With the need for skill, precision, and creativity, tattooing can be considered as a form of art, right? So what's more blissful than beautiful tattoos inspired by great art? Art inspiring art! Now, art can inspire us to get tattoos for so many reasons, besides the fact that it's stunning to look at. Maybe we were struck by a certain artwork, or an artist's path inspired our own. Perhaps a piece of art reminds us of someone we love or a significant milestone in our life. Art-inspired tattoos prove that we don't need to be artists to appreciate art and find it meaningful in our lives. After all, art was meant to live on forever, right?
While there's the obvious replication of the artwork — which is a feat in itself if artists want to do the original work justice — art-inspired tattoos can also be a creative endeavor. The artist and future tattoo owner have the opportunity to put their own spin on the work to make it more custom and tailored to their wants and needs.
In a way, it seems only right that fine art and tattoos are finally merging together. In the last decade, more and more prestigious art institutions have been shining a light on the art form of tattooing, as well as artists like Jeff Koons and Richard Prince.
Click ahead to see 20 art-inspired tattoos, from the artist themselves to the wondrous artwork they created. We wonder if Picasso and Matisse ever imagined that they'd be gracing people's arms, backs. and shoulder blades when they were making their masterpieces.
Georgia O'Keeffe's 'Cow Skull With Roses' Tattoo
Known for her paintings of flowers and animal skulls, Georgia O'Keeffe's artwork makes for stunning nature-inspired artistic tattoos. This simple outline tattoo is based off of a painting titled "Cow Skull with Roses."
Edgar Degas's 'Little Ballerina' Tattoo
This outline tattoo of Edgar Degas's "Little Ballerina" totally captures the grace and beauty of the sculpture.
Salvador Dali's 'The Persistence of Memory' Tattoo
Salvador Dali's surrealist works have always been trippy, and we think this equally trippy tattoo does it total justice! It's based off of his work called "The Persistence of Memory," done in 1931.
Keith Haring-Inspired Art Tattoo
This hand tattoo, comprised of four knuckle tattoos, is inspired by pop artist Keith Haring. Look closely, as it tells the story of a family!
Banksy's 'Balloon Girl' Tattoo
This artwork was infamously shredded in October 2018 after it was just sold for over $1.4 million. That doesn't mean it doesn't make for a pretty two-calf tattoo.
Andy Warhol's Banana Tattoo
This banana is famous for more than one reason. For starters, it was created by famous pop artist Andy Warhol. For another, it was the album cover for the Velvet Underground's debut album. Music-lovers and art-lovers will appreciate this ink.
Michelangelo's 'Creation of Adam' Tattoo
This super recognizable artwork, called "Creation of Adam" by Michelangelo, was simplified for this tattoo. It's a great example of how people can pick which aspects of a piece of art speak to them most.
Pablo Picasso's Dachshund Lump Tattoo
We can all agree that dachshunds, also known lovingly as wiener dogs, are absolutely adorable, right? Pablo Picasso would agree. He owned a dog named "Lump," and even dedicated this clever and simple sketch to him.
Henri Matisse's 'La Danza' Tattoo
This fine art-inspired tattoo combines two art-minded folk. The image is Henri Matisse's festive "La Danza" but the quote belongs to Yoko Ono.
Pablo Picasso's 'Don Quixote' Tattoo
In 1955, Picasso sketched out the famous literary hero Don Quixote. We love how it looks as a tattoo, strong and bold! So striking.
Vincent van Gogh's 'Starry Night' Tattoo
Vincent van Gogh is known for many artworks, most notably his ethereal "Starry Night." To capture the movement and vivid color so beautifully is quite a feat!
Frida Kahlo Tattoo
Her famous eyebrows are often commemorated in permanent ink, and we love this delicate version with the colored flowers. So beautiful!
Classical Art-Inspired Tattoo
The dotwork and shading on this classical statue-inspired tattoo is mesmerizing. It looks straight out of the Met.
Yayoi Kusama's Pumpkin Tattoo
Known for her endless dots, Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama has taken the world by storm with her Infinity Rooms. This tattoo artist captures her dotwork with similar dotwork done in the stick-and-poke method.
Hokusai's 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa' Tattoo
Katsushika Hokusai's majestic "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" is a popular tattoo choice for obvious reasons. It's a gorgeous piece that shines in both color and grayscale.
Rene Magritte's 'The Son of Man' Tattoo
This 1946 surrealist painting is reimagined in a more circular format. The detail and coloring is impeccable, it looks like a lens zoomed right onto the painting!
Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers Tattoos
Vincent van Gogh's bright sunflowers were adapted for this whimsical and delicate rib tattoo. We love how there's no outline.
Jean-Michel Basquiat's Crown Tattoo
This tattoo looks like Basquiat drew it right onto the owner. We love how striking it looks in thick lines.
Jackson Pollock-Inspired Tattoo
Jackson Pollock is one of the most famous artists of the 20th century, known for his colorful abstract works. Our skin makes the perfect canvas for tattoos inspired by these artworks.
Roy Lichenstein's 'Crying Girl' Tattoo
This tattoo seems to be inspired by Roy Lichenstein's pop art piece, "Crying Girl." The sharp lines and the gorgeous pastel colors really embody his work.
