The World's Greatest Paintings

Is it possible for a work of art to be too iconic? That an image is so ubiquitous that it fails to have an impact? If that claim could be made of any painting, then surely it must be Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. But the story behind the work is fascinating, involving radical artistic experimentation, gruesome dissections and one of the most audacious art thefts of the 20th Century.

The story behind one of the planet’s most iconic images is soaked in madness, tragedy and heartbreak. Van Gogh’s glorious Sunflowers appear to be an enthusiastic tribute to the wonders of nature and the power of life itself. But the truth is far darker. What torment was the artist, who took his own life soon after the painting’s completion, trying to express with this remarkable image?

This 1838 work by JMW Turner was known as ‘my darling’ by the British artist who refused to part with it, despite being offered huge sums of money. It was also voted the British nation’s favorite painting of all time. So what makes this picture of a ship from the Battle of Trafalgar being towed to the breaker’s yard such a potent image and what role did it play in the painter’s life?

The work, and image, of few artists is so instantly recognizable as Picasso. But what is it about this man that makes his creations so distinctive? Andrew Marr delves into the story behind his harrowing 1937 'barbed-wire face-mask’ painting, Weeping Woman, inspired by one of the most heinous war-crimes in history and shot through with the complicated nature of his relationship with women.

One of the most famous associations in the entire history of art is between Claude Monet and waterlilies. He painted them hundreds of times during the final part of his life. But why was he so obsessed with this singular image? The true tale behind this serene vision of delicate nature reveals deeply personal tragedies, a brutal war and a tormented man with an insatiable passion.

At first glance it appears to be a scene of bucolic splendor. But John Constable’s Hay Wain has hidden, radical depths. Now considered one of the most beloved English paintings of all time, it was shunned initially and first found fame in France where it inspired a plethora of young artists. But how is this seemingly serene countryside scene seething with non-conformity?

Seen as a paradigm of female beauty, Velazquez's only nude is considered one of the most erotically charged paintings of any age. In a time when such works were rare, due to the influence of the Inquisition, the painting adorned the secret sin-filled salons of the Spanish elite. But why is it considered so controversial and what drove one woman to attack it with a meat cleaver?

Nowadays, Rembrandt is considered one of the most masterful painters who ever lived. But after a glittering start to his career, he was buried in a pauper’s grave and largely forgotten with his style considered painfully outmoded. How did this great man descend so rapidly, from the heights of his finest, gargantuan work The Night Watch, to the tragedies of poverty and obsolescence?

It’s one of the most arresting and intriguing visions ever committed to canvas. But the story of John Everett Millais’s Ophelia is as dramatic as the Shakespeare heroine portrayed in the picture. This haunting image was once the centerpiece of a radical artistic movement and dismissed by some critics, but is now beloved globally. But how is grave robbing connected to the painting?

It's a painting so magical that grown men have been said to faint while standing in front of it. The story behind Botticelli's The Birth of Venus is one of a tubby artist and a 15th Century traffic-stopping beauty played out against a backdrop of mind-boggling wealth and religious fanaticism. But over 500 years since its creation, why is this work still so mysterious and compelling?