Art has always inspired people. At times, these people happen to be directors and screenwriters, which makes the prospect of spotting some of the most famous paintings in the world even more exciting. There are movies which take inspiration from famous paintings in the world or their auteurs. In this guide, we will chronicle the famous paintings in the world in some of the most famous TV shows or movies, in case you might’ve missed them.
The Da Vinci Code – Leonardo Da Vinci
The Da Vinci Code is a 2006 movie directed by Ron Howard. The movie centres around Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) framed for a murder, investigating clues to decipher the real culprits. As is with most of Dan Brown’s cinematic adaptations, we get to see several art marvels. However, the one most viewers would know is the Mona Lisa, drawn by Leonardo Da Vinci.
Bean – James McNeill Whistler
Who doesn’t like a bit of Mr Bean? In the 1997 film, Mr Bean finds himself speaking at an American convention, a convoy of the (National Gallery,London) about the painting and it’s painter. We nearly fell out of our seats laughing as Mr Bean tried to salvage and effectively (imbibing humour) restore James McNeill Whistler’s 1871 painting, Whistler’s Mother.
Mad Men – Mark Rothko
In the episode, ‘The Gold Violin’, Ken Cosgrave is all of us when he describes Mark Rothko’s untitled work. The diverse shades of red are a testament to the artist’s prowess. “ Because when you look at it, you do feel something, right?” Yes, Ken, we all do.
Doctor Who – Vincent Van Gogh
The 11th Doctor (Matt Smith) travelled back in time to meet Vincent Van Gogh. On closer inspection of his painting, The Church at Auvers, he finally realized the source of Van Gogh’s malady – an alien terrorizing Provence. Makes you wonder about all the conspiracy theories around Van Gogh, doesn’t it?
Luke Cage – Jean-Michel Basquiat
Black Excellence, or rather Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Red Kings, was a permanent fixture in Cottonmouth’s and later Mariah’s office (lounge?) The painting was an instrument, perhaps a foreshadowing of the power transference between the siblings and hence, fit right in with the grim undertones of the show.
Family Guy – Georges Seurat
Family Guy is no stranger at parodying personalities – living or dead. Whether it is Kim Kardashian, Sofia Vergara, or Simon Cowell, we have seen all. You may even catch a glimpse of painter Georges Seurat standing next to his pointillism masterpiece, Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte in the episode ‘The Tan Aquatic with Steve Zissou’. Now this is the culture that we want!
Skyfall – Amedeo Modigliani
We guess Oscar Wilde was right! Life does indeed imitate art. The Amedeo Modigliani masterpiece, Woman with a Fan was stolen in 2010, an event which imitates the 23rd entry in the James Bond film series. In the movie, James Bond witnesses an art auction where the buyer is shown the aforementioned painting and subsequently killed.
Photo Courtesy – CNN
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