The art community is filled with a wide range of artists, from writers to musicians, visual artists and so much more. Artists often draw a lot of inspiration from their surroundings, as well as from each other; musicians are no different. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, one of the most popular literary trilogies of all time, has inspired musicians like Led Zeppelin, Enya, Canadian icons Rush and Joni Mitchell, and even heavy metal hard-hitters like Black Sabbath and Megadeth! But, books aren’t the only place musicians find inspiration. Here are some songs and musical compositions inspired by famous artists and paintings:

Stephen Sondheim and Georges Seurat

American composer and Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim was inspired by Georges Seurat’s (French post-Impressionist artist) visual arts masterpiece A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte to create his musical Sunday in the Park with George. The musical opened on Broadway in 1984 starring Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters.

Act 1 of Sondheim’s musical revolves around a fictionalized version of Georges Seurat, as he spends his day in the park working on his painting. Act 2 opens with the death of the titular character, and focuses on the artist’s great-grandson, also named George. Although this is not Sondheim’s most famous work, his musical inspired by Seurat won the 1985 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, two Tony Awards, and has been revived several times in London’s West End and on Broadway.

Nat King Cole and Mona Lisa

American artist and R&B icon Nat King Cole was inspired by the 1503 masterpiece by Leonardo Da Vinci, the Portrait of Lisa Gherardini, or Mona Lisa as it is more commonly known. Though written by song-writing duo Ray Evans and Jay Livingston for the crime noir film Captain Carey, U.S.A. in 1949, Nat King Cole released his cover of the song in 1950. Cole’s version spent five weeks in the top spot of the Billboard singles chart and even won an Oscar for Best Original Song in the same year. The song speculates as to the reason for Mona Lisa’s famed smile and whether its meaning is one of coyness or loneliness. Cole’s crooning vocals bring the questioning lyrics of the song to a whole other level of ethereality. Since the release of Cole’s version, the song has gone on to be covered by many artists, including Elvis Presley in 1983 (originally recorded at his home in 1958), Cole’s own daughter Natalie Cole in 1991, Seal in 2001, and Willie Nelson in 2014.

Franz Liszt and Die Hunnenschlacht

Wilhelm von Kaulbach’s Die Hunnenschlacht depicts the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains. This battle occurred in 451 AD between the Roman Empire (who joined forces with the Visigoths) and the Hunnic Empire (led by Attila himself). This 1850 painting by Kaulbach, inspired Hungarian composer Franz Liszt to compose his symphonic poem with the same name seven years later. The visual artistry of Kaulbach’s painting depicts a battle that rages both on earth and in heaven; as the souls of the deceased continue their ferocious fight. The symphony is an intense medley of string and brass instruments that builds from a dark atmosphere to a battle cry, before ending in triumph. Much like the battle did for the Roman army under the supervision of Flavius Aetius.

Don McLean and Starry Night

1971 saw the release of the ‘American Pie’ singer Don McLean’s song “Vincent”. As a tribute to the Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh, McLean’s song references the painting Starry Night and the painter’s struggles with mental illness. While ultimately understanding Van Gogh’s struggles, the song laments the artist’s suicide and posthumous rise to fame. McLean was inspired to pen the song while reading a biography about Van Gogh and wanting to create an appropriate homage to a man who he didn’t see as crazy, but someone who suffered greatly. The song is a beautiful and bittersweet melody about a troubled artist who, despite his pain, gifted the world with paintings that have impacted people so deeply worldwide. The song was also covered by English musicians James Blake in 2017, and Ellie Goulding in 2018.

Do you have any favourite songs or musical compositions inspired by famous works of art? Or maybe something you’ve created based on your favourite art piece? Comment below and let us know!

Painting is a wonderful medium for unleashing your creativity, but at times it can be quite a messy and unorganized endeavour. Knowing how to properly and effectively store your paint is not only helpful for general organization, but it will also prevent the art of painting from becoming too stressful. After all, creating art should be enjoyable!

For starters, it is important to locate a designated space where you can store all of your paint. Some individuals have an art studio in their home that can be a great space for housing and organizing all of their art supplies. However, not everyone can afford the luxury of an entire art studio in their home to store their supplies, especially student artists. Paint organization doesn’t have to be expensive! Your storage space could be as simple as a cupboard, cabinet, shelf, or drawer. Ultimately, it is important to pick a storage space that is adequate for the amount of paint that you own. Depending on the type of painting you enjoy (which may be all types and forms) it would be wise to organize your paints accordingly. For example, separate your acrylic paints from your oil paints, or your watercolours from your pastels. This way, you have a designated space for each type of paint and you will know exactly where to locate it.

This can be done by separating your paints in different drawers or baskets, or even separate shelves. Of course, the number of baskets, drawers, or shelves you require will depend on the amount of paint you own and the space you have available to you. The most effective storage style would likely be translucent bins so that when you go to locate your paint, you can see exactly where to find it. These clear bins can be purchased online through retailers such as Amazon for relatively cheap. Furthermore, if you opt for bins, they are great for mobility. If you have a designated place you enjoy painting, you can simply grab the bin with your desired paint and take it anywhere you want. For a student artist, this could be optimal if you have to take your paint supplies with you.

To go a step further, you may even want to organize your paint supplies by colour. Colour coordinating your paint may be tedious, but it will save the time it takes to locate a specific colour when it’s time to paint. Additionally, it will be aesthetically satisfying. The effectiveness of the organization is more important than the appearance, but that can be a bonus! If you opt for clear drawers, bins, or storage cases (as previously mentioned) to store your paint in, you can easily see all the colours you have in your roster. If you need help with colour coordination and organization, you can find organizational tools at art stores by looking up ‘art stores near me.’ These art stores will likely have a vast collection of storage kits and organizers for purchase, including some that are affordable. This could be a great option for those individuals who may be overwhelmed by the prospect of organizing.