Throughout history there have been many great painters. These individuals range from technical geniuses to abstract thinkers who have influenced the world of art over the centuries. So who are the greatest painters of all time?

Like all great art, this is subjective, but there are certain artists who have created paintings we can all appreciate as works of art. Pablo Picasso helped launch Cubism. Vincent Van Gough ushered in the Post-Impressionist movement. Leonardo da Vinci is responsible for the Mona Lisa. These are painters who have helped shaped the modern art world and had a profound cultural impact. Their skill and mastery of the art form have helped in the creation of some of the world’s great artworks.

To illustrate these amazing artists, we have put together a list of the 18 greatest painters of all time. Some you will be familiar with, otherwise, you might not know. But what they all have in common is the impact they had on modern day art and culture. 

1. Leonardo da Vinci

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When it comes to great painters that everyone knows, Leonardo da Vinci is at the top of the pile. Even if you aren’t into art, you would have heard of old mate da Vinci and his famous paintings during your life. The Italian artist was more than just a painter though. Da Vinci was also an accomplished writer, sculptor, inventor, engineer, musician, botanist, and mathematician amongst other things. There wasn’t much he couldn’t do. 

His paintings often looked at the human form, with da Vinci using different tones and shades to capture the emotions of people on canvas. His most famous works–the Mona Lisa, the Last Supper, and the Virgin of the Rocks–demonstrate the polymath’s ability to paint human emotions in a life-like manner that few have been able to replicate. The Mona Lisa remains one of the most viewed artworks at Paris’ The Louvre Museum. While his paintings are legendary, da Vinci wasn’t prolific, with just 17 of his works surviving to this day.