Events from the year 1540 in art.

• Ardabil Carpets
• Francesco de' Rossi – Rodolfo Pio da Carpi (approximate date)
• Hans Holbein the Younger
  • Portrait of Henry VIII (Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, approximate date)
  • Miniature Portrait of Catherine Howard
• Michelangelo – Brutus (carved bust, approximate date)
• 'Südindischer Meister' – Group of Women
• Titian - Portrait of Benedetto Varchi (c.)
• Qiu Ying – The Imperial examinations

• December 21 - Thomas Schweicker, disabled German painter and calligrapher (died 1602)
• date unknown
  • Robert Adams, English architect, engraver and surveyor of buildings to Queen Elizabeth (died 1595)
  • Giovanni Anastasi, Italian painter (died 1587)
  • Andrea Andreani, Italian wood engraver and early exponent of chiaroscuro (died 1623)
  • Giovanni Maria Butteri, Italian fresco painter (died 1606)
  • Denis Calvaert, Flemish painter (died 1619)
  • Cristoforo Coriolano, German engraver of the Renaissance (died unknown)
  • Cristóbal de Acevedo, Spanish painter, active mainly during the Renaissance period (died unknown)
  • Annibale Fontana, Italian sculptor and medallist (died 1587)
  • Hieronymus Francken I, Flemish painter (died 1610)
  • Pieter Pietersz the Elder, Dutch painter (died 1603)
  • Friedrich Sustris, Italian-born Dutch painter working in Bavaria (died 1599)
• probable
  • Étienne Dumonstier, French Renaissance portrait painter (died 1603)
  • George Gower, English portrait painter who became sergeant-painter to Queen Elizabeth I (died 1596)

• April 15 - Marguerite Scheppers, painter
• August 24 - Parmigianino, Italian Mannerist painter and printmaker (born 1503)
• November 15 - Rosso Fiorentino, Italian Mannerist painter, in oil and fresco (born 1494)
• date unknown
  • Jorge Afonso, Portuguese Renaissance painter (born 1470)
  • Barthel Beham, German engraver, miniaturist and painter (born 1502)
  • Vincenzo degli Azani, Italian painter (date of birth unknown)
  • Gregor Erhart, German sculptor, son of Michel Erhart (born 1470)
  • Damià Forment, Spanish sculptor (born 1480)
  • Giulio Raibolini, Italian painter (born 1487)
• probable
  • Hans Leonhard Schäufelein, German painter, designer, and wood engraver (born 1480)
  • Agostino Veneziano, Italian engraver (born 1490)
  • Cristóvão de Figueiredo, Portuguese Renaissance painter (date of birth unknown)
  • Joos van Cleve, Netherlandish painter (born 1480/1490)
  • Hans Springinklee, German wood-engraver (born 1490)
  • 1540/1547: Nicola da Urbino - Italian maiolica and ceramicist (born 1480)