Buzz
Creating artistic masterpieces, whether through visual art, music, or writing, often takes years of dedication and effort. However, there are remarkable instances where iconic works have been completed in an unexpectedly short span, such as a bestselling book written in mere days, a hit song composed within minutes, or famous paintings finished in just hours.
In some cases, this rapid creative output is driven by financial need, which is not surprising given that many artists, even those who later achieve great fame, struggle financially before their big break.
Below are 10 notable masterpieces that were produced at an astonishingly fast pace.
10. Visage: Head of a Faun
Some professional artists have gained fame for creating sellable artwork in mere minutes, like the record-setting Morris Katz, who invented a method called instant art. With this fast-paced approach, it is reported that he completed 225,000 paintings.
Pablo Picasso was known for his prolific output, with Artsy estimating that he completed approximately 13,500 paintings in his lifetime. In 1937, he painted the renowned Guernica mural in just three weeks. One popular anecdote recalls how Picasso, when asked by a woman in a café to sketch her portrait, did so in five minutes on the back of a menu. But perhaps one of his most impressive quick works is 'Visage: Head of a Faun,' which he created in just five minutes for the 1955 documentary Le Mystère Picasso by Henri-Georges Clouzot. This swift creation was driven by the limited film stock available to Clouzot.
'Visage: Head of a Faun' was recently showcased in the Picasso and Paper exhibition at the Royal Academy in London. In the brief moments Picasso spent on the drawing, he continuously morphed the image, 'shifting it from flower to fish to chicken to face, building it up from a simple monochrome sketch to one brimming with vibrant, saturated hues,' according to Open Culture.
9. A Study in Scarlet
Though most of the Sherlock Holmes stories were published as short pieces in magazines, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of the series, also penned a few full-length novels featuring the famous detective. The first of these novels was A Study in Scarlet, which centers on the discovery of a body at a decaying house.
First published in 1887 in Beeton’s Christmas Annual, this was the story that introduced Sherlock Holmes to the literary world. It not only marks the debut of Holmes, but also the first encounter between him and Dr. Watson. Remarkably, this was also the first of Holmes's stories to be adapted into a film. Despite its short length, it's noteworthy that Conan Doyle completed it in just three weeks, setting the stage for a hugely successful series that continues to captivate audiences more than 130 years later.
8. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
The creation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 horror novel, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, has a backstory that seems almost as chilling as the tale itself—particularly for anyone who has ever attempted to write a novel.
While battling tuberculosis and possibly under the influence of medicinal cocaine, Stevenson had been contemplating a narrative about the theme of dual identity. One night, a dream about Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde inspired him to write the story. His wife, Fanny, woke him up upon hearing him scream in his sleep. It’s said that he completed the first draft in just three days, though Fanny was so critical that she burned it. Stevenson then rewrote it in another three days, or so the story goes. In reality, it likely took him six weeks to complete the novel, still an impressive feat considering its lasting impact.
7. “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”
Terius Youngdell Nash, also known as The-Dream, may have been joking when he mentioned one day that he was going to write a song destined to be Beyoncé's next big hit. However, the outcome was far from a joke. A track from Beyoncé’s 2008 album I Am…Sasha Fierce, the infectious and danceable “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” only took The-Dream 17 minutes to write, and it went on to reach the top spot on the Billboard charts.
An insider quoted The-Dream saying: “Usually those songs that take the small amount of time are usually the bigger ones because you’re not thinking about it.”
6. Gismonda Poster
When compared to some of his faster colleagues, Czech artist Alphonse Mucha’s week-long process for creating his first Sarah Bernhardt poster might not seem extraordinary. Yet, given the poster's immense significance, it was a remarkably brief period. Mucha, remembered mostly as a celebrated commercial and decorative artist, often drawing inspiration from mythical and natural themes, had his big break in December 1894, thanks to a stroke of good luck.
In need of a new poster for the play Gismonda, Parisian actress Sarah Bernhardt placed an order with the lithographer Lemerciers. A marketing genius, Bernhardt was looking for something unique and needed it quickly. With most of the designers away on holiday, the workshop manager found himself in a bind. He turned to Mucha, a young artist who happened to be working on a personal project in the studio, to create the design for Bernhardt's poster.
Within a week, Mucha created a poster for Bernhardt that is now regarded as a key example of the Art Nouveau movement. As noted by Marie Vítková of the National Museum in Prague, this iconic image of Bernhardt as a Byzantine princess, framed by a gold background and palm leaves, remains one of Mucha’s most renowned works. Other famous designs from Mucha include Zodiac and the Sarah Bernhardt poster for La Plume.
5. “Yesterday”
Though The Beatles' music has captivated audiences for over half a century, some of their early, simplistic bubblegum pop songs might seem to have been written in a matter of minutes. Interestingly, it was one of their most emotionally charged songs, 'Yesterday,' which was composed incredibly fast. This 1965 single from the Help album not only showcases artistic brilliance but also holds the title for being the most covered song ever.
According to NME, Paul McCartney came up with the melody for 'Yesterday' in a dream, and it took less than a minute to compose. 'I have no idea how I wrote that. I just woke up one morning, and it was in my head. I didn’t believe it for about two weeks,' McCartney later recalled.
The lyrics, however, took considerably more time to complete—about two months. Although the song was credited to McCartney-Lennon, John Lennon later clarified that he had not co-written 'Yesterday,' and that Paul McCartney deserved full credit for the song.
4. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
What began as a simple class assignment in 1960 eventually became the foundation for what is now a celebrated literary classic. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie tells the story of an unorthodox teacher/mentor in 1930s Edinburgh. In many ways, it is a coming-of-age narrative seen through the eyes of her devoted students. This novella was written in just one month.
Author Muriel Spark shared, 'We were given to write about how we spent our summer holidays, but I wrote about how [my teacher] spent her summer holidays instead. It seemed more fascinating.'
The novel was later adapted into a film, and the 1969 movie, featuring Maggie Smith in the lead role, became unforgettable, with Smith winning an Oscar for her portrayal of the title character.
3. Rocky
Sylvester Stallone was among many artists who were driven to work quickly due to financial struggles. Just before penning the screenplay for Rocky, Stallone was so financially strapped that he was attempting to sell his dog, whom he could hardly afford to feed. He drew inspiration from a recent fight he had watched between the legendary heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali and the lesser-known Chuck Wepner, also known as 'The Bayonne Bleeder.' In that bout, Wepner actually managed to knock Ali down. Stallone reflected, 'I thought if this isn’t a metaphor for life…' This sparked the creation of his Rocky screenplay, which he finished in only three days.
The story of the underdog boxer Rocky Balboa taking on the champion was not only an immensely successful Oscar-winning film but also the beginning of a franchise that turned Stallone into an overnight sensation. More than just a sports drama, Rocky is now regarded as a cinematic masterpiece, often hailed as one of the most motivating films ever made. It is remarkable to think that a screenplay of such magnitude was written in only a few days.
2. The Boy in Striped Pyjamas
Despite the fact that author John Boyne barely took breaks for food or sleep, it is still incredible to think that he completed the first draft of his powerful 2006 Holocaust novel The Boy in Striped Pyjamas in just two and a half days. This rapid pace stands in contrast to his usual writing process, where he typically takes several months to finish a book.
It is truly astonishing that any full-length book could be written in just a couple of days, let alone one as emotionally charged and profound as this. The novel tells the story of Bruno, an innocent nine-year-old, who befriends Shmuel, a young boy imprisoned at a concentration camp where Bruno’s father has recently been appointed as the commandant.
The book was adapted into the commercially successful yet somewhat controversial 2008 film, which was released as The Boy in Striped Pajamas in North America, featuring Asa Butterfield in the lead role.
1. 'Your Song'
The timeless and genuinely humble 1970 hit 'Your Song' by Elton John came together quickly. John composed the music, and his lyricist Bernie Taupin wrote the lyrics, as was their usual process of working separately. Despite the speed of its creation, this ballad remains one of John's most beloved songs and became his first hit single in America.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Elton John recalled, 'It came out in about 20 minutes, and when I was done, I called him in, and we both knew. I was 22, and he was 19, and it gave us so much confidence.'
