1: American Gothic
The painting American Gothic by Grant Wood is one of the most recognizable paintings in American Art. It is housed in the Art Institute of Chicago, about 300 miles from the actual American Gothic House (the house in the background that inspired the artist’s work).
2: Starry Night
By Vincent Van Gogh (1889) at MoMA. Arguably Van Gogh’s most famous painting resides in New York City. You can also see his Wheat Field with Cypresses at the MET, his Irises at the Getty Center in Los Angeles, portraits at the Detroit Institute of Art and the National Gallery in DC, and The Bedroom at the Art Institute of Chicago.
3: Les Demoiselles d’Avignon
By Pablo Picasso (1907) at MoMA .While you’re at MOMA, DO NOT MISS this Picasso masterpiece. One of Picasso’s most famous works, it was a seminal work in the development of Cubism. Want another state-side cubist classic? Head to the Philadelphia Museum of Art to see Duchamp’s Nude Descending a Staircase (No. 2).
4: Rembrandt
His Self-Portrait (1659) at the National Gallery in Washington, DC is one of my personal favorites. Starting to fear you DO have to travel to Europe to see an “Old Master”? Don’t worry about that. There are a whole host of famous Rembrandts in the US, including this iconic portrait in DC — and others at the MET, DIA, Getty, Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, MFA in Houston, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, LACMA, Indianapolis Museum of Art, and the Frick Collection
5: Woman with a Water Jug
There are a total of 34 paintings attributed to Johannes Vermeer, with 12 of them residing in the United States. My personal favorite is shown here, but the Metropolitan Museum of Art holds four more. The National Gallery and the Frick Collection both have three, and there is one more that is missing and owned by the Gardner Museum.
6. Campbell’s Soup Cans
By Andy Warhol (1962) at MoMA. What would any list of art in America be without a little Warhol MoMA has an expansive Warhol collection including the cans, Marilyn and Mao. But there’s much more Warhol to be had at many museums including the Guggenheim, MOCA in Los Angeles, and the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh.
7. A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte
This painting by George Seurat is one of the most famous in the world. It was painted in France but now resides in the United States. It has inspired a Broadway musical and has been featured in a major motion picture.
8. Nighthawks
By Edward Hopper (1942) at the Art Institute of Chicago. While you’re in Chicago, DO NOT MISS another all-American classic and one of the most recognizable paintings in the world. This Hopper original has graced the walls of many of 20-something’s first apartments.
9: Cow’s Skull: Red, White, and Blue
By Georgia O’Keeffe (1931) at the Met. Frankly, I argued with myself on whether to include one of O’Keeffe’s iconic flowers or her skulls, and I went with a skull because, in person, this image is arresting. But while seeking out O’Keeffe’s don’t stop at the Met. You can head to MoMA or the Brooklyn Museum or, of course, head out to Santa Fe to visit the astounding Georgia O’Keeffe Museum.
10: One: Number 31, 1950
There are many incredible works of art to see in the United States, by artists such as Degas, Monet, Botticelli, and Titian. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to experience some of the world’s greatest art firsthand.
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