In your opinion, what is the most beautiful work of art ever made?

Starry Night, by Van Gogh.
hands down, the most gorgeous painting ever.

For music, Lacrimosa from Requiem by Mozart.
ugh, gives me chills

For automobiles, Dodge Charge 1970.

For books, it depends on my mood. I really like Divine Comedy because the writing is absolutely gorgeous, however.

For architecture, L’Hemispheric in Valencia, Spain and the other building whose name that I can’t remember.

A drive through the Adirondack Park in the Fall, but then again, I am biased. Starry Night comes close.

Music The Four Seasons composed by Vivaldi
Painting The Cafe Terrace
Car Aston Martin DB9
Book The Bible
Building Chrysler Building

There are lots more in those categories, but who can list them all?

Human females, easy

Painting: Dali ~ The Christ of St. John on the Cross

Music: Albinoni ~ Adagio in G Minor

I’ve always loved Betty by Gerard Richter. I thought it was a photograph until I read “oil on canvas” and that little mindfuck really made it stick out in my memory. That link doesn’t do it justice FYI…

I know this is going to sound really lame, but I know nothing of art, only what is artful to my eyes. I love and appreciate silhouettes of the female body, particularly when the body is very curvy. It shows the essential feminine prowess that is only exclusive to this beautiful species. Or simply a woman standing in certain poses, it can be a picture, a painting etc. but the female body is very glorious to me lol.

Also…the Nissan GT-R and the past models of the Nissan Skyline the look of that car just makes chemicals secrete in my brain lol.

@iammia The music is stunning. That blew me away. :)

@Adirondackwannabe I find it invigorating, must be listened to with eyes closed for the full effect :)

I’m gonna narrow this down, for me, to man-made and on purpose art, because there’s too much in the natural world and “oops, that’s art” categories.

Probably whatever I’m presently listening to… sometimes that’s not true, but generally.

@iammia Eyes closed is much nicer. The images are interesting but they actually detract from the music. I’m not familiar with the composer. Showing my ignorance but can you tell me more about him?

I cannot choose the most beautiful one ever made, but I can provide one of my favourites: Nike of Somathrace. I’m a big Impressionist / Post-Impressionist fan as well.

@Adirondackwannabe Just one of the many composers i’ve come to appreciate in the past few years…this should help you out

@iammia Thanks for that. I’m going to have to look for some of his work next time I’m in the music store.
Yes guys I am a dinosaur. I still buy cd’s :) and read the newspapers
Edit: This is one of the things that makes fluther so great. New stuff I wouldn’t have found elsewhere. yea

@iammia Beautiful music. Made my morning.

Anything by Claude Monet.

This is one of the most heart-breaking and beautiful songs to me. The movie Requiem For A Dream may very well be one of the most beautiful pieces of art to me, too

The Scream has always touched me in ways I can barely explain. Just look at Munch’s words regarding his painting “I was walking along a path with two friends — the sun was setting — suddenly the sky turned blood red — I paused, feeling exhausted, and leaned on the fence — there was blood and tongues of fire above the blue-black fjord and the city — my friends walked on, and I stood there trembling with anxiety — and I sensed an infinite scream passing through nature.”

I could choose thousands more. The world is full of beautiful things and people.

I’m a bit of an art-tard, but the most powerful painting I’ve ever seen is The Horse Fair by Rosa Bonheur.

I saw the Turner to Cezanne exhibition this past summer. 64 pieces by the greats of the impressionist era. Talk about overload. That was incredible.

I just asked my girlfriend this question via Facebook email:

Jen _____ September 21 at 11:05am
I have always wondered, what is your favorite piece of art?

Nikki ______ September 21 at 11:07am
Your body…=)

I’m a beauty addict, too much to ever list.

One of my fav. pieces of artwork is by an unknown local painter I purchased a huge canvas from a few years ago that handgs in my living room.

An amazing, abstract oceanic work on a 5×5 canvas.

It was an un-named piece and I was given the honor to name it as the buyer.

I call it ’ Ascension of mind’ as it reminds me of crossing from the dark waters of ego and rising to enlightenment through the layers of mind.

Here is a pic in my avatar…not very good, but an idea anyway.

I just placed it on a big wall I painted a metallic bronze color, very striking!

This painting
Van Gogh was amazing

Anything my kids made in kindergarden, which I lovingly hold on to and for me are the greatest works of art.

Bernini’s sculpture, The Rape of Persephone. It may not depict the most romantic moment in mythological history, but I love this sculpture.

Bernini gets me with the incredible skill in his detail. The dimples in Persephone’s flesh, the hands…it just takes my breath away. I’ll find myself just staring at pictures of it, wondering how in the world something so beautiful and moving could be rendered from stone.

I love Thomas Kinkade. He is the painter of light. It would be hard for me to pick one piece.
here

Besides a woman’s body, I have and cherish such a long list of favorite books, paintings, musical compositions, and movies, I wouldn’t know where to start. I remember asking my mother when I was a teenager why, with our ability to create so much beauty, there was so much ugliness in the world (war, poverty, terrorism, sickness, racism, and on and on). I don’t recall her reply, but I do recall that it didn’t answer my question. I’ve never stopped wondering.

Like @Ltryptophan Human males, are beautiful too. Ahh, to feast on a beautiful male bod. Ladies this is for you.
Probably NSFW

@AmWiser Nice

@Frenchfry what? The song or the pics. tehehehe.

@AmWiser the pics.

@timtrueman is “betty” a painting or photograph? It is nice.

Melting Clock at Moment
of First Explosion

by Salvador Dali

@anartist painting!

I’m going to say this…....at least I THINK it is!!

The Statue of Liberty.

Visually attractive – but the amount of meaning that it has been imbued with is beyond measure.

The Universe itself(this doesn’t mean I say God create it,I do not think this,I’m just saying that Universe is an work of art)

As far as I know, we all live on it.

@timtrueman by whom?

Starry Night by Van Gogh

and this

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:William-Adolphe_Bouguereau_(1825-1905)-_The_Broken_Pitcher(1891).jpg

I love etched glass There is also a glorious glass chandelier in San Francisco that I would call the most beautiful, but I can’t find it. Similar to this but more colors

I don’t know. I’m a Rembrandt/Picasso person.

I have to say, and anyone that knows me well, knows that I do not brag and am not up my own butt, but I really do love my own paintings…I haven’t done many but I am always surprised when I do one that I am really proud of and I think that that is art in itself…the fact that I’ve created something without being trained or too contrived. Art that comes from this place is beautiful art. I love everyone’s idea’s on this thread and I’m sooo glad I found it before i went to bed because no doubt it would have disappeared by morning….

I usually like to take my own pictures of the enviroment around me. I love taking pictures of lakes, ponds, rivers, hills, the countryside and falltime. Some of these I post on my avatars. I like religious pictures as well (especially the older ones of Jesus I’ve found in my attic). I love pictures of sunrise/sunsets as well.

I was in the Smithsonian National Gallery of American Art, and saw a series on the four seasons of life. I don’t recall the artist, but that might have been the most incredible art I have ever seen.

Thanks everyone for your answers! I must say, you are people of taste.

The stained glass reminded me of another. The Chapel at West Point. Incredible stained glass.