Art Imitates Art
by peterdi315 | created - 04 Sep 2012 | updated - 04 Sep 2012 | PublicMovies/Shows with depictions of the greats and not-so-greats from the world of art. Sometimes in straightforward biographical form, sometimes a bit more fictionalized. All-Time. Alphabetically.
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1. The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965)
Approved | 138 min | Biography, Drama, History
The biographical story of Michelangelo's troubles while painting the Sistine Chapel at the urging of Pope Julius II.
Director: Carol Reed | Stars: Charlton Heston, Rex Harrison, Diane Cilento, Harry Andrews
Votes: 8,043
Charlton Heston - Michelangelo
2. American Splendor (2003)
R | 101 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
An original mix of fiction and reality illuminates the life of comic book hero everyman Harvey Pekar.
Directors: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini | Stars: Paul Giamatti, Shari Springer Berman, Harvey Pekar, Chris Ambrose
Votes: 52,305 | Gross: $6.00M
Paul Giamatti - Harvey Pekar
3. Artemisia (1997)
R | 98 min | Biography, Drama, History
Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1653) was one of the first well-known female painters. The movie tells the story of her youth, when she was guided and protected by her father, the painter ... See full summary »
Director: Agnès Merlet | Stars: Valentina Cervi, Michel Serrault, Predrag 'Miki' Manojlovic, Luca Zingaretti
Votes: 2,204 | Gross: $0.38M
Valentina Cervi - Artemisia Gentileschi
4. Basquiat (1996)
R | 107 min | Biography, Drama
The brief life of Jean Michel Basquiat, a world renowned New York street artist struggling with fame, drugs and his identity.
Director: Julian Schnabel | Stars: Jeffrey Wright, Michael Wincott, Benicio Del Toro, Claire Forlani
Votes: 22,017 | Gross: $2.96M
Jeffrey Wright - Jean Michel Basquiat, David Bowie - Andy Warhol
5. Camille Claudel (1988)
R | 175 min | Biography, Drama, History
Camille Claude impresses already-famous sculptor Auguste Rodin. He hires her as an assistant, but soon Camille begins to sculpt for herself and she also becomes his mistress. But after a while, she would like to get out of his shadow.
Director: Bruno Nuytten | Stars: Isabelle Adjani, Gérard Depardieu, Madeleine Robinson, Laurent Grévill
Votes: 7,390 | Gross: $0.20M
Isabelle Adjani _ Camille Claudel, Gerard Depardieu - Auguste Rodin
6. Caravaggio (1986)
93 min | Biography, Drama, History
A retelling of the life of the celebrated 17th-century painter through his brilliant, nearly blasphemous paintings and his flirtations with the underworld.
Director: Derek Jarman | Stars: Noam Almaz, Dexter Fletcher, Nigel Terry, Sean Bean
Votes: 7,009 | Gross: $0.00M
Nigel Terry - Caravaggio, Dexter Fletcher - Young Caravaggio, Noam Almaz - Boy Caravaggio
7. Caravaggio (2007 TV Movie)
180 min | Biography, History
The tumultuous and adventurous life of Michelangelo Merisi, controversial artist, called by Fate to become the immortal Caravaggio. A violent genius that will dare to defy the ideal vision ... See full summary »
Director: Angelo Longoni | Stars: Alessio Boni, Elena Sofia Ricci, Jordi Mollà, Paolo Briguglia
Votes: 391
Alessio Boni - Caravaggio
8. Degas and the Dancer (1998 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 56 min | Drama, Family, Music
Searching for inspiration, impressionist Edgar Degas hires a struggling young ballerina to pose for him. However, their critical attitudes and equally stubborn opinions push both towards greater heights. Based on actual events.
Director: David Devine | Stars: Thomas Jay Ryan, Alison Pill, Kathryn Long, Robin Duke
Votes: 97
Thomas Jay Ryan - Edgar Degas, Allen Altman - Manet
9. Edvard Munch (1974 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 210 min | Biography, Drama, History
This biopic of Norwegian Expressionist painter Edvard Munch focuses on the influences that shaped his art, his devastating affair with a married woman that will haunt him for the rest of his life
Director: Peter Watkins | Stars: Geir Westby, Gro Fraas, Kerstii Allum, Eric Allum
Votes: 3,371 | Gross: $0.04M
Geir Westby - Edvard Munch (also Eric Alum - Edvard Munch-1869 and Amund Berge - Edvard Munch-1875)
10. El Greco (1966)
Approved | 95 min | Biography, Drama
16th-century Spain, the famed Greek painter El Greco journeys to Toledo to paint an altarpiece. Trouble ensues when he falls in love with a beautiful local girl.
Director: Luciano Salce | Stars: Mel Ferrer, Rosanna Schiaffino, Adolfo Celi, Mario Feliciani
Votes: 198
Mel Ferrer - El Greco/Domenico Teotocopoulo
11. El Greco (2007)
119 min | Biography, Drama
The story of the uncompromising artist and fighter for freedom, Domenicos Theotokopoulos, known to the world as "El Greco".
Director: Yannis Smaragdis | Stars: Nick Clark Windo, Juan Diego Botto, Laia Marull, Lakis Lazopoulos
Votes: 4,944
Nick Ashdon - El Greco
12. Factory Girl (2006)
R | 90 min | Biography, Drama
Based on the rise and fall of socialite Edie Sedgwick, concentrating on her relationships with Andy Warhol and a folk singer.
Director: George Hickenlooper | Stars: Sienna Miller, Guy Pearce, Hayden Christensen, Jimmy Fallon
Votes: 22,323 | Gross: $1.66M
Guy Pearce - Andy Warhol
13. Frida (2002)
R | 123 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
A biography of artist Frida Kahlo, who channeled the pain of a crippling injury and her tempestuous marriage into her work.
Director: Julie Taymor | Stars: Salma Hayek, Alfred Molina, Geoffrey Rush, Mía Maestro
Votes: 95,242 | Gross: $25.89M
Salma Hayak - Frida Kahlo, Alfred Molina - Diego Riviera
14. Gauguin the Savage (1980 TV Movie)
125 min | Biography, Drama
Based on the turbulent life of the temperamental French painter, Paul Gauguin, and his compulsive search for creative freedom which caused him to abandon his wife and five children in Paris for a life of contentement in Tahiti.
Director: Fielder Cook | Stars: David Carradine, Lynn Redgrave, Barrie Houghton, Flora Robson
Votes: 104
David Carradine - Paul Gauguin, Barrie Houghton - Vincent Van Gogh, Ian Richardson - Degas
15. Georgia O'Keeffe (2009 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 89 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
Biopic of American artist Georgia O'Keeffe and her husband, photographer Alfred Stieglitz.
Director: Bob Balaban | Stars: Joan Allen, Jeremy Irons, Ed Begley Jr., Kathleen Chalfant
Votes: 965
Joan Allen - Georgia O'Keefe, Jeremy Irons - Alfred Stieglitz
16. Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003)
PG-13 | 100 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
A young peasant maid working in the house of painter Johannes Vermeer becomes his talented assistant and the model for one of his most famous works.
Director: Peter Webber | Stars: Scarlett Johansson, Colin Firth, Tom Wilkinson, Judy Parfitt
Votes: 82,622 | Gross: $11.63M
Colin Firth - Johannes Vermeer
17. Goya in Bordeaux (1999)
R | 100 min | Biography, Drama, War
Francisco Goya (1746-1828), deaf and ill, lives the last years of his life in voluntary exile in Bordeaux, a Liberal protesting the oppressive rule of Ferdinand VII. He's living with his ... See full summary »
Director: Carlos Saura | Stars: Francisco Rabal, Jose Coronado, Dafne Fernández, Eulàlia Ramon
Votes: 2,306 | Gross: $0.72M
Francisco Rabal - Goya
18. Goya's Ghosts (2006)
R | 113 min | Biography, Drama, History
Painter Francisco Goya faces a scandal involving his muse, who is labeled a heretic by a monk.
Director: Milos Forman | Stars: Javier Bardem, Natalie Portman, Stellan Skarsgård, Randy Quaid
Votes: 31,930 | Gross: $1.00M
Stellan Skarsgard - Francisco Goya
19. A Harlot's Progress (2006 TV Movie)
120 min | Biography, Drama, History
Drama looking at artist William Hogarth and his relationship with the prostitute that inspired his most famous piece.
Director: Justin Hardy | Stars: Toby Jones, Zoë Tapper, Sophie Thompson, Richard Wilson
Votes: 344
Toby Jones - William Hogarth
20. Klimt (2006)
Not Rated | 131 min | Biography, Drama
A portrait of Austrian artist Gustav Klimt, whose lavish, sexual paintings came to symbolize the art nouveau style of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.
Director: Raúl Ruiz | Stars: John Malkovich, Veronica Ferres, Stephen Dillane, Saffron Burrows
Votes: 3,256
John Malkovich - Klimt, Nikolai Kinski - Egon Schiele
21. Lautrec (1998)
125 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
Life, passion, love...all these were part of Toulouse-Lautrec's art. His artistic development among the masters of the postimpressionism.
Director: Roger Planchon | Stars: Régis Royer, Elsa Zylberstein, Anémone, Claude Rich
Votes: 699
Regis Royer - Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
22. Leonardo: A Dream of Flight (1996 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 48 min | Biography, Drama, Family
Leonardo da Vinci finds it difficult to pursue his own dreams while serving as the Duke's court artist, but young Roberto takes risk to convince the master not to give up on his dreams.
Director: Allan King | Stars: Brent Carver, David Felton, Cedric Smith, Tom Melissis
Votes: 26
Brent Carver - Leonard DaVinci
23. The Life of Leonardo Da Vinci (1971)
300 min | Biography, History
Miniseries dramatizing the life of the Italian Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519).
Stars: Philippe Leroy, Giulio Bosetti, Giorgio Piazza, Bruno Piergentili
Votes: 435
Philippe Leroy - Leonardo da Vinci, Adult, Leonardo da Vinci at age 13, Leonardo da Vinci at age 5, Renzo Rossi - Sandro Botticelli, Bruno Cirino - Michelangelo
24. Little Ashes (2008)
R | 112 min | Biography, Drama, History
About the young life and loves of artist Salvador Dalí, filmmaker Luis Buñuel and writer Federico García Lorca.
Director: Paul Morrison | Stars: Robert Pattinson, Javier Beltrán, Matthew McNulty, Marina Gatell
Votes: 9,620 | Gross: $0.48M
Robert Pattinson - Salvador Dali
25. Lust for Life (1956)
Approved | 122 min | Biography, Drama
The life of brilliant but tortured artist Vincent van Gogh.
Directors: Vincente Minnelli, George Cukor | Stars: Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn, James Donald, Pamela Brown
Votes: 12,499 | Gross: $3.48M
Kirk Douglas - Vincent Van Gogh, Anthony Quinn _ Paul Gauguin
26. A Marriage: Georgia O'Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz (1991 TV Movie)
90 min | Drama
A drama exploring Thee stormy relationship between two fiercely independent artists: Georgia O'Keefe who needs the serene simplicity of New Mexico to paint and photographer Alfred Stieglitz... See full summary »
Director: Edwin Sherin | Stars: Jane Alexander, Michael Allison, Rachel Aviva, Vernel Bagneris
Votes: 37
Jane Alexander - Georgia O'Keeffe, Christopher Plummer - Alfred Stieglitz, David Patrick Kelly - Ansel Adams
27. Modigliani (2004)
R | 128 min | Biography, Drama
The story of Amedeo Modigliani's bitter rivalry with Pablo Picasso, and his tragic romance with Jeanne Hebuterne.
Director: Mick Davis | Stars: Andy Garcia, Elsa Zylberstein, Omid Djalili, Hippolyte Girardot
Votes: 12,512 | Gross: $0.20M
Andy Garcia - Amedeo Modigliani, Omid Djalili - Pablo Picasso, Hippolyte Girardot - Maurice Utrillo, Udo Kier - Max Jacob, Peter Capaldi - Jean Cocteau, Dan Astileanu - Diego Rivera
28. Montparnasse 19 (1958)
Not Rated | 108 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
About the last years of the life of the great artist Modigliani. A poor Italian artist suffering from alcoholism and opium addiction falls in love with Jeanne, a girl from a wealthy family whose parents are categorically against it.
Director: Jacques Becker | Stars: Gérard Philipe, Lilli Palmer, Anouk Aimée, Lila Kedrova
Votes: 1,673
Gerard Philipe - Amedeo Modigliani
29. Moulin Rouge (1952)
Not Rated | 119 min | Biography, Drama, Music
Fictional account of French artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
Director: John Huston | Stars: José Ferrer, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Suzanne Flon, Claude Nollier
Votes: 6,515 | Gross: $11.81M
Jose Ferrer - Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
30. My Left Foot (1989)
R | 103 min | Biography, Drama
Christy Brown, born with cerebral palsy, learns to paint and write with his only controllable limb - his left foot.
Director: Jim Sheridan | Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Brenda Fricker, Alison Whelan, Kirsten Sheridan
Votes: 79,694 | Gross: $14.74M
Daniel Day-Lewis - Christy Brown
31. Oviri (1986)
R | 90 min | Biography, Drama
This biographical film, based on the life of French artist Paul Gauguin (Donald Sutherland), follows the painter as he returns to Paris after a long stay in Tahiti and must confront his wife, his children, and his former lover.
Director: Henning Carlsen | Stars: Donald Sutherland, Max von Sydow, Jean Yanne, Sofie Gråbøl
Votes: 468 | Gross: $0.58M
Donald Sutherland - Paul Gauguin, Yves Barsacq - Edgar Degas
32. Painted Fire (2002)
Unrated | 120 min | Biography, Drama, History
In a time of political and social unrest in nineteenth-century Korea, an uncouth, self-taught painter explores his natural talent amidst the repressive world around him.
Director: Im Kwon-taek | Stars: Choi Min-sik, Ahn Sung-ki, Yoo Ho-jeong, Kim Yeo-jin
Votes: 2,823 | Gross: $0.06M
Min-sik Choi - Jang Seung-up
33. Pollock (2000)
R | 122 min | Biography, Drama
A film about the life and career of the American painter, Jackson Pollock.
Director: Ed Harris | Stars: Ed Harris, Marcia Gay Harden, Robert Knott, Molly Regan
Votes: 29,598 | Gross: $8.60M
Ed Harris - Jackson Pollock, Marcia Gay Harden - Lee Krasner
34. A Season of Giants (1990– )
Biography, Drama, History
At the turn of the sixteenth century, Michelangelo (Mark Frankel), Raphael (Andrea Prodan), and Leonardo Da Vinci (John Glover) create their masterpieces, while dealing with religious prosecution, political turmoil, and the discovery of America.
Stars: F. Murray Abraham, Steven Berkoff, Juliette Caton, Vernon Dobtcheff
Votes: 107
Mark Frankel - Michelangelo, John Glover - Leonardo DaVinci, Andrea Prodan - Raphael
35. Seraphine (2008)
Unrated | 125 min | Biography, Drama
In 1912 German collector Wilhelm Uhde rents a flat in Senlis to write and take a break from Parisian life. He hires a 48-year old cleaning lady, Séraphine. Some time later, he notices a small painting on wood at a local notable home.
Director: Martin Provost | Stars: Yolande Moreau, Ulrich Tukur, Anne Bennent, Geneviève Mnich
Votes: 6,541 | Gross: $0.88M
Yolande Moreau - Seraphine Louis, dite Seraphine de Senlis
36. Surviving Picasso (1996)
R | 125 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
The passionate Merchant Ivory drama tells the story of Françoise Gilot (Natascha McElhone), the only lover of Pablo Picasso (Sir Anthony Hopkins) who was strong enough to withstand his ferocious cruelty, and move on with her life.
Director: James Ivory | Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Natascha McElhone, Julianne Moore, Joss Ackland
Votes: 7,885 | Gross: $2.00M
Anthony Hopkins - Pablo Picasso
37. Van Gogh (1991)
R | 158 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
The final sixty-seven days of Van Gogh's life are examined.
Director: Maurice Pialat | Stars: Jacques Dutronc, Alexandra London, Bernard Le Coq, Gérard Séty
Votes: 3,305 | Gross: $0.14M
Jacques Dutronc - Vincent Van Gogh
38. Vincent & Theo (1990)
PG-13 | 138 min | Biography, Drama
The familiar tragic story of Vincent van Gogh is broadened by focusing as well on his brother Theodore, who helped support Vincent. The movie also provides a nice view of the locations which Vincent painted.
Director: Robert Altman | Stars: Tim Roth, Paul Rhys, Adrian Brine, Jean-François Perrier
Votes: 4,202 | Gross: $2.23M
Tim Roth - Vincent Van Gogh
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