Minecraft’s paintings might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the game, but over the years they’ve taken on a surprising cultural significance. Their unique look, mixed with clever ideas and little secrets, makes them one of Minecraft’s most interesting features. They’re more than decoration—each one hides a story you might not notice at first glance. Today, we’re taking a closer look at every painting, what you’re actually seeing, and the artists behind them.
Crafting and Using Minecraft Paintings: Recipes, Sizes, Properties
Let’s start with the in-game paintings and how to use them. They’re among the oldest items and were added to Minecraft back in the Indev version. That makes them a very old feature from 2009—and they still work the same way today.
You can craft paintings with one wool surrounded by 8 sticks. You can also get them from the Shepherd villager in exchange for emeralds. Which painting you receive is random. If you want a specific size, block out the frame by limiting the free 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 have a few special traits. They’re non-solid—you can walk through them and light passes through as well. That makes them perfect for hidden passages and secret rooms.
All Minecraft Paintings: Complete list, inspirations, and Easter eggs
There are 47 paintings in Minecraft, most of them created by Swedish artist Kristoffer Zetterstrand. His original canvases were scanned and adapted to Minecraft’s pixel art. You can view the originals online. Some of the newer paintings were created by Mojang employee Sarah Boeving. Sizes range from 1x1 to 4x4 blocks.
Their content couldn’t be more varied: from surreal landscapes and references to classic paintings to Easter eggs from other games, Minecraft’s paintings offer plenty to talk about.
1x1 Minecraft paintings: Names and meaning
- The Doner with Three Chili Peppers: A doner 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 map—this time Dust II.
- The Penny Tree: A simple still life of a plant.
- The Wasteland: A look at a ravaged land, with a rabbit in the foreground.
- Meditative: An homage to both Salvador Dalí and Minecraft’s old rose.
1x2 Minecraft paintings: Names and meaning
- The Wanderer: A nod to the famous painting by Caspar David Friedrich.
- Graham: Part of a larger painting. Shows King Graham from the King’s Quest point-and-click adventures.
- The Steppe Ride: After Frederic Remington—only with a Minecraft horse and player.
2x1 Minecraft paintings: Names and meaning
- The Basin: People bathing in the foreground of a surreal landscape.
- The Encounter: Two wanderers facing each other, inspired by Gustave Courbet.
- Supper: A beautiful sunset.
- The Coast / Creebet: A sea view with a green plant. In an alternate variant, the plant is replaced by a Creeper head.
2x2 Minecraft paintings: Names and meaning
- The Match: A hand lighting a fire.
- The Bust: A bust of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, surrounded by flames.
- The Stage Is Set: A mix of scenes from King’s Quest and Space Quest, two classic Sierra adventures.
- The Void: An angel gazing into emptiness.
- A 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: Shows two Minecraft villagers. Inspired by Grant Wood’s American Gothic.
3x3 Minecraft paintings: Names and meaning
- The Final Boss: A surreal scene with a skeleton. King Graham appears again in the bottom right.
- The Tides: A landscape with a seated figure.
- The Fern: A fern with a pixelated fire, lit by a spotlight.
- The Sunflower: A blend of various sunflowers.
- The Cave Bird: A cliff with a bird.
- The Bouquet: A surreal scene with a staircase leading to nowhere, a blue canvas, and a flowerpot.
- The Citrus Owl: An owl peering out of a crate at lemons.
- Cotán: Based on a work by Juan Sánchez Cotán—here with a golden apple and glistering melon.
- Dennis: Portrait of Dennis, the dog from the Minecraft movie.
3x4 Minecraft paintings: Names and meaning
- The Backyard: A blend of paintings by Pieter de Hooch and Jacques-Louis David.
- The Pond: A woman and a skeleton by a pond, in Renaissance style.
4x2 Minecraft paintings: Names and meaning
- 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 collage of scenes, with a person undressing in the foreground.
- The Discovery: A person excavating ancient ruins.
- Mists: An incomplete mountain range based on a 3D model.
4x3 Minecraft paintings: Names and meaning
- Earthly Toil: Features the skeleton Bruno Martinez from Grim Fandango.
- Kong: A gameplay scene from Donkey Kong.
4x4 Minecraft paintings: Names and meaning
- The Index Finger: Combines a figure from International Karate with the pointing finger from Michelangelo and a winter landscape by Caspar David Friedrich.
- The Pig Portrait: A girl with a drawing of the Minecraft pig.
- The Flaming Skull: A burning skull in the foreground. In the background, a Minecraft world based on an alpha screenshot by Zetterstrand himself.
- The Orb: A glowing sphere in a landscape, based on a painting by Giovanni Bellini.
- Unpacked: An homage to the small image shown when selecting a texture pack before version 1.14, known as pack.png. After the Alpha 1.2.2 seed was found, it was immortalized in-game.
Conclusion: Spotting and using Minecraft paintings
Many Minecraft paintings have fascinating backstories you might not notice at first glance. They’re an important part of the game and, like the music, they simply belong. Some details are hard to read in such tiny pixels, so interpretations may vary. But there are clear, fun 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 picture.
If you want to honour the paintings, why not rent your own Minecraft server from us and build a museum to display them all. Then invite your friends for a tour and tell them about the secrets hidden within.
If you want to honour 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 about the secrets hidden there.
