It would be impossible to agree on just a few most famous paintings, but we’ve identified some that most everyone has seen or heard about. From Renaissance to modernism, there’s something for everyone to enjoy in this gallery.

Girl with a Pearl Earring

Painted by the Dutchman Johannes Vermeer in 1665, Girl with a Pearl Earring has enchanted viewers for centuries. The subject of the oil painting is unknown, but her powerful stare toward the viewer is arresting. The painting resides in the Mauritshuis art museum in the Hague, the Netherlands.

Cow's Skull: Red, White, and Blue

Georgia O’Keeffe is known for her stunning interpretations of natural forms, including flowers, skulls and seashells. Cow's Skull: Red, White, and Blue is among her more well-known works. She painted it in 1931 after visits to the American Southwest. It can be viewed at the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

Mona Lisa

Italian renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci painted the ever-mysterious Mona Lisa between 1503 and 1506, more or less. Who is the subject of the painting? She may have been Lisa del Giocondo, an Italian noblewoman. Why the ever-so-slight smile? Theories abound, but no one knows for sure. Brave the crowds at Louvre Museum in Paris to see Lisa’s enigmatic grin.

The Persistence of Memory

Catalan Spanish artist Salvador Dali completed The Persistence of Memory in 1931. The Surrealist painting features melting clocks along a Catalonian seaside. Representing decay, ants gather on a facedown timepiece. See this modern marvel at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

American Gothic

Painted by Grant Wood in 1930, American Gothic portrays a pair of Midwestern Americans, the culture and traditions of whom Grant admired. Wood intended the painting to be a positive reflection of rural American life. The painting is in residence at the Art Institute of Chicago.

The Kiss

Austrian Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss is his most well-known work. Painted in 1907-08, the oil painting also features gold leaf, silver and platinum. The painting depicts a couple in a lovers’ embrace, each wearing colorful robes and situated in a field of brightly hued flowers. The painting hangs in the Österreichische Galerie Belvedere in Vienna, Austria.

The Starry Night

Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night is beloved around the world for its post-impressionist vibe, brilliant colors and universal theme. You’ll find the vibrant artwork featuring a spectacular and luminous sky reproduced on t-shirts, mugs, dresses and more. See the original at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.