Many European cultural institutions, such as the Louvre Museum, Uffizi Galleries and Tate Britain, offer fine art collections that span centuries including masterworks deemed too precious to travel. With so many remarkable things to see, museums can feel overwhelming, particularly for first-time visitors. If this sounds familiar, it might be useful to create an art bucket list. To provide inspiration, 10 of the most famous paintings in Europe is a great place to start.

10 of the Most Famous Paintings in Europe

The Raft of Medusa by Théodore Géricault, 1819
Louvre Museum in Paris, France

Raft of Medusa by Théodore Géricault, 1819

The Raft of Medusa by Théodore Géricault (1791–1824) is known for bridging two district artist movements: Classicism and Romanticism. The painting depicts the wreck of a French frigate, La Méduse, and its passengers who were left to perish off the coast of Senegal in 1816. The painting’s powerful and emotive scene still seems to transcend the canvas – more than 200 years after it was created. The Raft of Medusa hangs in the Louvre Museum, one of the most visited fine art institutions in the world. The museum offers eight departments including Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities, as well as modern collections featuring paintings, sculpture, decorative arts, prints and drawings, among others. There are more than 35,000 pieces of art on display at the Louvre Museum, including Winged Victory of Samothrace, Seated Scribe, Mona Lisa, Rebellious Slave and Napoleon III Apartments.

The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli, 1482/86
Uffizi Galleries in Florence, Italy

The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli, 1482/86

The Birth of Venus by Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi (1445–1510), known as Sandro Botticelli, is one of the most revered paintings in the world. The painting depicts Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, emerging from the sea in a shell. She is being blown by the wind to the shores of Cyprus. The Hora of Spring is there to receive Venus in a floral cloak. Venus stands in the contrapposto pose, and her nude appearance was something of a shock for the times. The Birth of Venus is located in the Uffizi Palace and Gallery, a museum offering one of the world’s largest collection of paintings from the fourteenth century and Renaissance period, including works by Giotto, Botticelli, Mantegna, Correggio, Leonardo, Raffaello, Michelangelo and Caravaggio, among others. The museum also boasts an impressive collection of ancient statues and busts from the Medici family collection.

The Kiss by Gustav Klimt, 1907/1908
The Belvedere in Vienna, Austria

The Kiss by Gustav Klimt, 1907/1908

The Kiss, also known as Lovers, by Gustav Klimt (1862–1918) is considered to be one of Austria’s most celebrated paintings. Klimt, a Symbolist painter and member of the Vienna Secession Movement, completed the painting at the height of his “Golden Period.” The Kiss is said to explore the connection between the human existence and feelings of love. The painting has been in the Belvedere’s collection since 1908. The museum resides in an historic building complex that consists of two Baroque palaces (the Upper and Lower Belvedere), the Orangery and the Palace Stables. Including the Kiss, the museum has more than 20 of Klimt’s paintings in its collection. Other museum highlights include notable works from the Middle-Ages, Baroque and Classicism periods.

Guernica by Pablo Picasso, 1937
Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid, Spain

Guernica by Pablo Picasso, 1937

Guernica by Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) is a powerful piece of artwork – one that sticks with people long after viewing it. The large painting is Picasso’s response to the atrocities of war, particularly the 1937 bombing of Guernica, a Basque Country town in northern Spain. Guernica is done in Cubist style using narrative symbolism. The painting is located in the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, or Museo Reina Sofía, in Madrid. The museum’s collection features Spanish artists from the twentieth century, among other international artists. In addition to Picasso, the collection includes work by Dalí, Miro, Gris, Chillida and more.

The Sistine Chapel Ceiling by Michelangelo, 1508/12
Vatican Museums in Vatican City, Italy

The Sistine Chapel Ceiling by Michelangelo, 1508/12

The Sistine Chapel Ceiling by Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (1475–1564) is considered to be one of the best examples of Renaissance art in the world. The ceiling fresco of the Sistine Chapel was commissioned by Pope Julius II, the head of the Catholic Church from 1503 to 1513. Michelangelo’s skills as a sculptor influenced the poses of the figures, which pay tribute to classical Roman and Greek sculpture. The artwork depicts nine scenes from the Book of Genesis, including the Creation of Adam. Ten medallions portraying scenes from the Old Testament complement the main panels. The ceiling is part of the Vatican Museums, which features works from the collection of the Catholic Church and the papacy throughout the centuries. With more than 20,000 works on display, the museums offer exceptional examples of Roman sculptures and Renaissance paintings. Collection highlights feature artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Bellini, Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio and Veronese, among others.

Impression, Sunrise by Claude Monet, 1872
Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris, France

Impression, Sunrise by Claude Monet, 1872

Impression, Sunrise by Claude Monet (1840–1926) is thought to have inspired the name of the Impressionist art movement of the nineteenth century. The painting was first shown in Paris at an independent exhibition in 1874 alongside other works by Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. The painting depicts a scene from a window overlooking the harbor in the city of Le Havre. Monet used visible brushstrokes, an open composition and an emphasis on depicting light – elements that became synonymous with the Impressionist Movement. Impression, Sunrise is located in the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris. The museum offers one of the world’s leading collections of works by Claude Monet, as well as important works by Morisot, Degas, Manet, Pissarro and Renoir, among others.

The Night Watch by Rembrandt van Rijn, 1642 
Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Netherlands

The Night Watch by Rembrandt van Rijn, 1642

The Night Watch by Rembrandt van Rijn (1606–1669) is one of the most well-known paintings from the Dutch Golden Age of the seventeenth century. Known for its large size, the Night Watch was painted at the height of Rembrandt’s career. The painting depicts a captain of the guard with his lieutenants, as well as symbolic figures. The painting is regarded for its use of light and shadow to call attention to particular elements, such as the captain’s gesturing hand and the young girl. The Night Watch attracts visitors from all over the world to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The museum’s collection celebrates the history of the Netherlands from the Middle Ages to the present. Other notable works in the museum’s collection include works by Vermeer, Asselijn, Hals and Codde, among others. Don’t miss the museum’s collection of Delft Blue pottery, as well as the Cuypers Library, the oldest art history library in Holland.

Wheatfield with Crows by Vincent van Gogh, 1890
Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Wheatfield with Crows by Vincent van Gogh, 1890

Wheatfield with Crows by Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) is one of the artist’s final paintings. It was painted in Auvers-sur-Oise within weeks of the Van Gogh’s suicide. The painting depicts a landscape with dark storm clouds, menacing crows and a dead-end path. In a letter to his brother and sister-in-law, Van Gogh referenced the scene and wrote, “…I didn’t have to put myself out very much in order to try and express sadness and extreme loneliness. I hope you’ll be seeing them shortly since I’d like to bring them to you in Paris as soon as possible.” Wheatfield with Crows is located in the Van Gogh Museum, which houses the world’s largest collection of artworks by Van Gogh. The museum’s collection is made up of more than 200 paintings and 500 drawings, including famous works like Sunflowers, Almond Blossom and the Potato Eaters.

Ophelia by Sir John Everett Millais, 1851/1852
Tate Britain in London, United Kingdom

Ophelia by John Everett Millais, 1851/1852

Ophelia by Sir John Everett Millais (1829–1896) is one of the most iconic works of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a group of English painters, poets and art critics. The painting depicts the death of Ophelia from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Ophelia includes an array of detailed symbolic associations, particularly with regards to the flowers and foliage. It is said that Elizabeth Siddall, English artist, poet and artists’ model, used the bathtub in Millais’ studio to pose for the painting. Ophelia is part of Tate Britain’s collection. The museum holds the national collection of British art from 1500 to the present day, as well as international modern and contemporary artworks. Other collection highlights include works by Rossetti, Bacon, Blake and Turner, among others.

The Scream by Edvard Munch, 1893
The National Gallery in Oslo, Norway

The Scream, Edvard Munch, 1893

The Scream by Edvard Munch (1863–1944) is one of the most famous paintings in all of modern art. The painting depicts the essence of human fear and anxiety. Munch used bold colors and undulating lines to express intense emotions. It is said that the painting was inspired by a panic attack that Munch suffered from in 1892. The Scream is located in the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design is Oslo, which is scheduled to reopen in 2021 with a new building. At that time, the museum will be the largest in the Nordics. Its collection contains 400,000 objects ranging from antiquity to the present day and includes paintings, sculpture, drawings, textiles, furniture and architectural models.

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