Best Paintings of all time

John Singer Sargent's (1856-1925) 'El Jaleo' is an almost 12 feet wide loosely desaturated painting with a fantastic composition and a great sense of movement not very common in other Sargent's works. It's like if the dancer is about to do one of those energetic flamenco dancing moves. The absence of a barrier between the viewer and the dancer makes for an illusion that we are present at the event. The lightning effect helps to create this sensation, as if the viewer is somehow the source of the light that illuminates all the painting. It's somehow reminiscent of the "stage ballerina's" of Degas which Sargent probably admired and it's definitely a favorite of mine.