# So, what's the second-most-famous painting in the world? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 27, 2007, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-the-second-most-famous-painting-in-the-world/409656 "2007-06-27T17:33:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Mbossa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@Mbossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mbossa)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-the-second-most-famous-painting-in-the-world/409656/61 "2007-07-02T10:27:53Z")
[QUOTE=shootermcqueen] What if you were to impose the following rules: 1. Can be any artpiece 2. Must correctly name Artiste and Piece Would would you expect to be the top three? [/QUOTE] In this case I’d put Michelangelo’s _David_ pretty high up. Probably not quite as famous as _The Scream_, but everyone’s heard of Michelangelo (mainly as that ninja turtle who likes to party, but still…). Also, I’ve only ever heard of the sculpture referred to as “Michelangelo’s David” – never just “David” – so anyone who knows the name of the piece probably also knows the artist. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-the-second-most-famous-painting-in-the-world/409656/62 "2007-07-02T10:58:35Z")
[QUOTE=Interrobang!?] _Nighthawks_ would probably be way up there on an American list. [/QUOTE] You’d think so, but then you’d find that most people think that it features Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean and Humphrey Bogart and is called “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”. Most of those people also owned a [Patrick Nagel](http://www.patricknagel.com/) print. As an aside, I couldn’t remember his name, but I got it by googling “ubiquitous 80s girl painting”. ---
**Author:** ![Ifsolitude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/858c86/32.png) [@Ifsolitude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ifsolitude)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-the-second-most-famous-painting-in-the-world/409656/63 "2007-07-02T13:30:01Z")
I’m shocked that no one’s mentioned Monet’s _Waterlilies_. Again, it’s a series rather than a single painting, but I think that actually makes it more well-known since several cities have variations on the theme. As with others, I don’t know how many people actually know the name of the painting or the artist, but I think most people would recognize the painting if they saw it. It’s practically a cliche that people who don’t know much about art still like “those paintings with the lily pads.” I also think Van Gogh’s _Sunflowers_ has to be very high on the list; higher than _Starry Night_ since it’s more likely to be reproduced in poster/bath towel form. ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-the-second-most-famous-painting-in-the-world/409656/64 "2007-07-02T20:43:05Z")
[QUOTE=Kozmik] If the \*Mona Lisa \* is the most famous painting in the world then the second most famous painting would… …a group of tourst walks into the Lourve and sees the _Mona Lisa_. They stop and look at the painting. But before they move on their eyes are drawn to the painting to the right (not to the left, to the right). Whatever painting that is, _that_ is the second most famous painting in the world. [/QUOTE] I’ve seen the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, and I don’t think there are any paintings next to it. IIRC, it’s on its own wall. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-the-second-most-famous-painting-in-the-world/409656/65 "2007-07-02T22:24:03Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Lance Murdoch] If only the US were to be considered, the works of John Trumbull would rank very high with Washington Crossing the Delaware … at the top of the heap. [/QUOTE] If you’re referring to [this painting of Washington,](http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/viewOnezoom.asp?dep=2&zoomFlag=0&viewmode=1&item=97%2E34) the artist is Emanuel Leutze. ---
**Author:** ![SlickRoenick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@SlickRoenick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlickRoenick)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-the-second-most-famous-painting-in-the-world/409656/66 "2007-07-02T22:32:20Z")
Until this thread, i had neither heard of nor seen “The Scream.” My vote was for “The Last Supper” or “Starry Night” ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-the-second-most-famous-painting-in-the-world/409656/67 "2007-07-03T22:27:43Z")
I don’t know the title nor the artist, but “that evolution painting” has been reproduced and parodied countless times. [Here’s one example.](http://www.anvari.org/fun/Gender/Evolution_of_Man_and_Woman.html) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-the-second-most-famous-painting-in-the-world/409656.md?page=3)