13 Movie Scenes That Secretly Pay Homage to Legendary Paintings

The art of painting and film have much in common: both seek to convey emotion, tell stories, and capture the essence of a moment. But what you may not know is that some of the most powerful scenes in your favorite films and TV shows are directly inspired by masterpieces of painting.

Filmmakers, like true artists, sometimes borrow visual elements from famous paintings to create powerful images on screen. From the Renaissance to Surrealism, film and television have drawn on the sources of classical art in subtle and surprising ways. Get ready to discover scenes you never knew were inspired by iconic paintings and how film and art intertwine in fascinating ways — we promise you’ll never look at these films the same way again!

A Clockwork Orange — Vincent van Gogh, Prisoners’ Round (after Gustave Doré)

In A Clockwork Orange, Stanley Kubrick creates a unique visual atmosphere reminiscent of the works of classic artists such as Vincent van Gogh and Prisoners’ Round (after Gustave Doré) illustration. The film, which explores the repression and inner struggle of the protagonist, Alex, uses a vibrant color palette and dramatic lighting that recalls Van Gogh’s emotional intensity, especially in scenes of chaos.

In addition, the reference to the Prisoners’ Round is evident in the depiction of the prisoners and the sense of being trapped in an endless cycle, symbolizing the control and lack of freedom in the prison system. Kubrick fuses these visual elements to deepen the anguish and despair of his characters and to establish a link between cinema and the powerful imagery of classical art.

Shutter Island — Gustav Klimt, The Kiss

In Shutter Island, Martin Scorsese uses a powerful visual scene reminiscent of Gustav Klimt’s painting The Kiss. Klimt’s famous work, known for its mix of intimacy and opulence, inspires one of the film’s most striking images, where the main characters, Teddy and Dolores, meet in an embrace that symbolizes both love and chaos.

Klimt’s painting, with its golden tones and merging of figures, reflects the ambiguous relationship between the protagonists, while Shutter Island’s tense, surreal atmosphere adds a layer of unease, transforming what looks like a scene of affection into something disturbing. Klimt’s influence is present not only in the visual composition but also in the symbolism of union and separation, central themes of the film in which beauty and suffering are intertwined.

Midsommar — Annie Swynnerton, Head of a Bacchante

Midsommar is a folk horror film characterized by its pastel palette and sinister rituals. Director Ari Aster manages to unsettle the audience by telling a terrifying story that contrasts with the bright and cheerful visual aesthetic.

Like the Harga women who participate in the traditional Maypole Ball, the Bacchantes were female followers of the Roman god Bacchus who, as in the film, danced in an ecstatic frenzy while wearing crowns of ivy, Bacchus’ sacred plant. These women, in their ecstasy, were capable of brutal violence and punishing their enemies, a clear parallel to the events in the film, where celebration and mayhem are disturbingly intertwined.

The Truman Show — René Magritte, Architecture au clair de lune

In The Truman Show, directed by Peter Weir, fans have noticed similarities to René Magritte’s Architecture au clair de lune, which has given rise to various theories. Magritte’s famous painting, which depicts surreal architecture under a glowing moon, reflects a sense of unreality and overlapping constructed worlds, something that resonates with the central concept of the film. In The Truman Show, the protagonist, Truman Burbank, lives in an artificial and controlled world, much like the atmosphere in Magritte’s painting, where what appears real is an illusory construct. Like the painting, Truman’s set is designed to appear natural, but is, in fact, a facade, showing how the truth is hidden behind a carefully constructed appearance.

House of the Dragon — Vincenzo Capobianchi, Le Héron Familier

Users of social network X created a thread where they found similarities between the scenes in the House of the Dragon TV show and paintings. So, according to the viewers, the scene in the garden with young Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower refers to the painting by the Italian painter who also depicted 2 girls resting.

Marie Antoinette — Jacques-Louis David, Napoleon Crossing the Alps

In Marie Antoinette, directed by Sofia Coppola, there is a clear influence of Jacques-Louis David’s painting Napoleon Crossing the Alps, although it has never been officially confirmed. David’s work, which depicts Napoleon in a heroic pose on horseback as he crosses the Alps, is known for its drama and visual power. Similarly, the scene in Marie Antoinette uses an exaggerated and stylized aesthetic to portray the historical figure in an almost mythical light, with an atmosphere that emphasizes his figure of power and authority, albeit in a context of decadence and opulence.

Although no direct connection has been confirmed, it is easy to note the similarities and visual references between the two, suggesting that Coppola may have been attempting to pay homage to the grandeur of historical painting through a contemporary and stylized interpretation.

Squid Game — René Magritte, Hegel’s Holiday

The director of Squid Game may have expressed his admiration for Belgian artist René Magritte by inserting references to his work into the series. For example, the second episode features various art books and Magritte’s work, including one of his most iconic paintings, The Empire of Light, in which the artist combines 2 opposites: day and night.

And Magritte’s famous umbrella appears in one of the show’s most famous scenes, where the contestants are given biscuits with symbols as a challenge.

Joker — Egon Schiele, Self-Portrait

The movie Joker tells the story of how a failed comedian slowly goes insane, turning into the criminal genius Joker. In some scenes, viewers, including art historians, noted the similarities between Arthur Fleck and a multiple of Egon Schiele’s self-portraits. This is a psychologically complex series of works, showing mainly the angular and haggard body of the artist.

Dune: Part One — Caspar David Friedrich, Wanderer above the Sea of Fog

This iconic painting has been used quite often in movies. A Byronic hero is reflecting on his path in life. Not surprisingly, this is exactly how the young Paul Atreides, who is to become the messiah in the future, appears to us at the beginning of the movie.

The Queen’s Gambit — Charles Allan Gilbert, All Is Vanity

All Is Vanity is one of many optical illusions created by Charles Allan Gilbert throughout his career. The drawing shows a woman looking at her reflection in the mirror, but altogether, it looks like a skull.

And considering that this scene in the show is the last time Alma’s character appears alive, the reference to this painting takes on an ominous meaning.

Euphoria — Frida Kahlo, Self Portrait as a Tehuana

In the fourth episode of the second season of Euphoria, actress Hunter Schafer recreates a scene that is a clear reference to Frida Kahlo’s famous self-portrait, Self-Portrait as a Tehuana. The similarities between the two images are so obvious that there is no need to confirm that this is an intentional reference. In Kahlo’s painting, the artist is depicted in traditional Tehuana dress, a floral headdress, and a serene yet powerful expression, with a portrait of her husband, Diego Rivera, on her forehead, symbolizing their relationship and personal identity.

In Schafer’s recreation, Hunter’s character wears a similar outfit and assumes a pose that mimics Kahlo’s self-portrait, but instead of Diego’s portrait, an image of Rue, the series’ main character, appears, giving it a symbolic twist related to the protagonist’s commitment and inner struggles. This visual recreation not only pays homage to Kahlo’s unique style but also highlights the themes of identity and personal conflict in both Kahlo’s work and Hunter’s character development.

Saw II — Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, An Old Woman: The Artist’s Mother

Even in such movies as Saw II, you can find traces of great art. For example, the image of the main antagonist of the series, John Kramer, resembles an image from Rembrandt’s painting where he depicted his mother in a hooded cloak.

Mulan — Grant Wood, American Gothic

In Mulan, one of Disney’s most famous animated films, there is a rather amusing reference to one of the world’s most famous paintings: Grant Wood’s American Gothic. In this work, we see a couple of farmers with serious faces and rigid postures in front of a farmhouse, an image that has become a cultural icon. The Disney film nods to this work in one of its scenes, when the ghosts of Mulan’s ancestors, represented by comical and somewhat exasperated figures, line up in much the same way as the couple in American Gothic.

This comic moment not only pays homage to the painting but also adds a touch of humor to a movie that, while epic, is not without its lighthearted moments. The reference becomes a fun way to combine two worlds, classical art and animation, in an unexpected way.

Cinema has the ability to reinterpret and pay homage to classic art in surprising ways. Many of the movies and shows we love are more connected to art than we think, and these visual references enrich our experience as viewers. If you’re a lover of film and art, be sure to explore more examples of the seventh art, drawing inspiration from other forms of visual expression — movies have much more to tell us than we realize!