Locations from famous paintings you can visit in real life

Van Gogh’s first attempt to capture a night sky, the iconic Café Terrace at Night painting has been re-enacted in Arles, France for the ultimate setting of a work of art come to life. The famous artist painted the piece at night on the Place du Forum in order to portray the vibrant yet artificial yellow lighting of the café in contrast to the dark shadows of the houses and the glow of the cobbled street. While the original painting can be found at the Kröller-Mϋller Museum in the Netherlands, you’d be a fool not to witness the café setting in the flesh at Le Café la Nuit which has been completely renovated to look exactly like the painting. Of course, a visit at night is imperative to capture the authenticity of the painting – order a drink, soak up the summer evening and thank us later.

Another French location, Claude Monet served as the architect and landscaper of his own gardens in Giverny in France that inspired his iconic work of the Japanese water lily pond. Monet is one of the world’s most famous painters, well-known for being the founder of the French Impressionist style which captured the perceptions of nature created in the moment of painting. Lucky for Monet fans, the artist’s house and garden are now a museum that is open to visitors all-year-round. 
 

Adding another reason to the long list of why you need to visit the Italian capital, art lovers simply must make a trip to the Colosseum to immerse themselves into Giovanni Paolo Panini’s legendary painting. The native Italian artist and architect is known as one of the vedutisti, also known as view painters, and is most famous for his landscapes of Rome and the city’s antiquities. Alongside his creation of the interior of the Pantheon, the View of the Colosseum is one of Panini’s most famous works so why not stroll along to the magnificent landmark and recreate your own image? Although your picture may be filled with more passers-by than the original due to the popularity of the tourist attraction, this is certainly an art location that shouldn’t be missed out on.

In a setting where the water is as blue as daybreak, this impressionist painting depicts a hyper-realised state of the iconic Grand Canal of Venice. Commonly confused with his French contemporary Claude Monet, Èdouard Manet drew inspiration from the Italian body of water after visiting Venice in September 1875 with a friend after the Franco-Prussian war. This legendary Impressionist painting definitely depicts the canal as bluer than the water is today but visiting this gorgeous site for a classic gondola ride surrounded by architectural beauty is an absolute must. 

Arguably one of the most famous paintings ever created, Edvard Munch’s The Scream is instantly recognisable and depicts a figure with a pained expression against a backdrop of a stormy orange sky. Munch was a Norwegian Expressionist artist who often used his own pain as inspiration for his paintings; The Scream was created shortly after he experienced financial ruin following a failed love affair. He created four versions of the modern art piece in paint and pastels, the most famous being one of the painted versions which hangs in The National Gallery in Oslo, Norway while one of the pastel creations has been exhibited all over the world including at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam in 2015. Step into the life of this world-renowned work of art with a visit to Oslo and stroll along the bridge featured in the painting which is situated along Valhallveien Road near Ekeberg Hill. 
 

The state of Maine is full of small towns that boast wide spaces and unspoiled beauty which is what draws many a contemporary artist, including Andrew Wyeth. He was inspired when he saw the woman in the painting, Christina Olson, crawling across the field due to her suffering from polio. Wyeth captured her struggle amongst the stunning green landscape and the Olson family home in the background which can be found in Cushing in Maine and is open to visitors to this day. Why not make a trip out of it and spend a few days in New York? At just over an hour journey by plane, you’ll be able to see the real-life location in Maine followed by a visit to the permanent collection where Christina’s World hangs in New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

Ah, London. The backdrop for many a painting and an inspiration for many a creator, this bustling metropolis isn’t all bright lights and rooftop views contrary to popular belief – it has a softer side too. The beautiful rural setting of Hyde Park was brilliantly captured by Camille Pissaro, a Danish-French impressionist artist who is said to pave the way for major post-impressionist artists including Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin. Just like the Colosseum, the setting of the painting may be a little more sparse with people than in reality but a visit here is imperative to get a true feel of Pissaro’s glorious intentions to capture London’s calmer demeanour.

If any of these destinations have caught your eye and you fancy discovering for yourself the utter beauty, simply enquire or call on of our personal travel managers on 0203 816 0985.