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What leads to a painting being left incomplete? Was it a lack of inspiration? Did the artist run out of funds for the project? Did they lose interest, become frustrated, or disillusioned? Or perhaps the artist or their subject passed away before the painting could be finished? Every incomplete painting holds a unique story, and this list delves into ten unfinished works and the fascinating, unexpected, and emotional reasons behind their incompletion.
10. The Adoration Of The Magi by Leonardo Da Vinci
Leonardo Da Vinci embodied the phrase, 'Great things take time.' His work was famously slow due to his wide-ranging genius, which often led him to be sidetracked by pursuits in engineering, science, and mathematics.
In 1481, Leonardo da Vinci was residing in Florence when he received a commission from Augustinian monks to create The Adoration of the Magi, depicting the arrival of the Three Wise Men to honor Jesus. Within just a year, Da Vinci completed a life-sized draft measuring over 2.1 meters (7 feet) square, showcasing the preliminary paint tones.
Contrary to the image of a Renaissance man dedicated solely to his craft, da Vinci’s pursuits were also financially motivated. In 1482, he left Florence to seek the favor of Ludovico il Moro, the wealthy future Duke of Milan. This was a pivotal move, as it led to the commission of his iconic work, The Last Supper. During his 17 years in Milan, Da Vinci completed only six paintings, and The Adoration of the Magi was later recommissioned and finished by Filippino Lippi. Both versions can still be seen at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence today.
9. Treaty Of Paris by Benjamin West
Following the American Revolution, the involved nations sought to reach favorable terms. A U.S. delegation led by John Adams and Benjamin Franklin traveled to Paris in 1783 to negotiate with the French, Spanish, Dutch, and British. The negotiations were a triumph for the Americans, confirming the independence of the original 13 states, securing fishing rights, and ensuring the release of prisoners of war by the British. To commemorate this, renowned historical artist Benjamin West was commissioned to create a painting illustrating this significant moment.
There was one major issue: The British delegates refused to be included in the painting, as they found their defeat too humiliating. This led to a large empty space in the artwork where they would have been. Sadly, their protest did not succeed, and the unfinished painting still remains in the library at Adams National Historical Park in Massachusetts.
Benjamin West, a self-taught artist with little formal education, rose to prominence with his paintings, gaining wealth and recognition on both sides of the Atlantic. He was even elected president of the Royal Academy in the United Kingdom on two separate occasions. West was later buried at St Paul’s Cathedral in London.
8. Victory Boogie Woogie by Piet Mondrian
Piet Mondrian, a Dutch artist, is famous for his abstract works that express cityscapes using the simplest geometric shapes and basic colors, a style that has become iconic worldwide.
Capturing the musical energy and vibrant atmosphere of New York, Victory Boogie Woogie was left unfinished after Mondrian tragically passed away from pneumonia in 1944. A closer inspection of the painting reveals that the bold, simple lines were replaced with smaller, more dynamic squares of sticky tape as the artwork evolved. The title Victory Boogie Woogie reflects both Mondrian’s love for music and his hope that the US and the Allies would secure victory in World War II.
Currently displayed at the Gemeentemuseum in the Netherlands, the 1998 sale of Victory Boogie Woogie for $40 million stirred up controversy when it was revealed that the Dutch Central Bank had financed the purchase, sparking debates about whether the painting was truly worth such a sum.
7. James Hunter Black Draftee by Alice Neel
Alice Neel’s oil portrait, James Hunter Black Draftee, is a powerful example of how a painting can be considered both finished and yet incomplete. Although Neel didn’t physically complete the painting, she felt its unfinished state conveyed the exact emotions she intended, so she signed it and had it displayed at the Witney Museum. The incomplete nature of the piece is tied to a deeply emotional story.
Throughout much of her career, Neel remained underappreciated, often inviting strangers to sit for portraits. In 1965, she invited James Hunter, who had recently learned he was drafted to serve in the Vietnam War. During the first sitting, Neel captured his melancholic and introspective expression. She completed most of his face and outlined the rest of his body.
Hunter never returned for the second sitting. Curiously, his name does not appear on the list of soldiers at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which suggests that unless he used an alias, he did not die in Vietnam. However, his current whereabouts remain unknown to this day.
6. Madonna With The Long Neck by Parmigianino
Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola, known as Parmigianino due to his birthplace in Parma, was an Italian Renaissance artist who worked in the Mannerist style, emphasizing exaggerated proportions to evoke beauty and grace. Commissioned to create a depiction of Mary and Jesus for a funeral chapel, Parmigianino spent several years refining Madonna with the Long Neck before dying of a fever in 1540.
A famous perfectionist, Parmigianino is a prime example of an artist unsure of when to stop. Despite several drafts and revisions, he never quite achieved his vision, leaving some areas notably unfinished. Both the column and sky are incomplete, and in the lower right corner, the figure of Saint Jerome is left with a floating foot beside him.
5. Portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart
One of the most renowned portrait artists of his time, Gilbert Stuart painted over 1,000 subjects, including U.S. presidents and European royalty. However, his most famous work is an intentionally unfinished portrait of George Washington.
After the success of his initial 1795 portrait of George Washington, Martha Washington requested a second one in 1796. Stuart never completed the second portrait, known as the Athenaeum Portrait, stopping after painting Washington’s face and part of the background. A clever businessman, Stuart used this likeness to create multiple copies, selling them for $100 each. This image is the one featured on the $1 bill.
Allegedly, Washington was a difficult person to paint. Stuart initially found it difficult to generate the likeness he wanted due do Washington’s reserved nature. Also, Washington’s new dentures caused his jawline to protrude, distorting his face—not surprising since they were made up of metal, ivory, and cow and human teeth.
4. Oscar—The Interrupted PortraitNatalie Holland
Also known as the “Blade Runner,” Oscar Pistorius was seen as a hero to many, as he defied his disabilities (having been born without a fibula bone in both legs) to win six gold medals at the Paralympics. Such was his dominance compared to the other Paralympians that he even competed in the 400m at the 2012 summer Olympics—the first double-leg amputee to do so.
To celebrate the event, Russian-born artist Natalie Holland was commissioned to paint several portraits of Pistorius. It is the third portrait, the one in which she desired to show him in victory, that remains unfinished.
After completing the face and arms of his subject, Holland learned that Pistorius had shot and killed his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. Unable to continue, the portrait remained unfinished, forever frozen in time. Pistorius was initially charged with culpable homicide, but after an appeal, he was convicted of murder and sentenced to six years in prison.
3. Turning Road by Paul Cezanne
The final artist on this list is Paul Cezanne, a painter known for exploring the question, “When is a painting truly finished?” Cezanne was notorious for fearing that one wrong brushstroke could ruin an entire piece, which led him to adopt a “less is more” approach in many of his later works, embracing an impressionist style.
In works like Turning Road, Cezanne deliberately left large areas of the canvas blank, drawing attention to the space left untouched. Some believe this was due to unintentional oversight, possibly linked to his declining eyesight. Regardless of the cause, whether finished or not, art truly lies in the eye of the beholder.
2. The Entombment by Michelangelo
The Entombment is an unfinished painting that portrays the body of Jesus being placed in His tomb following the crucifixion. This work is surrounded by mystery. There is no signature, several figures are absent, and the painting itself vanished for centuries. What links it to Michelangelo is that he had been commissioned by the Saint Agostino church in Rome to create a panel for their altar, but later returned the money. However, no records exist to reveal what exactly the church had requested, nor does Michelangelo mention the painting in any of his notes.
Why did Michelangelo leave the painting unfinished? It is known that he departed Rome for Florence around the time the work was abandoned. One enduring tale suggests that his friends managed to acquire a large block of marble from the Florence cathedral, which led to his commission to sculpt the statue of David.
The Entombment remained unknown until 1846, when Scottish photographer and painter Robert Macpherson discovered it among a collection of paintings destined for destruction. The wood from the painting was intended to be repurposed for a table until Macpherson purchased it for £1. In 1868, he sold it to the National Gallery for £2,000. So next time you spot a stack of discarded paintings about to be thrown away, remember: you might just be looking at a hidden Michelangelo.
1. The Unfinished PortraitElizabeth Shoumatoff
Elizabeth Shoumatoff didn’t want to paint Franklin D. Roosevelt at first. It was something that she “neither wished for nor planned,” but by doing so, she managed to become a small part of history.
Not happy with her first attempt at painting FDR in 1943, Shoumatoff came back for another try to capture his energy and dynamism toward the end of World War II. She had heard that Roosevelt was in ill health, but he insisted on being painted. He was in good spirits during the week, mimicking Winston Churchill and commenting that he believed Joseph Stalin had poisoned his wife. Unfortunately, while Shoumatoff was painting, Roosevelt complained of a headache and then slumped forward, unconscious. He had suffered a stroke and died later that day. In the room at the time with Shoumatoff was Lucy Mercer Rutherford, FDR’s former mistress, who had arranged the commission.
Shoumatoff did complete a nearly identical replica of Roosevelt. Selling a photograph of the original to the New York Daily News for $25,000, she later donated the incomplete work to the Little White House, FDR’s Georgia retreat where he died.
