There aren’t many paintings that are evocative enough to have inspired entire films, but The Girl with a Pearl Earring is one of them. Painted in 1665 by Dutch master Johannes Vermeer. The Girl has captured the imaginations of artists, poets, writers and filmmakers for generations.
'Girl with a Pearl Earring', 2003
In 1999, it inspired a book of the same name by Tracy Chevalier. This was then turned into a movie starring Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. The film brought The Girl with a Pearl Earring to a whole new audience and cemented its place in painting legend.
'La Mariée', Marc Chagall
La Mariée, by Russian-French artist Marc Chagall, features prominently in Romantic Comedy blockbuster Notting Hill. The 1999 film contains a scene where Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant’s characters discuss a poster of the painting that's displayed in Grant’s home.
'Notting Hill', 1999
Later on, Julia Robert’s character, Anna Scott, presents Grant’s character with the original painting as part of a declaration of her love. Chagall used similar colors and ideas in a number of paintings, including this one, Dons mon Pays, from 1943.
'Self Portrait Dedicated to Leon Trotsky', Frida Kahlo
As any fan of Frida Kahlo’s work will know, her self-portraits are incredibly powerful. So it was no surprise that a number of these paintings were featured in 2002 film biopic Frida.
'Frida', 2002
The 2002 film stars Salma Hayek as Kahlo, and Alfred Molina as Frida's husband, the Mexican painter and revolutionary, Diego Rivera.
'A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte' Seurat
A classic depiction of leisure and relaxation, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte was painted by Georges Seurat in 1884. The image aptly features in the film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, another famous work about taking time out.
'Ferris Bueller's Day Off', 1986
The pointillist painting was specifically selected. As Ferris Bueller writer and director John Hughes says, “I always thought this painting was sort of like making a movie, the pointillist style. You don’t have any idea what you’ve made until you step back from it.”
'Water Lilies', Claude Monet
One of the most famous Impressionist works ever created, Claude Monet’s Water Lilies were brought to an even wider audience by the film Titanic. The painting was supposedly brought onto the ship by Rose, Kate Winslet’s character in the film.
'Titanic', 1997
Rose’s love interest, Jack, admires the watery scene before drawing his famous sketch of Rose naked. The painting can be seen in the background as Jack gets to work. The image is part of a long series of related works painted at Monet’s home in Giverny.