10 Artists Who Painted Other Artists

1. Wassily Kandinsky by Gabriele Münter

Wassily Kandinsky and Gabriele Münter were key figures of the Der Blaue Reiter (Blue Rider) movement, beginning their collaboration before the group’s founding. Münter enrolled in Kandinsky’s art school in Munich in 1901, and they were a couple from 1902 until their separation in 1916.

Their relationship was both a passionate love affair and a significant artistic partnership, despite Kandinsky being married at the time. Together, they traveled across Europe from 1904 to 1908, employing Impressionist techniques and collecting photographs that reflected their artistic vision. Returning to Munich in 1908 deeply influenced their work and the Expressionist movement.

2. Jean-Michel Basquiat by Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol collaborated with Jean-Michel Basquiat in the 1980s, creating over 100 paintings together. Their relationship was one of both partnership and friendship, marked by deep admiration along with occasional tension. During their collaborative process, Warhol would trace Pop Art symbols onto canvases, and Basquiat would add his distinct Neo-Expressionist style. This combination of Warhol’s graphic pop symbolism and Basquiat’s raw Neo-Expressionism created compelling visual dialogue that attracted both acclaim and controversy.

Their contrasting styles produced a striking visual dialogue—Warhol’s commercial detachment clashing with Basquiat’s raw, emotional intensity. The results were provocative, layered, and often polarizing, challenging conventions around authorship, fame, and identity in contemporary art.

3. Vincent van Gogh by Paul Gauguin

Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin shared a complex and ultimately volatile relationship that began in Paris in 1887. Drawn together by their shared ambition to revolutionize modern art, they reunited in Arles the following year with the dream of founding a Studio of the South—a haven for artistic collaboration and innovation. Yet their starkly different temperaments soon clashed: Van Gogh, emotionally intense and idealistic, contrasted sharply with Gauguin’s more detached and self-assured nature.

Tensions escalated, culminating in a dramatic and infamous incident in which Van Gogh mutilated his ear, prompting Gauguin’s departure from Arles. Though their time together ended in crisis, they continued to correspond, and the creative energy of their brief collaboration left an enduring mark on both artists. Their fearless exploration of color, emotion, and symbolism would go on to shape the course of modern art for generations to come.

4. Frida Kahlo by Diego Rivera

Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera had a passionate and complicated relationship, marked by deep love and repeated betrayals. They married in 1929, divorced in 1939, and remarried a year later. Their bond was intense but often turbulent, with both experiencing infidelities and personal struggles. Despite these challenges, they remained emotionally connected and deeply influential in each other’s lives.

Their relationship greatly shaped their art. Kahlo expressed her pain and identity through powerful self-portraits filled with symbolism, while Rivera created large murals focused on Mexican history and social themes. Though their styles differed, both shared a strong love for Mexican culture and politics, making them two of the most iconic artists of the 20th century.

5. Claude Monet by Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir were close friends and key figures in the Impressionist movement. They met in the 1860s and often painted together, most famously at La Grenouillère in 1869. Their work from this period helped define Impressionism, with loose brushwork and a focus on light and everyday life.

While Monet concentrated on landscapes and natural light, Renoir preferred painting people and social scenes. Despite their different styles and occasional artistic disagreements, their friendship remained strong. Renoir’s 1872 portrait of Monet’s wife, Camille, reflected their close personal bond and lasting respect for one another.

6. Elizabeth Siddal by John Everett Millais

Elizabeth Siddal was a prominent figure in the Pre-Raphaelite movement, best known as the model for John Everett Millais’ iconic painting Ophelia. Their collaboration was intense—Siddal posed for hours in cold water to help Millais achieve his vision, reportedly falling ill as a result. Though often seen as a muse, she was also a skilled artist and poet, earning recognition within the Pre-Raphaelite circle.

Siddal later developed a deep, though troubled, relationship with Millais’ friend, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, whom she eventually married. Their marriage was marked by emotional strain, ill health, and personal loss. In 1862, Siddal died of a laudanum overdose, leaving a profound impact on Rossetti and the broader artistic community. Her legacy endures as both a muse and an artist in her own right.

7. Henri Matisse by André Derain

In the summer of 1905, Henri Matisse invited André Derain to join him in Collioure, a small fishing village on the French Mediterranean. There, under the blazing southern light, the two artists embarked on a radical exploration of color and form. Abandoning naturalistic hues, they applied vivid, often non-representational colors with bold, expressive brushwork—capturing not the appearance of the landscape, but the sensations it evoked.

When their work debuted at the Salon d’Automne in Paris later that year, it stunned viewers and critics alike. One critic, noting the explosive palette, dubbed them les Fauves—“the wild beasts.” The name stuck, marking the beginning of Fauvism. Their time in Collioure not only redefined modern color theory but also set the tone for a new era of emotional expression in art.

8. Suzanne Valadon by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Suzanne Valadon shared a close, complex relationship—part friendship, part romance—set against the vibrant backdrop of Montmartre’s bohemian art scene. Valadon, then a model navigating the artistic circles of Paris, found in Lautrec both a mentor and a supporter. He was among the first to recognize her artistic talent, purchasing her early works and introducing her to influential figures like Edgar Degas, who would become another key advocate.

Their relationship was marked by a sense of playful camaraderie. Valadon often assisted Lautrec in organizing his legendary soirées, entertaining guests, and immersing herself in the creative chaos that defined their world. More than muses or lovers, they were artistic equals in conversation—each shaping, in their own way, the bold spirit of Montmartre at the turn of the century.

9. Artemisia Gentileschi by Simon Vouet

Artemisia Gentileschi and Simon Vouet shared a professional relationship during their time in Rome, where both were active participants in the Caravaggisti movement. Their artistic dialogue is evident in the stylistic parallels found in their work. Gentileschi’s dramatic use of light and expressive realism resonated with Vouet’s evolving Baroque style.

Vouet painted a portrait of Gentileschi that depicted her with elegance and strength, emphasizing both her artistry and status in the Roman art world. This portrait not only highlights her stature within the Roman art world but also reflects the mutual influence and admiration between the two painters.

10. Pablo Picasso by Juan Gris

In 1906, Juan Gris moved to Paris and joined the Cubist movement with Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. By 1912, he had become recognized as a leading Cubist artist, with critics referring to him as “Picasso’s disciple.” Yet, Gris developed a distinctive approach that set him apart, blending Analytic Cubism with a more structured geometry and a cool-toned color palette that lent his compositions a rhythmic clarity.

His Portrait of Pablo Picasso, exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants, goes beyond homage. It reflects a complex relationship of artistic admiration and tension, capturing both Picasso’s presence and Gris’s refined stylistic voice. Through this portrait, Gris solidified his place in the Cubist movement while acknowledging Picasso’s influence in shaping the path.

These portraits transcend the boundaries of art—they narrate tales of connection, creativity, and the human aspects of an artist’s life. They transform artists from simple names into individuals with friendships, loves, and wisdom. These works reflect the relationships that foster collaborations and archetypes, subtly shaping the art world behind every canvas.