Jan van Eyck (c. 1395 - 1441), was a Netherlandish painter. The Arfnolfini Portrait, or Giovanni Arnolfini and His Bride, is one of his best known works.

The overall reading of the work: a portrait of a prosperous, middle class couple. Symbols, both literal and stylistic, signify the aspirations of the merchant class to display the same type of objects as the aristocracy. As well as class, the piece also firmly delineates the gender roles of the couple; men: public, authoritative, business, women: private, domestic care, childbearing.

Hieronymous (sometimes spelled Jheronimus) Bosch (1450-1516) a Netherlandish painter from the turn of the 16th century, is best known for his large elaborate triptych, Garden of Earthly Delights. The piece has been interpreted in religious, psychological and satirical terms, but no single interpretation has been established as most accurate.

Edvard Munch painted The Scream (also called The Cry) in 1893, oil on cardboard 36 x 29 inches. Munch's Scream is a frequently reproduced work in posters, and has taken on a symbolic, emotive quality. The Scream is recognized by everyone, even if they don't know the artist's name, and we can't help but theorize about the meaning behind it.

The Scandinavian artist Edvard Munch (1863-1944) studied in Oslo and Paris. Although Art Nouveau was the popular style of the time, and his work does show its influence, Munch developed a style that was highly personal. His work is moody and emotional, and his brush work is expressive. The themes of many of Munch's pieces, like The Scream and The Dance of Life, are enigmatic and disturbing. To put the startling nature of The Screaminto context, consider the other kinds of work being produced in the 1890s: the landscapes of Cézanne, Degas's dancers, and Monet began his waterlily series.

Johannes Vermeer, a Dutch 17th century painter, is known for his portraits of domestic indoor scenes. These interior scenes are notable for the gentle quality of light and for their almost photographic realism. Most of the figures in his paintings are unnamed women and children sewing, doing household tasks, reading, playing music, writing a letter. Although the settings are usually peaceful interiors, they have an atmosphere of opulence, communicated through the use of color and implied texture.

The Mona Lisa (or La Giaconda) was painted by Leonardo da Vinci in 1503-1505, and is likely the world's most famous and most reproduced portrait. The painting is oil on wood, and measures about 2' 6" by 1' 9". It's on display at the Louvre in Paris.

What makes the Mona Lisa so compelling, so well-known? If you've been to the Louvre, and worked your way through crowds of tourists, you'll know that when you see this iconic portrait, it is both incredible (wow, so this is the real Mona Lisa) and kind of, well, small. 

There are a few aspects that make the Mona Lisa significant.