Famous Blue Paintings

Blue is a color known universally which offers a sense of calming and relaxation. It is associated with the stillness of the night, as well as the rhythmic, calming character of the ocean and water itself.

European Artists

The Old Guitarist Pablo Picasso

Spanish artist Pablo Picasso created this artwork in 1903 and it is among his most famous paintings. Here the artist represents that color of blue as being morose and gloomy. The artist created this artwork shortly after his close friend, Casagemas, committed suicide after a long bout with mental illness and depression. Looked upon as Picasso's blue period the artist devoted this artwork and others at this time to focus on those who are often downtrodden and heavy-laden with the cares and worries that so often consume humankind. The painting depicts a man clutching a guitar, seemingly strumming what is certainly assumed to be a sad tune as his face is fixed with pain and defeat.

The Starry Night Vincent Van Gogh

The most well-known and famous of artworks created by Dutch Post-Impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh, it would not be proper not to include it among famous blue paintings. Many of his paintings featured bold colors. This is among his most iconic artworks and the artist used swirling brush strokes to create the effect of wind in the night sky mixed with the shining stars over the view he had from his asylum window at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence in southern France.

Waterloo Bridge, Sunlight Effect Claude Monet

French Impressionist artist Claude Monet was among the most famous painters from the Impressionist movement during the late 19th century. This artwork was created in 1903 and features different hues of blue to depict the sky and the water.

Monet is known to have commented “London wouldn’t be a beautiful city. It’s the fog that gives it its magnificent breadth.” This particular artwork features an array of blue coloration that seems to make the bridge itself and the city scape in the background barely visible—much like one would expect to see in the London fog.

The Conversation Henri Matisse

French artist Henri Matisse was known for using bold, intense colors. This artwork was created in 1912. It depicts Matisse himself wearing pajamas and his wife, Amelie, wearing a gown. The heavy blue coloration of the work seems to draw the viewer into the portrait itself, involving them in ‘the conversation’ as if they were a part of it. The painting involves some of the most intense use of the color blue as it is incorporated throughout the canvas.

Saint Tropez, Storm Paul Signac

French artist Paul Signac was known for his artworks that consisted of an art form known as stippling. This featured a series of methodical, deliberate dots that make up various figures and subjects of a work. This artwork is among his best known created in 1895 during the height of the era when artists were exploring stippling. The artist beautifully portrays an oncoming storm set to make landfall on a coastal city with the strong wind being indicated by the sailboat being driven along toward the shore.

Woman with Mango Paul Gauguin

French artist Paul Gauguin was not looked upon as a famous painter until after his death in 1903. During his artistic career, he painted many artworks using dark, heavy tones. He created this artwork in 1892 featuring a young woman that the artist is said to have married when she was merely 13 years old.The painting features a deep blue coloration that appears to be nearly purple at first glance. This artwork is among many that the artist created during his travels to the island of Tahiti.

Blue Painting 1924 Vassily Kandinsky (Pictured above)

Russian artist Vassily Kandinsky was among the most famous Abstract artists in history. Among his most famous artworks were paintings with a wide range of shapes, linear forms, and colors that all combine to form a truly unique sense of artistic expression. He created this painting in 1924 and it is one of the most famous blue paintings since the artist made heavy use of the color blue throughout the canvas.

American Artists

No. 61 (Rust and Blue) Mark Rothko

American artist Mark Rothko was well-known on the art scene during the mid-20th century in America. He was interested in Abstract painting and became famous for his paintings focusing on various tonal consistencies of a variety of colors. Among his most famous artworks are those which include blocks of color ranging in chromatic hues. This artwork was created in 1953. It is known as one of the most iconic works from the height of the Abstract art era. The sense of haze and blueish overtone is responsible for this being among the most famous blue paintings ever done.

Abstraction Blue Georgia O’Keeffe

American Modernist artist Georgia O'Keeffe was famous for artworks that depicted a specific color with many of them showing flowers or natural settings. This artwork was created in 1927 and is known as one of the most iconic Abstract artworks from the early 20th century. The painting is believed to be representative of a flower, which was one of the most common subjects of O’Keeffe, especially during her later career.

Elsie In A Blue Chair Mary Cassatt

American artist Mary Cassatt was among the most celebrated artist from the Impressionist era during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This artwork is among her most notable paintings created in 1880. It features a wide range of blue colors from bold, royal blues to brighter coloration that emphasizes the sun’s brightness in the subject, which is a young girl seated on a blue chair.