Image via Complex Original
Throughout his film career, Woody Allen has relied on art to help set the scene, reflect a character's mood, or act as a catalyst between characters. The main characters in Annie Hall discuss art while visiting New York museums. In Match Point, a painting is used to reflect the mood of the leading man. What you might not notice is that the background of many of Allen's scenes include handpicked works of art. Sometimes they appear to give a picture of the city, as in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, and other times their placement is much subtler. From across Allen's career, here are the The Best Art References in Woody Allen Films.
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50. The Thinker by Auguste Rodin
Film: Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
Rodin's The Thinker, is seen here at Columbia University in 1986's Hannah and Her Sisters.
49. Carousel Pony Painting
Film: Take the Money and Run (1969)
Never one to shy away from an obvious theme, Allen fills the film with fast artwork, including a carousel pony when Virgil finds out his wife is expecting.
48. Zebra Painting
Film: Take the Money and Run (1969)
A Zebra painting hangs on the wall as Allen's character attempts to cover his criminal past for a job at an insurance company.
47. Curiosities and Sketches
Film: Husbands and Wives (1992)
Husbands and Wives is Woody Allen's study on marriage, following the separation of one couple and the examination of the relationship by another. The film opens in the apartment of Gabe and Judy Roth (Allen and Mia Farrow), which is filled sketches and curiosities.
46. Paintings In Home
Film: Husbands and Wives (1992)
The typically cultured protagonists of Allen's Husbands and Wives, Gabe and Judy's home displays more than a few famous works of art.
45. Various Works of Art
Film: Mighty Aphrodite (1995)
In 1995's Mighty Aphrodite, a sportswriter sets out to find the birthmother of his genius adopted son. Thanks to his art-dealer wife, their home is filled with all kinds of art, including a painting of neutral interiors evocative of Edward Hopper.
44. Political Propaganda
Film: Bananas (1971)
In 1971's Bananas, Allen portrays Fielding Mellish, a man who goes as far as running away to a Latin American country amidst a revolution to win the heart of his social activist crush. Under the watchful eye of revolutionary propaganda in this fictional country, Mellish places an extravagant order at a bar.
43. Hunting Paintings
Film: Everyone Says I Love You (1996)
In one scene, Goldie Hawn, who plays Woody Allen's remarried ex-wife, speaks about trying to find him a woman amidst the backdrop of classic hunting paintings and dogs.
42. Therapists' Office Art
Film: Annie Hall (1977)
Annie Hall recounts the up and down love trials of neurotic Alvy Singer and the ever-disconnected Annie Hall. As they try to work out their love trials, Annie and Alvy seek therapy in very different places and methods: she in a more progressive setting with an abstract painting and he in a more traditional Freudian office, overlooked by a satirical sketch.
41. Agustí Puig
Film: Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
Over 100 paintings by the Catalan painter Agustí Puig were depicted in Allen's film Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Puig was even commissioned to create a painting for the film, La Protectora II though it never made the final cut onscreen.
40. Blue, Yellow, and Black Painting
Film: Melinda and Melinda (2004)
Melinda and Melinda is Allen's 2004 comedy/tragedy about a distraught woman named Melinda who disrupts a dinner party. In the tragic version of the tale, Melinda enters the apartment midway through the dinner after downing twenty-eight sleeping pills. A hollow-eyed piece to her left guides her entry.
39. Mural de l'Aeroport de Barcelona by Joan Miró
Film: Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
As Vicky and Cristina's adventure in Barcelona begins, they are greeted by Joan Miró's large ceramic mural from 1970. One of the four major works he dedicated to the city in the late '60s, this incredible ceramic mosaic greets those coming off the plane from the exterior wall of Aeroport del Prat Terminal B.
38. Madonna and Child Painting
Film: Take the Money and Run (1969)
Allen's 1969 mockumentary Take the Money and Run tells the tale of a petty thief who enters crime at a young age after a rough childhood. After winding up in the slammer for attempting to rob a bank, Allen's character, a Jew, schemes his prison escape under the watchful eye of a Madonna and Child painting.
37. Portrait Of A Man
Film: Match Point (2005)
As the movie ends, Chris and his wife come home with their new baby and family. As the rest of the family rejoices in the new life, Chris looks out of the apartment into the river solemnly. The painting seen in the shot as they enter the house is that of a solemn man with his eyes cast downward. Paintings are regularly employed in Match Point to mirror character moods. This happens to be one of the best examples.
36. Berkeley Art Museum
Film: Play It Again, Sam (1972)
Allen tries to woo the girl in front of the Pollock at the Berkeley Art Museum, in Berkley, CA. The museum, also known as BAM/PFA, was founded in 1963 with a large donation of Hans Hoffman's Abstract Expressionist art. Today, the museum's collection of Abstract Expressionist art remains the largest in any museum internationally.
35. Sagrada Família by Antoni Gaudí
Film: Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
One of the first places Vicky and Cristina visit in Barcelona is Gaudí's famous Roman Catholic church, the Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família. The church began construction in 1882, and though never completed, remains a landmark in Barcelona and was proclaimed a minor basilica for Catholics by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010.
34. Guardians of the Secret by Jackson Pollock
Film: Play It Again, Sam (1972)
In 1972's Play It Again, Sam, Allen plays a film critic trying to get over his wife's leaving him by dating again. In one scene, Allen tries to pick up a depressive woman in front of the early Jackson Pollock work. This painting, because of its elusive title, has been the subject of much debate as to what it portrays. This makes for a nifty gag when Allen strolls up and asks the suicidal belle, "What does it say to you?"
33. La Casa Milà by Antoni Gaudí
Film: Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
Further on their adventures around Barcelona, Vicky and Cristina pass through one of Gaudí's most famed works, the Mila residence, more commonly known as "La Pedrera" or "The Quarry." The building is unique in that the exterior design continues inside, including plaster reliefs, hand carved doors, windows, and furniture. The building is known for its roof and the fantastic view where Vicky and Cristina take in the sunset.
32. Sculpture Garden at MoMA
Film: Manhattan (1979)
Isaac and Mary run into each other again, flirting this time during a conversation in the Sculpture Gallery at the Museum of Modern Art.
31. Fundació Antoni Tàpies
Film: Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
Vicky and Cristina attend a gallery opening for a dark mysterious artist, held at the Fundació Antoni Tàpies. The foundation, created by Catalan painter Antoni Tàpies in 1984 (and subsequently opened in 1990), houses his permanent collection, as well as temporary exhibits. The dark mysterious artist exhibiting there in the film is Juan Antonio, whose style borrows heavily from the Catalan icon.
30. Satire of Gilbert Stuart's The Lansdowne
Film: Play It Again, Sam (1972)
Later in the film, assisted by his friends, Allen tries to woo another lady in his apartment which is filled with his idol Humphrey Bogart's movie posters and a satire of Gilbert Stuart's famous George Washington portrait The Landsdowne.
29. Guggenheim Museum
Film: Manhattan (1979)
In a scene at the Guggenheim, Isaac runs into his friend Yale and his mistress Mary, played by Diane Keaton, and the three argue over photography, Diane Arbus, and the "negative capability" of a steel cube installation's texture.
28. Washington Monument by Frank Niepold
Film: Radio Days (1987)
1987's Radio Days is Allen's homage to the influence of radio entertainment on his life as a child before television. In one scene, he recounts the novelty tune "Mairzy Doats" along with the associated memory of a neighbor going crazy and running with a butcher's knife down the street. As the family listens to the radio, Frank Niepold's classic American painting Washington Monument hangs above the refrigerator.
27. Peix d'Or by Frank Gehry
Film: Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
The 35 meter high sculpture was designed by Gehry for the 1992 Olympic Games. It is one of the largest pieces of art in Barcelona and can be seen from several of the beaches, including Moll de la Marina where Cristina looks out as she thinks about everything that has happened to her in Barcelona.
26. Wall of Artwork
Film: Everyone Says I Love You (2006)
"Everyone Says I Love You" is Allen's attempt at a musical about a wealthy New York family. With a full cast of famous names, the family's sense of style comes to light through their extravagant parties, taste in fine jewelry, and their art-filled home, which includes the likes of Matisse and Brancusi.
25. Large Nude with Drapery by Pablo Picasso
Film: Midnight in Paris (2011)
The Bather has caught the attention of the group in the film as a symbol of the lightheartedness of love in another time, and while they debate what the painting is, another Picasso, the Large Nude with Drapery, looms behind them. This beautiful work provides a nice juxtaposition of a more traditional portrait of a mistress, with a downturned seraphic expression.
24. Joan Miró's Painting
Film: Sweet and Lowdown (1999)
In this fictional biography, Sweet and Lowdown, Sean Penn stars as Emmett Ray, an irresponsible jazz musician who falls in love with a deaf woman, Hattie, and clashes with just about everybody in the 1930s Jazz world. Emmett leaves Hattie and meets Blanche, played by Uma Thurman, under a very appropriate guitar-themed painting.
23. Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya
Film: Vicky Christina Barcelona (2008)
Vicky explains her relationship with Juan Antonio on the terrace of the Museo Nacional d'Art, housed in the historic Palau Nacional, which, though finished in the 1920s, now features a modern renovated interior. The museum is known for its collection of Catalan art, as well as its large collection of Romanesque paintings. The ancient apses and altars jutting up against the modern renovated interior are exactly what Barcelona is all about.
22. Abstract Art at the Tate Modern
Film: Match Point (2005)
Chris encounters the object of his affection, Nola, at the Tate Modern. While much of the scene was filmed on location at the Tate, this particular one, filled with abstract art, was created specifically for the film. It was actually shot in a warehouse in the East End.
21. The Bather by Pablo Picasso
Film:Midnight in Paris (2011)
The painting is actually one of a series of Picasso's subjects on the shore. Appearing in both the past and the present sections of the film, it is talked about as a representation of Picasso's mistress Adriana. The likelihood that this particular subject could be identified gives it a fanciful tone and plays with the idea that as far as art goes, you can never really pin down the entire story.
20. Trevi Fountain
Film: To Rome With Love (2012)
Allen's 2012 romp is more about the adventures in magical realism than exploring the rich art history of its host country. However, main characters Hayley and Antonio meet when she is trying to find the Trevi Fountain, which he shows her, before they are swept away in romance. The beautiful fountain is also featured in one of Allen's favorite films, 8 1/2.
19. Film Noir Art
Film: You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (2010)
Allen's 2010 film You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, is about longing and infidelity in London. Naomi Watts plays Sally, an art assistant in Antonio Banderas's gallery. The film is filled with great works of art, including these paintings depicting famous scenes from the film noir classics Out of the Past, which involves a very complicated series of romances, and the sultry Veronica Lake picture This Gun for Hire.
18. Abstract Painting
Film: Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
Art plays a big role in the 1986 film Hannah and Her Sisters, The husband of one of the sisters is a reclusive artist, and art often works to set a particular mood. Nothing is more evident than how Allen's screenplay reads for the opening of one particular clip, "The Stanislavski Catering Company in Action," which reads, "An abstract painting on a wall fills the screen. Light laughter is heard, as well as the sophisticated music."
17. Dragon Fountain at Park Güell by Antoni Gaudí
Film: Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
After Juan Antonio returns from a trip to Asturias, he is reunited with Vicky at the Parc Güell, a somewhat failed attempt by Eusebi Güell to create a park for Barcelona aristocracy. Many of Gaudi's works fill the park, including the mosaic dragon, known popularly as "el drac," that is positioned at the entrance of the park.
16. La nymphe à la source by Lucas Cranach
Film: Bananas (1971)
As Mellish seduces Nancy, the walls of the bedroom are filled with artwork, including Lucas Cranach's 16th century La nymphe à la source. The original painting depicts a nymph discovered on the banks of the Danube River, and bears a Latin inscription: "I am the nymph of the sacred spring. Do not disturb my sleep. I am resting."
15. Art Deco Prometheus at the Graybar Building
Film: Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
Later in the movie, Allen's camera spans over some of New York City's varying architecture, stopping for a moment to examine the classic Art Deco building, The Graybar, located at 420 Lexington Avenue. Overlooking the building's entrances are sets of bas-relieves, including those of a Deco-Assyrian-style Prometheus holding fire.
14. Claude Monet's Garden in Giverny
Film: Midnight in Paris (2011)
Midnight in Paris is ripe with artistic influence. Characters are well versed in art history, and the entire movie is wrapped up in how the artists themselves were inspired to create from their Parisian environs. As the film opens, we see our protagonist, Gil Pender, and his fiancée posed as if in the canvas at Monet's famous garden of water lilies in Giverny.
13. Nice Travail et Joie by Henri Matisse
Film: Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask) (1988)
In 1988's Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask), an American doctor, played by Gene Wilder, finds himself in a fine predicament when he falls in love with an Armenian sheep named Daisy. Wilder's office is full of licenses and artwork, including works such as Matisse's 1947 travel poster for his beloved city of Nice, entitled Nice Travail et Joie.
12. Snow White Comic Strip
Film: Annie Hall (1977)
As the characters navigate their affair, viewers see an animated scene portraying Alvy and Annie in the guise of the Wicked Queen from Snow White. This cartoon features artwork based on Stuart Hample's '70s and '80s comic strip "Inside Woody Allen."
11. Water Lilies by Claude Monet
Film: Midnight in Paris (2011)
The Monet Room at the Musée de l'Orangerie is one of the most beautiful rooms in any museum. Allen's long-distance shot helps to show the gap that is growing between Gil and the rest of the group against the introspective and quiet of Monet's eight massive paintings. The room was built fittingly in the 1920s and opened in 1927, just a few months after Monet's death.
10. Balloon Girl by Banksy
Film: Match Point (2005)
Allen's 2005 thriller Match Point is a story of obsession, lust, and murder. Set in London, the story follows Chris Wilton, a retired professional tennis player, who falls in love with his brother-in-law's ex-girlfriend. As the story unfolds we see Chris walking against the backdrop of UK graffiti artist Banksy's Balloon Girl on the side of Blackfriars Bridge in Southwark.
9. Apples and Oranges by Cezanne / Mark Rothko Painting
Film: Manhattan (1979)
Near the end of the film, Isaac lies on his sofa, relaying into tape recorder the things that make "life worth living." Among them is Cezanne's Apples and Oranges. A Mark Rothko painting also hangs on the wall of his apartment.
8. Sea-Horse by Alexander Calder
Film: Mighty Aphrodite (1995)
Even before he was a sculptor of incredible wire mobiles, Calder was an illustrator, and he revisited the medium many times during his career. His early illustrations feature a sketchy style, but as he began to work in sculpture, his transition towards geometric shapes made for his most vibrant work, like this 1975 lithograph of a sea horse, which appears laid against the wall of the art dealer's apartment.
7. Bemelman's Bar
Film: Hollywood Ending (2002)
Woody Allen is famous not only for his film career, but also for his jazz clarinet performances. The director has a long-standing residency playing at The Carlyle. The hotel with it's famous bar, Bemelmans, appears frequently in Allen's films. An illustrated version of Bemelmans, by the famous writer Ludwig Bemelmans, who penned the Madeleine stories, is shown here in Hollywood Ending.
6. Temple of Dendur
Film: Manhattan (1979)
Depicted in the opening scene is a view into the Temple of Dendur. The iconic fixture at the Metropolitan Museum of Art was actually only reconstructed one year prior to filming. At the time, the Met won a very competitive bidding process to house the fragile temple.
5. The Artists
Film: Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
In the film Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem portray fiery artists and former lovers, entangled in a heated affair with American tourists Vicky and Cristina (Rebecca Hall and Scarlett Johansson). The two artists' styles seem to be inspired by the famous Catalan artists Antoni Tapies, one of the most influential European artists after World War II, and Agusti Puig, many of whose paintings end up in the movie.
4. Gertrude Stein by Pablo Picasso
Film: Midnight in Paris (2011)
Just as the modern day group in the film debates whether or not The Bather is a representation of love, the artists of the 1920s discusses if the painting captures the essence of Picasso's mistress, Adriana. And while they talk, Picasso's famous portrait of Gertrude Stein hangs on the wall while the actual Stein wears the same outfit.
3. Chica Evadiéndose by Joan Miró
Film: Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
As Vicky and Cristina tour about the city with their host Judy, they unsurprisingly run into more Miro, in the form of his sculpture from 1976 translating to "Evading Woman." The female subject introducing some of the playfulness (the bright colors and idiosyncratic representations) and male desire (the sexualize red legs) that will come about in their summer in Spain.
2. The Thinker by Auguste Rodin
Film: Midnight in Paris (2011)
Gil, Inez, and Crew stop in front of this iconic standalone sculpture. Only, the piece was originally part of a larger work, The Gates of Hell, inspired by The Divine Comedy, thus making The Thinker's deep musing actually a vantage point over the circles of Hell. The group in Allen's film focuses on the women of Rodin's life, discussing his one time love and fellow sculptor Camille Claudel and his mistress of many years and eventual wife Rose Beuret. Of course you're bound to get a slightly different tour when the beautiful French wife of Nicolas Sarkozy, Carla Bruni is your tour guide.
1. Guggenheim Museum
Film: Manhattan (1979)
In Manhattan, Allen plays Isaac Davis, a divorced New Yorker currently dating a high-school-aged girl named Tracy who can't quite cut a break. The famous opening scene, set to George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," depicts some of New York's famous art spots, including the Guggenheim Museum.