A Classic Top Ten

Brace yourselves everyone, my inner art nerd is about to come out.  But give it a chance people.  We derive what we know from those who have come before us.  We learn from their mistakes and thrive on their innovations.  Therefore I present to you my picks for the top five artists from the renaissance to modern era with some witty commentary (as always).

In No Specific Order:

1. Artemisia Gentileschi

A Baroque Italian painter, Gentileschi was one of the greats of the period.  She brought a much needed female perspective into an extremely patriarchal field.  Gehtileschi challenged popular themes such as voyeurism and exploitation and created some of the most beautiful works of the time.

"Self Portrait" 1630

2.Theodore Gericault

 Géricault is often overlooked as one of the greats of the early Romantic Period.  He died as a young man leaving behind a legacy known as "The Raft of the Medusa."  He makes my top five for a few reasons; the beauty of his work; his striking composition, but most importantly, to create this masterpiece he studied rotting flesh and decomposing corpses for years, all for the sake of art.  I applaud that he was so committed to his work that he watched flesh rot just to make sure he got the lighting right.  

3. Hieronymus Bosch

An unsetting fellow is a gentle way to put it.  Hieronymous Bosch was best known for his triptychs in the early 16th century.  We all know that friend who is just a little bit off, correct?  The one who makes mildly uncomfortable jokes that are borderline creepy.  If Bosch were around today he would be that guy.  But he makes my top five for the sole reason that he was an innovator.  He pushed art to the new facet of being not just observed but imagined.  His "Garden of Earthly Delights" became his most famous work. The triptych develops beginning with a sort of Garden of Eden into a satanic, hedonistic, torture scene of hell.  Again, he is a mildly unsettling man.  But he was able to break the barrier and allowed to the imagination of an artist to roam free.

4. Gustave Courbet

Courbet was the original "stick it to the man" artist.  He became the most prominent member of the Realist movement, and is often accredited with its existence.  His color pallet is striking as well as his technique.  But he will be most remembered for his affinity for portraying the average person, a subject that had not yet been considered proper material for an artist to focus on.

5. Edgar Degas

Edgar and I share an obsession, ballet dancers.  Though it may seem as if that is the most obvious reason for his appearance on this list, it is not the only reason.  Degas experimented with movement and expression without sacrificing quality.  His use of color and brushstrokes mesmerize his viewers and brought life back into the equation.

I leave you now only with the list that would finish off my top ten.  I would love to discuss any of these artists and more with you.

6. Bernini

7. Donatello

8. Henry Ossawa Tanner

9. Caravaggio 

10. Jacques-Louis David