Once a famous piece of art has cemented itself in history, it can be hard to imagine that the work started as nothing but an idea. Artists often prepare sketches, models, or drafts before the ultimate work. Scroll to compare conceptual drawings with the final product.
Far from the ornately gilded finished piece, this pencil drawing of The Kiss shows the remarkable simplicity behind one of Klimt's most acclaimed works.
The finished painting, appearing courtesy of the Belvedere in Vienna, was created at the peak of Klimt's 'Golden Period' around 1908. Scroll back and forth to compare the early draft with this one!
This sketch, which appears in a letter to Paul Gauguin, is one of the earliest iterations of van Gogh's portrayal of his bedroom at The Yellow House in Arles, France. The artist produced multiple versions of the piece between 1888 and 1889.
This version, the third and final painting of his bedroom, is currently on display at the Musée d’Orsay, Paris. In addition to subtle differences in color, this version is somewhat smaller than the others, and features updated artwork on the walls.
In 2007, Korean artist Nam Kyung-min created this gargantuan oil painting inspired by The Bedroom. In a nod to van Gogh's decorations, she's recreated several of his other artworks around the room. See if you can identify them all!
Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen produced this series of sketches to prepare to sculpt the mythical lovers. All the poses tell the story of the intimacy, but only one became set in stone. See if you can guess which drawing turned into the completed piece!
The lovers are on display now in Thorvaldsens Museum in Denmark. Thorvaldsen completed the piece in the first decade of the 1800s. Contrast this lifelike masterpiece with the unembellished drawings which preceded it.
This illustration of Cupid and Psyche intertwined and facing forward went on to be the model for the ultimate sculpture. Is this the sketch you guessed?
For a change of pace, first look at this unrestrained sketch by Frank Gehry, then try to guess what the final product is. Hint: It is much larger in scale than the other works.
Did you guess that it became the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, California? The venue was conceptualized in 1987, but wasn't open until 2003! Below, you can click to examine the building in 360º using Street View.
Kara Walker's 2014 installation A Subtlety was powerful, poingant, and remarkable in its scope. But even it began as a series of simple sketches.
The installation took place in a disused sugar factory in Brooklyn, New York. The enormous sphinx at the center was encircled by smaller but equally powerful pieces. Watch the video below to see the artist discuss the exhibit and learn how it was created.
Depicting a busy boulevard on a snowy morning, this 1897 work by Camille Pissarro was painted from his room in the Hôtel de Russie. Heavily influenced by some of Manet’s earlier urban works, the painting is an example of Pissarro’s short brushwork, used to capture the movement and dynamism of the busy street scene.
Abstract vertical shapes represent the crowds parading up and down the boulevard, with the carriages passing through the slushy snow on both sides of the street. Can you guess the city?
The Boulevard Montmartre on a Winter Morning by Camille Pissarro. The painting was one of a series the artist made from this exact spot, something he thought might appeal to dealers at the time. Zoom in and explore for yourself, here.
One of a series of paintings by the artist from his 1908 visit to the city, this is generally regarded by critics as showing Monet at the peak of his powers. He was staying at the Palazza Barbaro at the invitation of Mary Young Hunter and painted this scene from that viewpoint.
The painting captures the shifting appearance of the city caused by the effects of the water, using the mooring poles to counterbalance the buildings on the right of the canvas. But which city is it?
It's Le Grand Canal by Claud Monet, painted in the famous lagoon-city of Venice. Monet, however, is arguably more interested in capturing the light reflecting on the water than the architectural beauty of the city itself.
Edward Hoppers 1942 painting, Night Hawks, shows people in a late night diner as viewed through the large glass window of the building. The light from inside illuminates the empty street and is believed to depict the loneliness of a city late at night.
It's one of the most recognizable paintings in American art, the diner itself was imagined, and not based on a real location, but Hopper said it was a composite of numerous burger bars, grocery stores and bakeries he knew from his home town. Which city was that?
It's New York City, of course. Hopper was a native of Nyack, New York, about 20 miles north of Manhattan, and spent time in Greenwich Village. Explore Night Hawks for yourself here.
Arriving in this city in 1746 and remaining there for nine years, Canaletto seemed to draw as much inspiration from his adopted home as he did from Rome or Venice in his native Italy.
Unlike many of his other paintings of the city, the view is more or less at ground level and shows off the large curve of the river as it winds through the city. It provides a panoramic view of the city, although it’s safe to say it looks a little different today. But do you know where it is?
The Thames from Somerset House Terrace towards Westminster by Canaletto is one of a number of London cityscapes produced by Canaletto during his time in the UK. This view is up the river from the terrace at Old Somerset House.
How many of the cities could you identify? If you need to brush up on your urban artwork you can find out more by taking a tour of Canaletto's Europe, here.
No visit to London is complete without stopping by the British Museum. The collection is vast, and stretches all the way back to the first humans. So to help guide your next visit, we've chosen 5 unmissable exhibits. Click, drag, and use the arrows to explore them all!
These colossal stone beasts would have induced awe and provided protection at the entrance to the Palace of Ashurnasirpal in Nimrud, modern-day Iraq. Interestingly, the one on the right has an ancient board game scratched into its pedestal, perhaps by a bored palace guard?
Escape the crowds in this quiet corner of the British Museum. Classical ceramics might not be everyone's cup of tea, in fact, many visitors simply skip this room. But these carefully crafted vases and wine jugs provide an eye-opening insight into Greek aesthetics.
The Arctic collection of the British Museum may not be the largest, but it is one of the most fascinating. The objects on display, from drums and knives to waterproof jackets and ritual objects, show the rich material culture of Arctic people.
This dog sledge, or uniek, made by Aleut people of the Alaskan peninsula, some time before 1855, shows the woodworking and construction skills of this Arctic culture. Driftwood sledges such as this allowed the Aleut to travel far over the ice, in search of valuable furs.
Next-door to the better-known Parthenon galleries is this monumental tomb from Xanthos in Lycia, then part of the Persian Empire. This structure shows how Greek aesthetics were already diffusing eastwards by the 4th century BCE.
No visit would be complete without seeing the Parthenon gallery. The bas-relief frieze that runs around the gallery, and the sculptural arrangements of gods and goddesses that mark each end, are considered the pinnacle of Classical Greek sculpture, and the pride of the museum.
Still in the mood for discovering cultural treasures? Explore the Uffizi Galleries.