Summary

• Films about painters/artists are filled with drama and ups and downs, making them visually stunning and captivating.
• These films must be careful not to slip into melodrama or become self-indulgent, while actors take on the responsibility of portraying real people.
• Art biopics often shed light on the lives of artists who may have been unrecognized, misunderstood, or overshadowed, showcasing their talent and struggles.

Similar to films about musicians, films about painters are considered great and filled with drama because of the tremendous ups and downs the creators faced throughout their lives. These films are always stunning because they must live up to the visual language that the subject of the film pioneered. It's easy to mine the lives of artists for conflict and drama because they are often rife with such things as artists are misunderstood and crave every experience life has to offer.

Whether a true biopic, or a fictionalized interpretation of the life of a well-known artist, these films must be careful not to slip into melodrama, and become too self-indulgent when portraying tragedy. Additionally, the actors take on the enormous responsibility of bringing a real person to life, with all their individual quirks and mannerisms. Even if the performers and atmosphere are not intended to be a replication, there still must be a truthful representation of the power of the artist's work.

10 Big Eyes (2014)

Directed by Tim Burton

For too long, the real Margaret Keane went unrecognized for her inventive style, as her husband, Walter Keane, stole her work to present as his own. The legal battle that led to her talent coming to light is played out in Big Eyes, a title referring to the signature haunting and enormous eyes of the subjects in her paintings. Amy Adams plays Keane next to a fearsome Christoph Waltz, who plays her husband. The film stands out among artists' biopics because it ends so happily. Keane ends up revered for her work, and her husband's public image is destroyed.

9 Lust For Life (1956)

Directed by Vincente Minnelli

Vincent van Gogh is an extremely popular subject when it comes to explorations into the lives of artists, but most likely this is because he was never recognized for his genius when he was alive. In an early example of such stories, Lust For Life stars Kirk Douglas as van Gogh, and chronicles the many hardships that the painter faced. Douglas was lauded for effectively capturing the ever-changing emotional state of van Gogh, and the vividly colored cinematography set the bar for all future van Gogh adaptations.

Though the story is rather straightforward and doesn't ask much of the audience, the film is still an important part of the artistic genre. Director Vincente Minnelli seems to understand the mind of a creator plagued by a lack of inspiration and the feeling that he doesn't have the tools to fully express how he sees the world. The deeply misunderstood van Gogh is a tragic figure in every tale, but Lust For Life manages to incorporate some of his joy as well.

8 Camille Claudel (1988)

Directed by Bruno Nuytten

The lot of female artists for many centuries, and to this day, was to go unnoticed and overshadowed by the men surrounding them. Camille Claudel (Isabelle Adjani) was a bright, talented young sculptor who did not achieve the fame she deserved, in part because of her relationship with the artist Auguste Rodin (Gérard Depardieu). Their affair takes an emotional toll on her, as do the societal expectations for women that work to prevent her from showcasing her work. Adjani plays Claudel simply, but to enormous effect as she journeys down the road of great talent and growing mental instability.

7 Basquiat (1996)

Directed by Julian Schnabel

It's hard to think of a more capable actor to take on the role of Jean-Michel Basquiat than Jeffery Wright, a performer known for his incredible range and deep empathy. Focusing on the peak of Basquiat's career and his friendship with Andy Warhol, played by a surprisingly good David Bowie, Basquiat paints a rich portrait of New York City during a time of cultural revolution. Unfortunately, the weakest aspect of the film is Julian Schnabel's directing, as the film was his debut.

It's clear that Schnabel had great respect for Basquiat as a figure but was unable to capture his experience as a man in the world. Schnabel attempted to work out his own struggles and interests as an artist, and his clear iration for Warhol, by using Basquiat as a lens instead of delving into the driving forces of the artist himself. Regardless, Wright is a master of his craft, and he and Bowie have enough chemistry to make the film an interesting watch.

6 Maudie (2016)

Directed by Aisling Walsh

Maud Lewis was an intriguing figure in her time and the film Maudie brought back interest in her work and life. Sally Hawkins is an unflappable Lewis, determined to see the best in life as well as the people around her. The film takes a distinctly optimistic tone for a life that was plagued by sadness by presenting her hardships as a matter of fact. This humanizes her experience as one with just as much love and loss as anyone else. Overall, the film centers on the relationship between Lewis and her husband Everett (Ethan Hawke), rather than her art.

5 Frida (2002)

Directed by Julie Taymor

One of the most beloved painters of all time, Frida Kahlo, also lived a rich life filled to the brim with experience and possibility. In one of actress Salma Hayek's best movies, she portrays the epic scale of the artist's life balanced with the quiet interpersonal drama that fueled so much of her work. The film encomes her marriage to Diego Rivera (Alfred Molina), as well as her physical ailments, and her political activism. Though a beautiful tribute to her life, the film sometimes skims over important moments and doesn't develop every character as fully as possible.

4 Loving Vincent (2017)

Directed by Dorota Kobiela & Hugh Welchman

In one of the most ambitious projects of the past ten years, Loving Vincent utilizes an oil painting in van Gogh's style for every frame of the film, with 125 international artists contributing to the finished product. Told in the wake of van Gogh's death, the film primarily explores his later years and, through the paintings, captures a deep truth about his inner turmoil. The innovation of the combination of art forms was a clever way to represent the world as van Gogh saw it and followed in his footsteps in of exploring the next phase of visual art.

3 Pollock (2000)

Directed by Ed Harris

Directed by and starring Ed Harris as Jackson Pollock himself, he captures the artist's rise to fame as well as his lifelong battle with alcoholism. One of the aspects of Pollock that the film touches upon, was his staunch belief in his experimental style and refusal to compromise to make his work more commercial. However, the film is also unafraid to critique Pollock and his treatment of the women in his life, and the tragic circumstances of his death. Even among these personal failings, Pollock's ability as an artist is what comes through the most in the film.

2 The Agony And The Ecstasy (1965)

Directed by Carol Reed

Unlike the films that involve the lives of recent, or modern, artists, The Agony And The Ecstasy is an imagined look at the process through which Michelangelo (Charlton Heston) creates the artwork of the Sistine Chapel. In a stunning portrait of the commitment and sacrifice that is required to make an immortal work of art, it takes years to complete the work and comes at extreme personal cost. Heston pours as much of his soul into the portrayal of the iconic artist as Michelangelo did the Sistine Chapel, and Rex Harrison is a compelling costar as Pope Julius II.

1 At Eternity’s Gate (2018)

Directed by Julian Schnabel

In one of the greatest portrayals of van Gogh, Willem Dafoe stars as the tortured painter in At Eternity's Gate. Primarily dealing with the final years of his life, the film makes a bold statement about van Gogh's cause of death. Dafoe is regarded as the best part of the film, as well as the naturalistic setting that van Gogh surrounded himself in throughout the final part of his life. In a kind and compelling portrait of a complicated man, the film makes the viewer realize that some parts of his life will always be lost to time.