One of my favorite things about being an art major, besides creating artwork of my own, is getting to study the greatest paintings in the world--from the 1700's to the 1900's to modern works. The history, inspiration, feelings, and passion that are a part of these paintings is something that I will never get over. And I know that not everyone shares the same feelings about art as me; for some, art is probably the most boring thing in the world. It's okay to feel that way. But here are 10 of my absolute favorite pieces--and maybe along the way, you'll have a little bit of the same appreciation for them that I do.
1. Gustav Kilmt's Flower Garden, 1906
Those color contrasts! The beautifully handled flower details! I only recently learned about Gustav Klimt, in art history, and I can't believe I had never seen his work before. Gorgeous.
2. Vincent Van Gogh's Sunflowers, 1888
Yeah, everyone has seen this one. But for me, it never stops being beautiful. I've seen it in person at the National Gallery, London, and I have it in poster form on my wall. It's absolutely glowing, with the rich yellows and perfectly positioned sunflower heads. You can't beat Van Gogh's wonderful style. (bias alert: he's my favorite painter)
3. Claude Monet's The Houses of Parliament, Sunset, 1903
This one gives me all the feelings for a few reasons: one, my time spent in London made me particularly emotional to any paintings or pictures of the famous Houses of Parliament. Two, Monet's style is absolutely beautiful. And three, THOSE COLORS! The perfect pastels and soft impressionist style...I'm always in awe.
4. Henri Matisse's The Parakeet and the Mermaid, 1952.
I love Matisse for so many reasons. His paintings are amazing, and so unique, but so are his cut outs, like this one. In his later life, he would cut colorful pieces of paper out and make these beautiful collages--full of life and on huge scales. Yes, I would like a quilt made out of Matisse collages.
5. René Magritte's The Treachery of Images, 1928
This is another pretty famous one, but I love it. First, the precise way he handles the painting of the pipe--it's so perfect! Then there is the comment below--"this is not a pipe". Of course it's not a pipe, it's a painting of a pipe. Magritte was brilliant.
6. Joan Mitchell's Untitled, 1992
Ah yes, abstract art. This is where a lot of people become uninterested. But just look at it! The dominating blues, the pop of yellow. I. Love. It.
7. André Derain's Mountains at Collioure, 1905
His use of color is so bold and unapologetic, especially in his mountain and tree scenes. He dictates space by using color, and it's amazing.
8. Georges Seraut, A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, 1884
Georges Seurat is the king of pointillism: making paintings out of tiny little dots of color. If you look closely at his paintings, you'll see that they really are just colors put together so perfectly that they make beautiful scenes. This one is up on my wall too.
9. Pierre-Auguste Renior's Luncheon of the Boating Party, 1880
When I was younger I got a magnet that had this painting on it and I've always been intrigued by it. It's a scene of happiness and an enjoyable afternoon. I also love the looks exchanged by the different people in it.
10. Van Gogh's The Starry Night, 1889
I said Van Gogh was my favorite, didn't I? So he deserves two spaces on this list. Yes, this painting is probably the biggest cliché of art history, but I love it. The swirling blues in the sky, the bright moon and starts, the wavy cypress tree...I don't think I'll ever be tired of this painting. And yes, of course I have a poster of this one.
There you are--my favorite works of art. There are so many more, of course, and it was really hard to just choose these ten. Each artist that I mentioned has probably 4 other works that I like just as much. The point is, art is amazing, and just waiting to be discovered by someone new.
