Art on Screen: 12 Movies about Artists Worth Seeing

1. Lust for Life (1956)

Vincent Van Gogh (1853–1890) is a favorite of filmmakers. His troubled and eventful life has been the subject of many adaptations. It has inspired documentaries, TV series, movies, and trailblazing animations, including the 2017 Loving Vincent—the first fully painted animated feature film. Some very high-profile actors have undertaken the role of the Dutch painter, perhaps most famously Kirk Douglas in 1956 Lust for Life.

This biographical movie goes through the adult life and notorious death of Van Gogh. It focuses on Van Gogh’s troubled life and frail mental health. Unhappiness, fractured relationships, up-and-down interactions with other artists at the time (famously Paul Gaugin)—this is all a recipe that led to his decline and ultimately death. The movie received critical acclaim and several awards, including a Golden Globe for Kirk Douglas and an Academy Award for Anthony Quinn as Gaugin.

2. Mr Turner (2014)

J. M. W. Turner (1775–1851) was a controversial, eclectic, at times anarchic painter who has made an indelible mark on Romantic art. This movie explores the later years of the life of Turner (from 1828 onwards). It depicts an artist whose personal life is increasingly insular whilst his professional career is at the height of fame. Loved and hated in equal measure, he is portrayed as an artist who caused clamor amongst the public, the aristocracy, and royalty alike.

Mr Turner was a critical success. It received multiple nominations for a number of awards, including Academy Awards and BAFTAs. Timothy Spall, masterfully playing Turner, won Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival, where the movie received also a prize for its cinematography.

3. Big Eyes (2014)

Big Eyes tells the story of painter Margaret Keane (1927–2022). Margaret’s work, characterized by painting figures with oversized eyes, was commercially extremely successful. This was in good part thanks to cheap reproductions on different media, including prints and crockery. However, for most of the 1960s, her second husband Walter Keane claimed he was the author of the artworks. The movie follows Margaret’s life from her first meeting with Walter in the late 1950s, their marriage, Walter’s plagiarism of her work and, ultimately, the divorce and trial that followed—after which Margaret restored her claim to her own artistry.

The movie was very positively received. Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz, starring as Margaret and Walter respectively, were extensively praised for their performances. It received multiple nominations for various awards, including BAFTAs and Golden Globes, with Adams winning a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical.

4. Basquiat (1996)

This biographical drama is a fictionalized account of the rapid rise and fall of neo-expressionist American painter Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960–1988). It follows him from his early days as a struggling aspiring artist to the peak of his success. It shines a light on his tumultuous relationships and the heroin addiction that ultimately isolated him and led to his death in 1988 aged only 27. The movie is littered with high-profile actors, notably music legend David Bowie playing equally legendary Andy Warhol, with whom Basquiat had a close friendship.

The movie received mixed reviews. On the one hand, the portrayal of the story of a misfit artist in the New York of the 1980s was appreciated, as was Jeffrey Wright’s performance as Basquiat. On the other hand, director Julian Schnabel (himself a painter) was criticized for compromising by adding a fictionalized version of himself into the movie, thus undermining its credibility.

5. Artemisia (1997)

This European collaboration is a biopic of Baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi (1593–1653), played by Italian actress Valentina Cervi. It paints a picture of her striving to become a painter while being ostracized by Church and society in 17th-century Rome. It also highlights the crucial (according to the movie plot) role that her supportive father, painter Orazio Gentileschi, played in guiding and supporting her.

Though praised for its visuals and its portrayal of Artemisia’s talent and determination, the movie has been widely criticised for its representation of the events that surround Artemisia’s rape by Agostino Tassi and the subsequent trial. The episode is retold under the guise that Artemisia and Tassi were star-crossed lovers, with Orazio playing the part of the villain who prevents them from being together. This is a substantial departure from what is generally agreed to be what happened in real life and it misses important details from the available evidence of the trial, including the relentless campaign of shame that Tassi mounted against Artemisia.

6. Frida (2002)

Speaking of trailblazing women, Frida Kahlo (1907–1954) is second to none. This biographical movie follows the private and public life of the Mexican surrealist artist, played by Salma Hayek. The story is set against the backdrop of the Mexican Revolution and the frail political equilibrium of the 1930s. It portrays Kahlo’s talent and her strong personality, as well as the big events in her remarkable life—from her fiery marriage to painter Diego Rivera, to her illness, to her alleged involvement with Soviet politician Leon Trotsky.

The movie was a success. It received multiple awards, including two Academy Awards, one BAFTA, and one Golden Globe. Salma Hayek was widely praised for her performance as Kahlo. She was nominated for an Academy Award for it, but lost to Nicole Kidman portraying another trailblazing woman—20th-century writer Virginia Woolf.

7. Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003)

Based on the best-selling novel by Tracy Chevalier, Girl with a Pearl Earring is not really a story about an artist but about an artwork—the eponymous 1665 masterpiece by Johannes Vermeer (1632–1675). It tells the fictionalized story of a peasant girl (played by Scarlett Johansson) who works as a maid to Vermeer (played by Colin Firth). Soon he discovers her talent and she becomes his assistant, and later his muse for one of his most famous paintings.

The movie was very positively received and was especially praised for its cinematography and use of light and color, to mimic Vermeer’s style. Though the performances of the lead actors were praised, the story was often criticized for its overly-fictionalized nature. Girl with a Pearl Earring was nominated for a number of high-profile awards—including three Academy Awards, two Golden Globes, and ten BAFTAs—but failed to win any.

8. My Left Foot (1989)

Easily the most acclaimed and awarded movie on this list, My Left Foot is based on the life of Irish artist Christy Brown (1932–1981). Brown was a writer and painter. He was affected by severe cerebral palsy, which meant he could only work using the toes of one foot. The movie follows the life of Brown and his maturation into an admired artist. Day-Lewis, known for his extreme method acting, studied Brown for months and famously refused to get out of character for the whole duration of the filming.

The movie received overwhelming critical acclaim. Amongst many others, it won two Academy Awards (for Day-Lewis and Brenda Ficker, who plays Brown’s mother) and two BAFTAs (for Day-Lewis and Ray McAnally, who posthumously won Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Brown’s father). In 1999, My Left Foot ranked 53rd in the British Film Institute (BFI) list of 100 best British films of the 20th century.

9. Pollock (2000)

This drama follows the life of American abstract expressionist painter Jackson Pollock (1912–1956). It shines a light on his troubled personality and struggles with alcohol addiction. It also tells the story of his marriage to painter Lee Krasner—a relationship that was as challenging as it was extremely important for Pollock’s development. The movie focuses on Pollock’s adult life up to his premature death aged 44 in an alcohol-related car crash.

The movie was well received and was particularly praised for its depiction of the artistic and creative process behind Pollock’s works. Ed Harris, who directed the movie as well as starring in the lead role, was commended for his performance as Pollock, even receiving an Academy Award nomination (which he lost to Russel Crowe’s star performance as Maximus in The Gladiator). Marcia Gay Harden was also widely praised for her portrayal of Krasner, winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

10. Carrington (1995)

This is a biographical movie about the life of English painter Dora Carrington (1893–1932). She was most famously associated with the Bloomsbury Group, a group of artists and intellectuals whose works and ideas shaped the culture of 20th-century Britain. Amongst others, the group included painter Virginia Bell, economist John Maynard Keynes, and writers E. M. Forster and Virginia Woolf.

The movie is centered around the very close bond Carrington developed with writer Lytton Strachey, himself a prominent member of the Bloomsbury group. Around it is a corollary of connections, more or less intimate, that both of them have with other members of the group and beyond. The performances of Emma Thompson (Carrington) and Jonathan Pryce (Strachey) have been widely praised. The movie won the Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, with Jonathan Pryce also taking home the Best Actor award.

11. Séraphine (2008)

This movie tells the story of Séraphine Louis (also known as Séraphine de Senlis, 1864–1942), a self-taught French painter of the early 1900’s. She was a housekeeper who, inspired by both religion (in particular, the stained-glass windows of her church) and nature, found a way of expressing herself through painting. Her work was discovered by a German art collector and critic, who supported her in establishing herself as a well-regarded artist. Following the crisis of the Great Depression of the early 1930s, she was housed in an asylum where she died in 1942.

The movie was a huge success in France and has since acquired a cult following internationally as well. It swept the César Awards (the national film awards of France), winning seven in total—including Best Film, Best Actress for Yolande Moreau (in the title role), and Best Cinematography.

12. Hidden Away (2020)

Sticking with lesser-known self-taught artists, this movie tells the story of the life of Italian painter Antonio Ligabue (1899–1965). Ligabue is considered one of the main naïve artists of the 20th century—meaning artists who lack formal arts education and training. He lived a very solitary life, afflicted by physical illnesses and mental disorders. His art was a source of comfort. Perhaps at odds with his own life experience, his paintings are characterized by exotic animals in bold colors against a typically Northern-Italian countryside.

Hidden Away (Volevo Nascondermi in its original title, which literally translates as “I wanted to hide”) received a limited release in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic. It was a success, winning seven David di Donatello (one of the main Italian film awards, alongside the Venice Film Festival), including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Cinematography. Actor Elio Germano, who plays the title role, won Best Actor awards at both the David di Donatello and the Berlin International Film Festival.