10 of the Most Famous Paintings at the Cleveland Museum of Art

By Cortni Dietz on Tue, Jun 17, 2014 at 10:53 am

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It’s hot. It’s muggy out. You’ve got a day off and don’t want to just sit at home, but you’re not in the mood to deal with the grotesque humidity weighing down the air, either. What to do for entertainment?

Check out the Cleveland Museum of Art’s vast collection, of course! Sometimes, people don’t realize the wealth of awesome paintings we’ve got right here. Entrance to the museum is free, and if you’re having trouble figuring out where to start, we’ve done some of the work for you. Here are 10 of the most famous paintings that the museum has to offer.

All images courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Slideshow

10 of the Most Famous Paintings at the Cleveland Museum of Art

A pleasant one to take in, Frederic Edwin Church’s scene of a Maine sunset evokes a desire to get off your ass and take an evening hike — just pure sunset in the days before Instagram-filtered landscapes and people vying for as many likes as they can get on social media. Take a second to admire it as we’re halfway through our virtual tour. (A bench used to sit in front of this one for just that purpose but, alas, it’s been replaced by a sculpture.)

Salvador Dalí may be the hallucinogen-taking college kid’s artist of choice, but the symbolism and intricacy contained within his works is no drugged-out bullshit. It’s amazing that we have one of the eccentric Spaniard’s surrealist works in our own collection. Read up on the meaning behind this one yourself when you see it; we won’t spoil it for you.

A toupee-wearing tiger is chowing down hard on an ill-fated buffalo in this classic by the French artist Henri Rousseau. The buffalo’s expression is eerily complacent, as if he has already accepted his death beneath bunches and bunches of bananas. Although this painting isn’t currently on display, it might be back up the next time you pay a visit to the museum.

Known for his ghoulish and pale figures, the famous El Greco (“The Greek”) has taken a sort of Haunted Mansion-esque take on the classic iconography of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus. A storm looks as if it’s a-brewin’ behind the family portrait, while Mary gazes off in the distance looking like a sunken-in Anne Hathaway and Jesus grabs a snack. If you’re into his creepy style, another El Greco hangs next to this one.

Ah, youth. Can you guess what they just did?! Cupid’s look of adolescent glee as he almost appears to be easing himself up for a post-coital smoke says it all in this depiction of the myth of Cupid and Psyche. With an almost cherubic face, Cupid’s delight at his conquest is evident, while his lady friend Psyche seems calmly pleased herself.

The mysterious Italian artist Caravaggio is known for his excruciating attention to detail and lighting, and we’re lucky enough to have one of his paintings in our own backyard. A withered St. Andrew hangs from a cross as others look on with expressions of wonder. This piece’s display has a unique twist, too: you can watch it being painstakingly restored from June to September in an exhibition near the front entrance to the museum.

Click to View 10 slides

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About The Author

Cortni Dietz

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Cortni Dietz is a senior at Ohio University and a Scene blogging intern. When taking a break from the rigorous pursuit of journalism, she enjoys eating, reading, hanging out with dogs of all shapes and sizes and drinking overpriced coffee.

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