6 most popular paintings in New York City

Art has never subscribed to any boundaries. Be it Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings spreading their charm across the West, to Ustaad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s ghazals captivating Indians and those who understand the language, an artist and his art have always crossed borders without much hesitation.
This is the same for artists like van Gogh and Rembrandt. While they were from different nations, their artworks are now housed in one of the best museums in different countries. So, if you are an art enthusiast planning a trip to ‘NYC’, here are 6 iconic paintings to see when in the City.

‘The Starry Night’, usually just referred to as ‘Starry Night by Gogh’, is one of Vincent van Gogh's most famous paintings. The painting shows a small town under a swirling, star-filled sky, and a big, dark tree stands tall in the front. Also in the painting is a small church and some houses. But what sets it apart from other similar artworks is the swirling sky and features that immediately captivate the audience.
The bright, bold colours, with different shades of blue in the sky, contrasted by yellow stars and a glowing moon give it an almost real appearance.

Popularly known as the ‘Father of Surrealism’ is Salvador Dali. And one of his most famous paintings is ‘The Persistence of Memory’. And this is one artwork that has confused people more than it has impressed them. It is a surreal painting that is placed in the Museum of Modern Art and features a strange, barren land with melting clocks flowing over various objects. From a tree branch to a weird figure in the center, the clocks seem to be everywhere, almost as if with them the time too is melting and flowing away.

From the brush of the iconic artist Frida Kahlo came ‘Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair’. Kahlo is famous for her self-portraits and this one is a true marvel to behold for people who admire her. The self-portrait shows her sitting on a chair, wearing an oversized suit, and holding scissors. It looks like she has recently cut her long hair as it is scattered all around. With scissors in hand, Kahlo looks directly at the viewer with a stern, confident expression.

Another artist who earns more questions and confusion than appreciation is Picasso. This artwork by him has also been subjected to various questions and criticisms. Nonetheless, it is priceless for people who admire his work.
Pablo Picasso's ‘Woman Ironing, La Repasseuse’ shows a woman bent over an ironing board, her face looking exhausted from hard work. The dominance of blue in the painting is seen as a way of expression and was used to convey a sad, tiring feeling.

Andy Warhol is considered to be the ‘Father of Pop Art’ around the world. ‘Gold Marilyn Monroe’, which can also be seen in the Museum of Modern Art is a feature of Monroe on a silkscreen with her face shining bright against a gold background. Her face is brightly coloured with yellow hair, red lips, and blue eyeshadow.

While Rembrandt is primarily famous for his painting ‘The Night Watch’, it is ‘Aristotle with a Bust of Homer’ that takes the first spot for many owing to its expression and life-like portrayal. It shows the philosopher Aristotle in rich Renaissance clothing, resting his hand on a bust of the ancient poet Homer. Aristotle looks like he is deep in thought while staring at Homer or sideways from him. It is almost as if Homer is an old friend who is helping Aristotle battle with some things in his life.
In this painting, the audience sees a warm colour palette with deep browns, golds, and blacks, and dramatic lighting to highlight Aristotle's face.

(All image credits: Pinterest)