Minecraft’s paintings might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the game. Yet over the years they’ve taken on an important role in the game’s culture. Their unique look—blended with clever ideas and small secrets—makes them one of Minecraft’s most interesting features. They’re much more than simple décor, and each one has a story you might not notice at first glance. Today, we’re looking at every painting, what you’re actually seeing, and the artists behind them.
Crafting and using Minecraft paintings: recipe, sizes, properties
First, let’s look at how paintings work in-game. They’re one of the oldest items, added to Minecraft back in the Indev version. That makes them an extremely old feature from 2009—yet they still work just like they did back then.
You can craft a painting with 1 wool surrounded by 8 sticks. You can also buy them from a Shepherd villager for emeralds. Which painting you get is random. If you want a specific size, block off the frame by limiting the open wall space with blocks until only the desired size fits. In Creative mode, you can now search for paintings by name.
Paintings are primarily for decorating and beautifying your walls, but they do have special traits. They’re passable—you can walk through them—and they let light shine through. That makes them great for hidden passageways and secret rooms.
All Minecraft paintings: complete list, inspirations, and Easter eggs
There are a total of 47 paintings in Minecraft. Most were created by Swedish artist Kristoffer Zetterstrand. His original canvases were scanned and adapted to Minecraft’s pixel style; you can view the originals online. Some of the newer paintings were created by Mojang’s Sarah Boeving. Sizes range from 1x1 up to 4x4 blocks.
The subjects cover everything from surreal landscapes and references to classic art to Easter eggs from other games—plenty of conversation starters.
1x1 Minecraft paintings: names and meanings
- The Kebab with Three Chili Peppers: A kebab.
- de_aztec: A view of Counter-Strike’s map Aztec.
- de_aztec (2): A second view of Aztec.
- The Albanian: A man in traditional Albanian attire.
- Target Successfully Bombed: Another Counter-Strike reference, this time Dust II.
- The Penny Plant: A simple plant still life.
- The Wasteland: A devastated landscape with a rabbit in the foreground.
- Meditative: A nod to both Salvador Dalí and Minecraft’s old rose.
1x2 Minecraft paintings: names and meanings
- The Wanderer: An homage to Caspar David Friedrich’s famous painting.
- Graham: Part of a larger piece. Shows King Graham from the King’s Quest point-and-click adventures.
- The Steppe Ride: Inspired by Frederic Remington, but with a Minecraft horse and player.
2x1 Minecraft paintings: names and meanings
- The Pool: People bathing in front of a surreal landscape.
- The Meeting: Two travelers facing each other, inspired by Gustave Courbet.
- Supper: A beautiful sunset.
- The Coast / Creebet: A view of the sea with a green plant. In an alternate version, the plant is replaced by a Creeper head.
2x2 Minecraft paintings: names and meanings
- The Match: A hand lighting a fire.
- The Bust: A bust of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, surrounded by flames.
- The Stage Is Set: A blend of scenes from King’s Quest and Space Quest, two classic Sierra adventures.
- The Void: An angel gazing into the void.
- Skull and Roses: A blue skull surrounded by red roses.
- The Wither: Shows how to summon a Wither. The only painting created by Jens Bergensten (jeb_).
- Baroque: A still life with a sunflower, a jug, and a Minecraft cake.
- Down to Earth: Two Minecraft villagers, inspired by Grant Wood’s American Gothic.
3x3 Minecraft paintings: names and meanings
- The Final Boss: A surreal scene featuring a skeleton. King Graham appears again in the lower right.
- The Tides: A landscape with a seated figure.
- The Fern: A fern with pixelated fire, lit by a spotlight.
- The Sunflower: A mix of various sunflowers.
- The Cave Bird: A cliff with a bird.
- The Bouquet: A surreal scene with stairs leading nowhere, a blue canvas, and a flower pot.
- The Citrus Owl: An owl looking out of a box at lemons.
- Cotán: Based on a work by Juan Sánchez Cotán, here with a golden apple and a glistering melon.
- Dennis: A portrait of Dennis, the dog from the Minecraft movie.
3x4 Minecraft paintings: names and meanings
- The Backyard: A blend of works by Pieter de Hooch and Jacques-Louis David.
- The Pond: A woman and a skeleton at a pond, inspired by the Renaissance.
4x2 Minecraft paintings: names and meanings
- The Fighters: Two fighters from the Atari game International Karate.
- The Passage: A surreal setting with a human skeleton and a Megatherium skeleton.
- The Costume Change: A mix of scenes, with a person undressing in the foreground.
- The Find: An explorer excavating ancient ruins.
- Wisps of Fog: An incomplete mountain range based on a 3D model.
4x3 Minecraft paintings: names and meanings
- The Toils of the Earthly: Features the skeleton Bruno Martinez from the game Grim Fandango.
- Kong: A game scene from Donkey Kong.
4x4 Minecraft paintings: names and meanings
- The Pointing Finger: Combines a figure from International Karate with Michelangelo’s pointing finger and Caspar David Friedrich’s winter landscape.
- The Pig Portrait: A girl holding a drawing of the Minecraft pig.
- The Skull in Flames: A flaming skull in the foreground, with a Minecraft world in the background based on an Alpha screenshot by Zetterstrand.
- The Orb: A glowing orb in a landscape, inspired by Giovanni Bellini.
- Unpacked: An homage to the small preview image used when choosing texture packs prior to 1.14, called pack.png. After the seed from Alpha 1.2.2 was found, it was immortalized in-game.
Conclusion: Recognize and use Minecraft paintings
Many Minecraft paintings have fascinating backstories you might not notice at first glance. They’re a meaningful part of the game and, much like the music, they simply belong. Some details are hard to make out in those tiny pixels, so everyone may interpret them a little differently. Still, you can definitely spot exciting Easter eggs referencing other games like Counter-Strike, King’s Quest, or Donkey Kong. Next time you decorate your house, you’ll be able to share the story behind each piece.
If you want to honor the paintings, rent your own Minecraft server from us and build a museum to display them all. Invite your friends for a tour and tell them about the secrets hidden inside.
If you want to honor the paintings, then rent your own Minecraft server from us and build a museum to display them all. Invite your friends for a tour and tell them what secrets are hidden there.
