Famous Yellow Paintings

For centuries yellow has been used in art to evoke many different emotions and meanings. Yellow is associated with warmth, sunshine, and happiness. It is a bright, cheerful color that can be used to convey optimism and positivity.

Sunflowers Vincent van Gogh

Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh had the ability to capture the innocence and purity of flowers upon canvas. The artist was captivated by sunflowers and the way their hue changed as the sun moved across the sky. Van Gogh’s vivid sunflower paintings bring the flowers to life and highlight the nuances of their stalks and leaves. His paintings of the French city of Aries date to circa 1889. Each piece of artwork depicted a vase containing a bouquet of sunflowers.

The Yellow House Vincent van Gogh (Pictured above)

Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh rented four apartments in a a house on Plate Lamartine in Arles in southern France in May 1889. The green shutters in this artwork of the plaza indicate where the artist resided. Van Gogh utilized the two large rooms on the ground floor as an atelier (workshop) and kitchen, in addition to the two smaller rooms on the first floor that faced Place Lamartine. Van Gogh’s guest room, where French artist Paul Gauguin resided for nine weeks beginning in late October 1888, is the first-floor window with both shutters open that is closest to the building’s corner. Behind the next window, with the shutters nearly closed, is Van Gogh’s bedroom. The Yellow House itself has been demolished. It was extensively damaged by air strikes during WW II and subsequently dismantled. Currently, the location appears remarkably identical sans the home. A sign acknowledges its previous existence.

The Kiss Gustav Klimt

Austrian Symbolism artist Gustav Klimt created this artwork during his "Golden Period" between 1907 and 1908, symbolizing the pinnacle of his career. The artwork depicts a couple in embrace, their bodies entwined in exquisite robes embroidered in a manner influenced by both Art Nouveau and the earlier organic features of the Arts and Crafts movement. It is believed that Klimt depicted the moment when Apollo kisses Daphne in this picture, which is based on a narrative from Ovid’s Metamorphoses.

New York City 1 Piet Mondrian

Dutch artist Piet Mondrian was considered to be among the pioneers of Abstract art. This artwork is one of his most famous created in 1942 while he was living in New York City during World War II. It is part of a series of paintings the artist created at this time attempting to capture the energy and vitality of the city. The painting features a grid of black lines and rectangles filled with bright colors, including yellow, red, and blue. The colors are arranged in a way that creates a sense of movement and rhythm, suggesting the bustling energy of the city.

Young Woman Seated at a Virginal Johannes Vermeer

Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer created this artwork using pigments in a manner typical of Vermeer, most notably the costly ultramarine component of the background wall. In addition, the usage of green earth in the shadows is noteworthy. The usage of lead-tin-yellow indicates that the picture cannot be an imitation or forgery from the nineteenth or twentieth century.

The Yellow Cow Franz Marc

German artist Franz Marc was a prominent artists of the Expressionist movement. He created this artwork in 1911 as part of a series of artworks featuring animals that the artist created during his time with the Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider) group, which included other prominent Expressionist artists such as Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky. This painting features a vibrant, stylized cow depicted in bright shades of yellow, orange, and red. The animal is set against a bold, blue-green background that creates a sense of depth and movement. The use of bright colors and bold, curving lines gives the painting a sense of vitality and energy, reflecting Marc’s interest in the spiritual and emotional qualities of art.

Mound of Butter Antoine Vollon

French Realist artist Antoine Volton was known as a still-life painter. He created this painting depicting butter between 1875 and 1885. The image is an outstanding example of Vollon’s still-life work, depicting a heap of butter in a rich, deep yellow tone (presumably from the carotene of the fresh plants that grazing cows commonly eat on barn fields). When Antoine Vollon was alive, it was common practice to purchase butter made by hand from a farmer.

Impression III (Concert) Wassily Kandinsky

Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky was a pioneer of Abstract art. He created this artwork in 1911 and the painting is part of a series of artworks inspired by music and reflects Kandinsky’s interest in synesthesia, a condition in which one sensory experience triggers another. The painting features a colorful, abstract composition that suggests movement and energy. The painting is dominated by bright, contrasting hues of red, yellow, and blue, with thin black lines and shapes that add structure to the composition. The title of this artwork suggests it was a musical inspiration.

American Artist

Cold Morning on the Range Frederic Remington

American artist Frederic Remington created this artwork in 1904 as an oil on canvas. The painting depicts a man riding a giant, brown, wild horse on the American frontier. The horse is untrained, as evidenced by its leaping and generally unruly appearance. Several other men on horses may be seen in the background, perhaps on a livestock drive. The mountains seen in the distance are believed to be the Rocky Mountains.