Claude Monet is one of my favorite artists. The Japanese Footbridge is a beautiful example of his work and one of my personal favorites.
Vincent van Gogh is another one of my favorite artists. In ENGLISH 391D, I redesigned a book of his letters and used The Starry Night as the cover image.
A lesser known piece of art that I find fascinating is "Four Talks" by Laurie Anderson. In a room in the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Anderson's paintings fill all surfaces with expressive illustrations and quotes.