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The Top 10 Oil Paintings of 2017 Revealed
As the year draws to a close, it is a good idea to reflect on the things we have learned the past year. We at overstockart.com like to examine some of the most popular paintings we have sold over last twelve months and offer to share that with our customers. After cultivating our sales data and reflecting on the results, we are ready to reveal our top sales picks of 2017 year. The list is dominated by some of the Great Masters: Vincent van Gogh, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Claude Monet, as well as the gold leaf geometric patterns of Gustav Klimt.We hope that this list might inspire you to expand your own art collection for the enjoyment of your friends and family.
Vincent Van Gogh’s Cafe Terrace at Nigh depicts a scene with the vibrant combination of warm colors and depth of perspective are definitely unique to Van Gogh’s style of painting. The Cafe Terrace at Night is the first painting in which Van Gogh started using backgrounds filled with stars in his work. It pre-dates Starry Night and Starry Night Over the Rhone. This painting features bright, bold tones, undeniable movement, and one of the most enchanting scenes in art history.
Gustav Klimt, the Vienna master painted the Kiss oil painting in 1907. The painting depicts a couple surrounded by a gold blanket and ornaments sharing a moment of shear passion – the perfect kiss. In this oil and gold masterpiece, we can see Klimt’s mature style combines richly decorative surface patterning with complex symbolism. Gustav Klimt was one of the most innovative and controversial artists of the early twentieth century and this is one of his most well-known paintings.
A beautiful masterpiece, Monet’s Garden Path at Giverny painting from 1902 is complex in detail and composition. The artist imagines and delivers on a grand scale. Lush foliage and many shades of color saturate the canvas while the viewer’s eyes are enraptured by the intensity of the scene. Bring a beautiful French garden into your home where it will hold the attention of all who gaze upon it.
Between 1888 and 1890, one of Van Gogh’s favorite things to paint was blossoming almond trees. Inspired by both Impressionism and Japanese woodcuts, Van Gogh painted Branches of an Almond Tree in Blossom to celebrate the birth of his nephew. he combined a sense of fragility and energy: a joyous and hopeful image for the child’s future. This work of art awakens the same emotions and beauty as the painter originally intended.
One of Claude Monet’s favorite subjects is captured in Water Lilies. Though the artist painted dozens of works featuring these ponds and flowers, this is a popular favorite due to its pleasing color palette and peaceful appearance. Though Monet manages to capture the fleeting quality of this scene in nature, there’s something utterly timeless about the image.
One of today’s most recognized paintings, Starry Night evokes deep emotions, from the serenity of the church steeple to the wild abandon use of vibrant colors in his late night sky. Imagine the movement of the painter as he twists and turns his brush to create the dance between the stars and the clouds above the calm, peaceful village. Starry Night is considered a favorite of art historians and fans of Van Gogh.
Renoir brings enchantment in the form of a beautiful spray of roses that have been sadly forsaken. Their organic blooms are centered as the main focus of the perfectly symmetrical composition. The beautiful light reflects on the lovely pink, cream and red roses which will add a warm feel to any room. Though categorically a still life, Discarded Roses feels as though it has movement thanks to the light and fleeting feeling created by the artist’s Impressionist techniques. Renoir’s beautiful depiction of the roses, including a luxurious display of texture and color, is something truly stunning to behold.
Representative of the reshaping of French society as well as the strong Impressionistic movement in the late nineteenth century, Renoir harnesses the energy in this 1881 portrait of the times. Renoir paints Luncheon of the Boating Party with overlapping figures which projects space on the canvas; while a sense of motion is indicated by the placement and expressions of the figures, he cleverly balances the portrait creating a feeling of intimacy and harmony.
Starry Night over the Rhone is one of Vincent van Gogh’s paintings of Arles at night. The challenge of painting at night intrigued Van Gogh. The point of view he chose for Starry Night over the Rhone allowed him to capture the reflections of the gas lighting in Arles across the glimmering blue water of the Rhone. The sky is illuminated and in the foreground, two lovers stroll by the banks of the river. It is a calm and serene setting, but with a hint of mystery that draws in the audience.
Gustav Klimt’s admiration for the Post-Impressionists is evident in Farm Garden with Sunflowers, one of his most colorful and lush floral paintings. The foreground is prominent, and the lively nature of the flowers is captured perfectly. However, Klimt manages to put his own stamp on this style by using especially vibrant colors and an incredibly high level of detail throughout the piece. It’s absolutely striking in person, and one can easily become lost in all those beautifully crafted details in each flower.
As a leading online art gallery and purveyor of quality oil painting reproductions, overstockArt.com makes art from masters like Monet, Van Gogh and Renoir accessible to all. “Our customers want something warm and beautiful in their homes, hand made the same way as the originals with the same texture, look and smell as an oil painting,” says overstockArt.com CEO David Sasson,“All the paintings on the list are ones I’m fond of.” Let us help you find a beautiful piece for your beautiful space.
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About the Author Amanda Hadley
Amanda graduated from the University of Kansas, where she studied English literature and got a masters degree in library sciences. She enjoys reading, cooking and playing with her nephews. Her best friend is her little dog Brady.
