1. The Old Guitarist, 1903, Pablo Picasso, Art Institute of Chicago

This has always been one of my favorites and I’ve probably seen it over a dozen times in person. It must be the Elliott Smith vibe that draws me to it. See the rest after the jump.

2. Number VII from Eight Studies for a Portrait, 1953, Francis Bacon, MoMA, New York

Francis Bacon’s work is ever more jarring up close and personal!

3. The Joy of Life, 1905-06, Henri Matisse, The Barnes Foundation, Merion, PA

It may have been the fact that this painting had been sequestered in the Barnes Foundation for decades that made it so incredible to see.

4. Christina’s World, 1948, Andrew Wyeth, MoMA, New York

I visited the MoMA in NYC for the first time last Fall and I couldn’t get over all the incredible modern art in its collection. The piece that had the most unexpected effect on me was this Wyeth painting. I honestly had never really been a Wyeth fan, but, when I turned the corner and met this face to face, I was speechless. You can’t help but feel the desperation of Christina as your drawn into that field with her. It also doesn’t hurt that my favorite comic book ever, Preacher, pays homage to this incredible painting.

5. Bicycle Wheel, 1951, Marcel Duchamp, MoMA, New York

I don’t think I ever appreciated Duchamp’s work until seeing this piece. Both fine artists and musicians get a bonus for changing the course of their respective fields, and Duchamp’s readymades changed modern art. His work keeps all creatives asking themselves “What is art?”