What is your favorite painting, who is the artist, and why?

Question: What is your favorite painting, who is the artist, and why!?
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Too many! Too many!

But I do love John Singer Sargent's "Fumee d'Ambre Gris" http://www!.topofart!.com/images/artists/J!.!.!. I love the light in this painting, and the intimacy of the subject !. !. !. as if we have stumbled on a private ceremonial moment!. !. !. !.

Another Sargent, "Lily, Lily, Rose" is delightful!. !. !.the light and the way he captured the time of day and time of youth!. !. !. !. http://www!.rosarian!.com/graphics/images/!.!.!.

And nearly every Bierstadt !. !. !. for the great experience of sitting before one of his immense canvases !. !. !. http://newsdesk!.si!.edu/images_full/image!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Sebastian Prether - The Eruption of Mt!. Vesuvius!. You have to see it in person to really appreciate it!. It's a small oil painting of the volcano that erupted and covered Pompeii!. It's beautiful and so photo realistic!. What is amazing though, it was painted in the late 1800's, there were no color photos then and you would swear it was a polaroid!.
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the runaway, by norman rockwell
when i was in first grade i had a favorite shirt that was yellow, and there was a cafe across the street from where i lived just like that in the picture, mom would give me some money sometimes and let me go over there by myself on a friday nite and i could get pie and milk
it was a treat, and i am fondly reminded of that time by that picture!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio
http://en!.wikipedia!.org/wiki/Image:Judit!.!.!. His wonderful use of light!. The depiction of Judith as disliking what she must do, yet being physically strong enough to do it!. No wimpy wispy virgin here!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

kandinsky, squares with concentric rings
water lilies (1907), monet
monet is my favorite artist!. he's just!.!.!. so amazing to me!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

http://www!.dali-gallery!.com/images/works!.!.!.
Salvador Dali,
dali art is rad! so imaginative and crazyWww@QuestionHome@Com

Starry Night by Van Gogh because it's really whimsical and beautifulWww@QuestionHome@Com