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World Art Day is celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of legendary artist Leonardo da Vinci, honouring his contributions to art and creativity.

World Art Day 2025 theme is, “A Garden of Expression: Cultivating Community Through Art.” (Image: Shutterstock)
World Art Day 2025: The world comes together to celebrate April 15 as World Art Day every year. The special occasion is marked annually to acknowledge the contributions of artists, emphasising the importance of art in our lives. As the name suggests, the day is dedicated to promoting the development of art and the freedom to create.
Furthermore, the date also coincides with the birthday of the legendary artist Leonardo da Vinci. Join us as we celebrate World Art Day by delving into the history, significance, Leonardo da Vinci’s quotes and his last words.
World Art Day 2025: Theme
The theme for World Art Day varies from year to year to highlight different aspects of art’s impact on society. Talking about this year’s theme, it is – “A Garden of Expression: Cultivating Community Through Art.”
World Art Day 2025: History
The idea behind World Art Day was officially conceived on April 15, 2012, during a General Assembly meeting of the International Association of Art (IAA) in Guadalajara, Mexico.
The special day was declared as a special tribute to the birthday of the famous artist Leonardo da Vinci, who is hailed as the symbol of freedom of expression and peace.
ICYDK, Da Vinci’s Last Supper and Mona Lisa are some of the most influential paintings in the world. The historic event that marked the establishment of World Art Day is supported by the IAA’s national committees.
World Art Day 2025: Significance
Moving on, we talk about the importance of the day, highlighting its importance in storytelling while also honouring the efforts of artists who contribute to shaping our cultural identity. Some of these artists include Leonardo Da Vinci, Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Raja Ravi Varma, Jamini Roy, Amrita Sher-Gil and Nandalal Bose.
Leonardo Da Vinci’s Quotes And His Last Words
- “I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. ‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but they whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves their conduct, will pursue their principles unto death.”
- “Poor is the pupil who does not surpass his master.”
- “It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.”
- “I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.”
- “The noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding.”
- “All our knowledge has its origins in our perceptions.”
- “Although nature commences with reason and ends in experience, we must do the opposite, that is to commence with experience and from this to proceed to investigate the reason.”
- “There are four powers: memory and intellect, desire and covetousness. The first two are mental and the others are sensual. The three senses, sight, hearing and smell cannot well be prevented; touch and taste not at all.”
In his last words, Leonardo Da Vinci said, “I have offended God and mankind because my work did not reach the quality it should have.”