who is the most important ARTIST of all time?

Question

Imagine that only the art of your artist would exist and that all other art & artists would vanish forever (scary, huh?)

WHO WOULD YOU KEEP?
Michaelangelo? Rembrandt? Mozart? Hemmingway? Hendrix? WHO???
painting sculpting pop art writer composer musician etc...

who do you think was the best and why?
cheers!

Answer 1

Vincent van Gogh

http://www.vangoghgallery.com/

Answer 2

Wow. Intense. In terms of art, Edvard Munch's "The Scream" embodies the human condition and is the most significant work in history. Rodin's "The Thinker" is also an important work. Music...Vivaldi for me in terms of classical, but also Elton John and Queen are worthwhile. Writers--Salinger is great; Edith Wharton; Margaret Atwood, and I love Stephen King. Of course you know in asking this how hard it is to narrow anything down. I wouldn't want to have to give up any of the artists of the past or present because they contribute so much to our collective memory.

Answer 3

Let's begin by elimnating any pop artist because they are so derivative as to be almost faddish, so scratch Hendrix, Jim Morrisson, Warhol, etc. Keep only those who were true masters or innovators and narrow down to the one without whom all of the others since then could not have happened without. In art, you are left with Michelangelo. In scuplture, Titian. In music, Bach. And in literature, Homer.

Answer 4

Stephenie Meyer, the author of Twighlight, New Moon and the upcoming Eclipse

Answer 5

da Vinci, of course