I like visual art; in my childhood, my grandfather had a collection of postcards with reproductions of paintings, and since the internet and Instagram hadn’t been invented yet, I entertained myself by examining the pictures.
On the reverse side of the postcard, the author, the technique used in the work, the size, and the museum where the painting is stored were indicated.
So, it turns out that the sizes can be simply gigantic; judge for yourself, the Top 10 largest paintings.
1Wave, 650,000 x 170 cm
Croatian artist Djuro Siroglavic painted a picture of incredible dimensions in 2007, several kilometers long. The painting was sold, and the proceeds from the sale were directed to help children orphaned as a result of the Balkan War. The 10,800 square meter painting entered the Guinness World Records as the largest painting in the world.
2Journey of Humanity, 5000 x 3000 cm
Saha Jafri’s painting, covering an area of 1,500 square meters, was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest painting in the world. The work, with an area of 1,579 square meters, was based on drawings by children from 140 countries sent to Jafri. In 2020, the painting was sold at auction for a record $62 million. The painting was so large that it was cut into pieces and mounted on separate frames.
3Painting of the Marriage at Cana in Galilee, 677 x 990 cm
The painting by Italian painter Paolo Veronese is based on the Gospel story. The painting depicts about 130 figures, including portraits of famous rulers of the Renaissance era.
448 Women, 300 x 1600 cm
The work of Italian artist Omar Galiani is not strictly speaking one painting but a collage composed of 48 portraits of Russian women drawn with a pencil on wood. The work took 2 years, with 36 portraits drawn from life and the rest from photographs.
5Painting of the Appearance of Christ to the People, 540 x 750 cm
Painting by artist Alexander Ivanov. The canvas’s plot is also related to the Gospel, depicting the appearance of Jesus Christ during the baptism of people by the Jordan River.
6Night Watch, 363 x 437 cm
The painting by Dutch artist Rembrandt was commissioned by the musketeer company of Captain Frans Banning Cocq, who paid 1,600 florins for it.
7Painting Amid the Waves, 285 x 429 cm
Work by the famous marine artist Ivan Aivazovsky. The painting “Amid the Waves” was very dear to the author; it did not leave the borders of Feodosia and was handed over to the city of Feodosia.
8Liberty Leading the People, 260 x 325 cm
Painting by French artist Eugène Delacroix. The painting depicts the French Revolution, with a woman known as Marianne at the center—symbol of the French Republic and personification of the national motto “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.”
9The Birth of Venus, 172 x 278 cm
Painting by Italian artist Sandro Botticelli. The painting illustrates the ancient Greek myth of the birth of Venus.
10Water Lilies, 130 x 152 cm
In the early 18th century, artist Claude Oscar Monet painted a whole series of pond paintings. One of the most significant works was painted between 1897 and 1899.
