses a warm colour palette on a simplistic background, evoking a sense of abandonment and freedom. Today, the artwork hangs in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

Untitled by Keith Haring

Keith Haring famously created work outside of traditional art spaces by taking to the streets and using them as his canvas. This black, white, and red piece is perhaps one of the artist's most famed, having been reproduced the world over since its creation in 1982. The fun figures look to be dancing while the heart shines out as a beacon of love and hope.

Guernica by Pablo Picasso

One of the most talked about and viewed works of art in the world, Pablo Picasso’s Guernica is an artistic statement denouncing the atrocities of the Spanish Civil War. Hung inside the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid, Spain, the epic oil painting depicts the true horrors of war in a monochromatic colour palette and is considered one of the artist’s most famous pieces.

Crouching Nude by Francis Bacon

Francis Bacon’s figurative paintings often show isolated subjects on bold backgrounds resulting in unsettling, unforgettable imagery. The human condition is the main theme throughout his work with death, despair, and loss all being depicted in his trademark style. Having gained recognition in the mid-1900’s today Bacon’s work is some of the most highly sought-after and valued in the world.

Maman by Louise Bourgeois

Dominating the space outside the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, is Louise Bourgeois’ Maman, a vast spider sculpture spanning 30 feet. Since the artist lost her mother to an unknown illness when she was just 21, the sculpture is a kind of ode to her depicting the strength of Bourgeois’ mother through themes of nurture and protection. Made from bronze, stainless steel, and marble, Bourgeois has said of the sculpture, “The Spider is an ode to my mother. She was my best friend. Like a spider, my mother was a weaver. My family was in the business of tapestry restoration, and my mother was in charge of the workshop. Like spiders, my mother was very clever.”

Jimson Weed by Georgia O'Keeffe

Seen here at the first UK exhibition of Georgia O'Keefe's work in over twenty years is one of her most famous paintings. Jimson Weed is an oil on linen painting depicting a close-up image of the flower of the jimson weed plant and was actually commissioned by Elizabeth Arden for an exercise room at the brand's headquarters. Today, the large-scale painting hangs in the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

Kandyan Dancers by Tilak Samarawickrema

This magnificent wire sculpture by the Sri Lankan artist and architect Tilak Samarawickrema was created from one of Samarawickrema’s famed line drawings and depicts Kandyan dancers during a cultural performance. Cultural identity, heritage, and history are huge themes throughout Samarawickrema’s vast body of work, with the medium of wire adding a unique edge to his trademark drawings.

My Bed by Tracey Emin

Tracey Emin's unmade bed artfully littered with empty alcohol bottles, condoms, cigarette packets and underwear is one of the artists most talked about. Detailing the aftermath of a traumatic breakup the piece was shortlisted for the 1999 Turner Prize, and later sold at auction for an impressive £2.5 million. It’s an important comment piece on an array of topics, from mental health to vulnerability and what is means to be a woman.

Balloon Dog by Jeff Koons

Jeff Koons’ joy-evoking art has been displayed everywhere from rooftops to castles, with his pink balloon dog seen here dominating the Salon d'Hercule room at Versailles. The balloon dog series features an array of brilliant shades with the orange version selling for a massive £46 million back in 2013. Koons has previously said of the balloon animal series, “I've always enjoyed balloon animals because they're like us… we're balloons. You take a breath and you inhale, it's an optimism. You exhale, and it's kind of a symbol of death."

The Splash by David Hockney

Best known for his bright and airy swimming pool series inspired by the landscapes and lifestyle of LA, British-born artist David Hockney became transfixed by California after his first visit in 1964, moving there just a couple of years later. The Splash is one of his most loved pieces, showing many of his trademarks: abstract composition, defined edges, and a polaroid photo type of effect.

Untitled #96 by Cindy Sherman

Hanging at the Art Institute of Chicago, this self-portrait photograph, created in 1981, shows Cindy Sherman as one of her subject characters, a young girl lying on a linoleum floor. Talking about the record-breaking piece of work (it broke records in 2011 when it was sold for £3 million at auction, the highest amount for a photographic print at the time) Sherman mused, "I was thinking of a young girl who may have been cleaning the kitchen for her mother and who ripped something out of the newspaper, something asking 'Are you lonely?' or 'Do you want to be friends?' or 'Do you want to go on a vacation?' She's cleaning the floor, she rips this out and she's thinking about it.”

The Flight of the Dragonfly in Front of the Sun by Joan Miro

Painted by Joan Miro in 1968, The Flight of the Dragonfly in Front of the Sun is typical of Miro’s Surrealist work, showcasing bold colours, floating objects, and a world of wonder and playfulness. The dragonfly seen here is nothing more than a simplistic line, while the sun dominates the canvas through vivid cerise oil paint.

Madonna by Edvard Munch

There are various versions of the Madonna by Edvard Munch, including one that was stolen from the Munch Museum of Oslo before being recovered a couple of years later in 2006. Displaying a strong yet demon like woman, some have theorised the image, completed in 1895 is in fact, the Virgin Mary. The iconic painting is so well known that a part of the design was used on Norwegian stamps back in 2013 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Edvard Munch’s birth.

The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh

Painted in 1889, this oil on canvas has been recreated over and over, such is its importance on and off the global art stage. Showcasing a night sky as seen from the east-facing window of his room at the Saint-Rémy-de-Provence asylum, from where Van Gogh completed some of his most atmospheric and important works, it's alleged that the artist wasn’t happy with the artwork for a long time.

The Kiss by Gustav Klimt

Probably Gustav Klimt’s most famous work and the highpoint of his so-called 'Golden Period', The Kiss depicts a couple, in various shades of gold and symbols, sharing a kiss against a bronze background. Klimt began work on it in 1907, inspired by the Byzantine mosaics at Ravenna, Italy.

Veiled Truth by Antonio Corradini

Located in the Sansevero Chapel in Naples is a selection of the finest sculptures known to man, including the Veiled Truth by Antonio Corradini. The exquisite craftsmanship, dating back to 1752, consists of carved marble so detailed it looks like fine cloth draped over human flesh - an unmissable sight when in the beautiful city of Naples.

Tensions Calmees by Wassily Kandinsky

A riot of colours and shapes, Tensions Calmees by Wassily Kandinsky has passed through various owners since being painted back in 1937 and then disappearing from public view for at least 50 years. Having been previously owned by Solomon R. Guggenheim, a good friend of the artist who is said to have owned over 150 pieces of his work, the abstract piece was sold again in 2021 by Sotheby’s auction house in London.

Campbell’s Soup Cans by Andy Warhol

These 32 pop art paintings, produced between November 1961 and June 1962 by Andy Warhol, show a range of hand-painted Campbell’s Soup varieties in Warhol’s trademark style. Commenting on the world of commerce and consumerism through art led to Warhol becoming the highest-priced living American artist of the time. Today, his work continues to fetch millions of pounds.

The Kiss by Auguste Rodin

Auguste Rodin’s The Kiss, created in 1886, is perhaps one of the world’s most famed marble sculptures and is as influential today as when it was first created. Originally called Francesca da Rimini, it shows the 13th-century Italian noblewoman immortalised in Dante's Inferno who falls in love with her husband Giovanni Malatesta's younger brother Paolo.

Hell by Jake and Dinos Chapman

Jake and Dinos Chapman’s Hell was a landscape filled with hundreds of figures, including McDonald's characters committing every imaginable atrocity. The original artwork, which took two years to make was destroyed in a fire in just a couple of minutes, but Jake and Dinos Chapman got back to work creating F*cking Hell, a recreation of the original 1998 to 2000 version.

Last Judgement by Giotto

This beautiful 14th-century fresco painted inside the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy, should be witnessed by everyone, at least once. Painted by the famed artist Giotto and completed between 1303 and 1305 it’s hard not to be impressed by the blue sky full of stars and the detailed illustrations that represent the Last Judgment.

Der grosse Weg by Friedensreich Hundertwasser

Displayed as part of the Friedensreich Hundertwasser: Against the Grain exhibition in Bremen in 2012, Der grosse Weg, or The Great Path, showcases Hundertwasser’s trademark style, bold colour platter, and endless detailing. The spiral can be seen to represent the cycle of life, while the trees showcase the artist's constant fascination and love of nature.

Two Tahitian Women by Paul Gauguin

Part of the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, Two Tahitian Women was painted in 1899 and features two women on the island of Tahiti. Painted with oil on canvas using a harmonious colour palette and thick brushstrokes, the painting evokes various emotions and calls us to question Gauguin’s view of his subjects where it’s clear the male gaze is fully enforced.

Post Consumer Art by Natalia LL

Way before her time, Natalia LL was a Polish artist who worked around the themes of feminism, misogyny and adult themes. Her series Post Consumer Art comprised images, videography and performance art often featuring doll-like woman eating phallic shaped foods. She received much controversy during her career but was never afraid to stand out against the grain. It’s possible to view some of her most important works of art in the Polish city of Lodz, a place as underrated as the famed artist herself.