
Who doesn't like a list? And they are everywhere--from the
American Film Insitute's best 100 films of all time to
Rolling Stone's 500 greatest songs to David Letterman's nightly Top 10. And, of course, the art world
likes its lists, too, with most list-makers pointing to Diego
Velazquez'
Las Meninas "Ladies in Waiting"; Rembrandt van Rijn's
The Night Watch, Leonardo da Vinci's
Mona Lisa; Vincent van Gogh's
The Starry Night;
and Michelangelo Buonarroti's Sistine Chapel ceiling as some of the
most monumental works. Maybe the reason we like lists is that we enjoy
taking argument with
them--what's on the list that shouldn't be, and what's missing from the
list. Being a fan of this game, I decided it was time we created our
own list for
The Pastel Journal of "the greatest pastel paintings of all time," and we want your input. What specific painting do you think should make the list? The temptations are plenty with incredible
pastel works by Degas, Redon, Cassatt, Liotard and Millet--for
starters. And then there are a number of contemporary painters, such as Wolf Kahn, who are certainly worthy of consideration (pictured here is Kahn's
In the Gloaming pastel, 11x14). Ready to vote? You can contribute
to the discussion here or at our
artist's network forum where we've already seen votes
for a Whistler, a Redon and a William Merritt Chase.