Unfinished artworks by master painters reveal the intrigue of their creative process and evolving techniques.
How do you know when an artwork is truly finished? Some artworks are intentionally left incomplete, while others remain unfinished due to the artist’s passing. These works offer a rare insight into the artist’s mind, allowing us to see their ideas as they were taking shape and wonder what might have come next. Whether paused by choice or circumstance, these unfinished pieces still draw us in.
Here are five iconic examples that leave you wondering:
1. The Bride – Gustav Klimt
When Gustav Klimt passed away in 1918, The Bride remained a mix of completed spaces and unfinished sketches. Some sections are intricately painted, while others remain as simple outlines and large empty blocks, leaving us to wonder what Klimt had in mind!

Gustav Klimt, The Bride, 1918, Oil on canvas, Image Source: Gustav-Klimt
2. The Entombment – Michelangelo
The Entombment gives us a one-of-a-kind view of how Michelangelo built his works from the ground up. While some figures are finished, others exist only as outlines, offering a view of the master’s hand in action, paused before it was finished. Commissioned as an altarpiece, the reasons for its incompleteness remain unclear, sparking many theories.

Michelangelo, The Entombment, ca. 1500–1501, Oil on panel, The National Gallery, London, Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
3. Gardanne – Paul Cézanne
Rather than fully completing Gardanne, Cézanne left visible brushstrokes and underpainting that show his shift towards abstraction. These unfinished areas let us see his process in action, capturing the beginnings of a style that would later shape modern art. And Gardanne isn’t the only example, there are few more of his works that reveal this same evolving approach.

Paul Cézanne, Gardanne, 1885–86, Oil on canvas, Image Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
4. Salvator Mundi – Albrecht Dürer
Albrecht Dürer, the leading artist of the German Renaissance, likely began Salvator Mundi just before heading to Italy from Nuremberg in 1505, completing only the drapery. The unfinished sections, especially in Christ’s face and hands, showcase his meticulous preparatory drawing, leaving us to imagine how he might have completed the work.

Albrecht Dürer, Salvator Mundi, ca. 1505, Oil on linden, Image Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
5. The Adoration of the Magi – Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci’s Adoration of the Magi was commissioned by the Augustinian monks of San Donato in Scopeto, near Florence, in 1481. Although he agreed to complete the painting within 2.5 years, Leonardo left Florence for Milan the following year, leaving the work unfinished. By 1496, the monks sought a replacement altarpiece and commissioned Filippino Lippi to take over the project.

Leonardo da Vinci, Adoration of the Magi, 1480–1482, Oil and tempera on panel, Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Unfinished artworks remain powerful not because of what they lack, but because of the endless possibilities they offer. Each piece gives us a window into the artist’s mind, where their intentions and process remain suspended. These pieces challenge what we think of completion, standing as lasting reminders that sometimes, the beauty of art lies in what stays untold!