For many, it seems an impossible task to remember the artists and their paintings. For hundreds of years, history has entered the names of many artists whose names are well-known, unlike paintings. How to remember the peculiarity of the artist and his style? We have prepared a brief description for those who want to understand the fine arts:

If the pictures show people with big asses, be sure - this is Rubbens

If people in beautiful clothes are relaxing in nature - Watteau

If men look like curly-haired women, with wild eyes - This is Caravaggio

If a picture with a dark background depicts a person with a blissful expression on his face or a martyr - Titian

If the picture contains multi-figured compositions, many people, objects, Christian and surreal motifs - this is Bosch

If a painting contains multi-figure compositions and complex plots, but they look more realistic than Bosch's paintings, you can be sure that this is Brueghel.

If you see a portrait of a man against a dark background in a dim, yellow light - Rembrandt

Biblical and mythological scenes depicting several plump cupids - Francois Boucher

Naked, pumped up bodies, ideal forms - Michelangelo

Ballerinas are drawn, this is Degas

Contrasting, sharp image with emaciated and bearded faces - El Greco

If the picture shows a girl with a unibrow - this is Frida

Quick and light strokes, bright colors and an image of nature - Monet

Light colors and rejoicing people - Renoir

Bright, colorful and rich - Van Gogh

Gloomy colors, black outlines and sad people - Manet

The background is like from the movie "The Lord of the Rings", with a slight blue fog. Wavy hair and aristocratic nose Madonna - Da Vinci

If the body depicted in the picture has an unusual shape - Picasso

Colored squares like an excel document - Mondrian

Funny artist cheat sheet
(Styles cheat sheet here)

Original taken from vasily_sergeev in

A short guide to the fine arts

A long time ago, in my freshman year, we had art history. The subject itself is terribly interesting, but the teacher is shit, which you will not find during the day with a lantern. As far as I know, there is not a single student who likes him. He gave lectures on Saturday, from 8 in the morning and from five to five he stood at the door, and then closed it with a lock. And that's all. I didn’t have time until eight - a pass, and a lot of passes - a big grief. Now I'll tell you why. Throughout the year, he showed us slides of paintings, sculptures, mosaics and other things, ranging from rock art to Russian artists of the 80s. And all these slides were in the form of postcards. Here's a pouch.

And at the end of the year, as usual, the exam. First, two questions, and then an additional execution on an individual basis. According to the number of your passes for the year (!) He took out postcards from a pack. Randomly, and it was necessary to name the author and the title. Or at least the author, or at least the title. Everyone remembered the Mona Lisa and a couple more quickly, but something had to be done with the rest of the mule. Especially because everyone went to retake already on a razik. And so, in order to guess the authors, we in the group deduced a classification. And you know, in 97 cases out of a hundred it works! Still!

By remembering a few simple points, in a company not too close to the art, you can pass for a connoisseur, and in general.

1. If you see a dark background in the picture and all sorts of suffering on the faces - this is Titian.

The exception is this naked person with no signs of thought on her face. One can be remembered. Venus, not Venus, but there is something venereal in it.

2. If in the picture there are asses and cellulite even in men - do not hesitate - this is Rubens.

3. If in the picture the men look like hairy curly-haired bap or just like Italian faggots - this is Caravaggio.

He generally painted women one and a half times. In the next picture - a woman: Gorgonyan Meduza Arutyunovna. Why she looks like jonidepa is a mystery worse than Monalisa's smile.

4. If there are a lot of little people in the picture, this is Brueghel.

5. A lot of little people little incomprehensible garbage - Bosch

6. If you can easily add a couple of fat-assed cupids and lambs to the picture (or they are already there in various configurations), without violating the composition, these can be:

b) Watteau

7. Beautiful, all naked, and figures, like bodybuilders after drying - Michelangelo.

8. You see a ballerina - you say Degas. You say Degas - you see a ballerina.

9. Contrasting, harsh, and everyone has such skinny bearded faces - El Greco.

10. If everyone, even aunts, looks like Putin, this is van Eyck

11. Monet - spots, Manet - people

"- A long time ago, in my first year, we had the history of art. Lectures were held on Saturday at 8 am and with five minutes to five "teacher" stood at the door, and then closed it with a lock. And that's all. for a year he showed us slides of paintings, ranging from rock art to Russian artists of the 90s. And he had all these slides in the form of postcards. Here's a pack. And at the end of the year, as usual, an exam. First, two questions, and then individually. By the number of your passes for the year (!) He took out postcards from a pack. Randomly. And it was necessary to say the author or the name. Mona Lisa and a couple of others were remembered quickly. And something needs to be done with the rest of the mule. And so, to guess the author, we in the group developed a classification. And you know, in 97 cases out of a hundred - it works! So far!"

If you see a dark background in the picture and all sorts of suffering on the faces - this is Titian.

The exception is this bare-ass person with no signs of thought on her face. One can be remembered. Venus, not Venus, but there is something venereal in her:

If in the picture there are buttocks and cellulite even in men - do not hesitate - this is Rubens.

If in the picture the men look like hairy curly-haired women - this is Caravaggio.

Bab he generally drew one and a half times. The next picture is of a woman. Gorgonyan Meduza Arutyunovna. Why she looks like jonidepa is a mystery worse than Mona Lisa's smile.

If there are a lot of little people in the picture - Brueghel.

A lot of little people, as well as a bunch of everything - Bosch.

If all people look like bums, at night by the light of a dim lantern - this is Rembrandt.

If you can easily add a couple of fat-ass cupids and lambs to the picture (or they are already there) - this is Boucher.

Beautiful, all naked and figures like bodybuilders after drying - Michelangelo.

You see a ballerina - you say Degas. You say Degas - you see a ballerina.

Contrasting, harsh, bluish, and everyone has such skinny bearded faces - El Greco.

And finally, if everyone, even aunts, looks like Putin, this is Jan van Eyck

And all because this issue has not lost its relevance to this day. The essence of this method was to remember a few starting points. It was actually invented in order to pass the exam, but it worked so well, using this trick you could be considered an intellectual connoisseur of painting.

And here is the story itself.

“A long time ago, in my first year, we had art history. The subject itself is terribly interesting, but the teacher is shit, which you will not find during the day with a lantern. As far as I know, there is not a single student who likes him.

He gave lectures on Saturday, from 8 in the morning and from five to five he stood at the door, and then closed it with a lock. And that's all. I didn’t have time until eight - a pass, and many passes - a big grief.

Now I'll tell you why. Throughout the year, he showed us slides of paintings, sculptures, mosaics and other things, ranging from rock art to Russian artists of the 80s. And all these slides were in the form of postcards. Here's a pouch.
And at the end of the year, as usual, the exam. First, two questions, and then an additional execution on an individual basis. According to the number of your passes for the year (!) He took out postcards from a pack.

Especially because everyone went to retake already on a razik. And so, in order to guess the authors, we in the group deduced a classification. And you know, in 97 cases out of a hundred it works! Still!"

Here is part of that classification:

For hundreds of years, world culture has given us a myriad of brilliant painters. One trouble - to remember everyone, as well as many of their works, is very difficult. To have at least some stock of knowledge on this topic and to navigate the world of art more freely, such a simple instruction will help. It will allow you not to get into a mess when conducting small talk.

1. If you see a dark background in the picture and all sorts of suffering on the faces - this is Titian.

2. If in the picture here are buttocks and cellulite even in men, do not hesitate - this is Rubens.

3. If in the picture men resemble and may turn out to be women, this is Caravaggio.

4. If there are a lot of little people in the picture - Brueghel.

5. A lot of little people + little incomprehensible fantastic garbage - Bosch.

6. If you can easily add a couple of cupids to the picture without disturbing the composition, or they are already there in various configurations, this is Boucher.

7. Beautiful, all naked and figures like bodybuilders - Michelangelo.

8. You see a ballerina - you say Degas. You say Degas - you see a ballerina.

9. Contrasting, harsh and everyone has such skinny bearded faces - El Greco.

10. If everyone, even aunts, looks like Putin, this is Jan van Eyck.

11. Bright-bright, colorful-colorful - Van Gogh.

P.S.: Monet - spots, Manet - people! ©