People’s Choice: Your Top 25 Works of Art in the Collection

Henry Vianden, *Landscape with Mountains and River*, n.d. Oil on canvas. Milwaukee Art Museum, Gift of Frederick Vogel III on behalf of the family of Louise Pfister Vogel and Fred Vogel, Jr. Photo credit John R. Glembin

Happy birthday, Milwaukee Art Museum! You’re looking pretty good for 125, if we do say so ourselves. To celebrate the Museum’s anniversary, we’ve got a whole lot of stuff going on. From concurrent exhibitions to community days, your 125th is going to go down in style.

Beyond events, though, and (mostly) in seriousness, as part of the 125th Anniversary, I’m excited to share some of the detailed breakouts of the most popular works of art in the Collection! Some of you may remember voting for your favorite artworks in the Kohl’s Art Generation Lab.

Wondering what the people’s choice works were? Check out the breakdown below!

When we calculated the top 25 works, we had over 265,000 votes racked up for 186 objects in the Collection. We average about 3 votes per person walking into the space. If you’d like a detailed breakout of exactly how we tabulate votes, check out this previous blog post on the Lab.

In this post, I’ll share the top 25 works of art voted on by you with their total votes and popularity percentage. It was close, guys. You can see these works in person in the galleries (as long as they’re on view) by looking for the below special label we’ve made in honor of the 125th Anniversary.

One quick note before we dive in: The top 25 were counted not by number of votes, but by popularity. Since we randomly rotated the pieces you could vote on in the Lab, giving you a choice of two at a time, not all are seen equally. So, the most popular works were the ones that had the highest percent of votes vs. views. Here we go!

#1 Henry Vianden, with 1987 votes / 2947 views – 67.42% popularity

#2 Jules Bastien-LePage, with 2007 votes / 2991 vies – 67.10% popularity

Older man with wood on his back and a little child running in front — Jules Bastien-Lepage, *Le Père Jacques Le Père Jacques (The Wood Gatherer)*, 1881. Oil on canvas. Layton Art Collection, Gift of Mrs. E. P. Allis and her daughters in memory of Edward Phelps Allis. Photo credit John R. Glembin

#3 Jean Léon Gérôme, with 2026 votes / 3024 views – 67.00% popularity

Jean-Léon Gérôme (French, 1824–1904), *The Two Majesties (Les Deux Majestés)*, 1883. Oil on canvas. Layton Art Collection, Gift of Louis Allis. Photo credit Larry Sanders

#4 Gustave Caillebotte, with 1976 votes / 2973 views – 66.46% popularity

Gustave Caillebotte (French, 1848–1894), *Boating on the Yerres (Périssoires sur l’Yerres)*, 1877. Oil on canvas. Milwaukee Art Museum, Gift of the Milwaukee Journal Company, in honor of Miss Faye McBeath. Photo credit John R. Glembin

#5 Robert S. Duncanson, with 1934 votes / 2915 views – 66.35% popularity

Robert S. Duncanson (American, 1821–1872), *Minneopa Falls*, 1862. Oil on canvas. Milwaukee Art Museum, Purchase, Andrew A. Ziegler Fund. Photo credit John R. Glembin

#6 Tara Donovan, with 1942 votes / 2939 views – 66.08% popularity

Tara Donovan (American, b. 1969)*, Bluffs*, 2009. Buttons and glue. Milwaukee Art Museum, Purchase, with funds from the Contemporary Art Society. Photo credit G.R. Christmas/ Courtesy The Pace Gallery. © Tara Donovan

#7 Edwin Landseer, with 1963 votes / 3000 views – 65.43% popularity

Edwin Landseer (English, 1802–1873), *Portrait of a Terrier, The Property of Owen Williams, ESQ., M.P. (Jocko with a Hedgehog)*, 1828. Oil on canvas. Milwaukee Art Museum. Gift of Erwin C. Uihlein. Photo credit Larry Sanders

#8 Claude Monet, with 2019 votes / 3097 views – 65.19% popularity

Claude Monet (French, 1840–1926), *Waterloo Bridge, Sunlight Effect*, ca. 1900 (dated 1903). Oil on canvas. Milwaukee Art Museum, Bequest of Mrs. Albert T. Friedmann. Photo credit John R. Glembin

#9 Harvey K. Littleton, with 1958 votes / 3024 views – 64.75% popularity

Harvey K. Littleton (American, b. 1922), *Lemon/Red Crown*, 1989. Blown and drawn glass, cut and polished. Milwaukee Art Museum, Gift of Peter and Grace Friend, Mr. and Mrs. Wayne J. Roper, Laurence and Judy Eiseman, Dr. and Mrs. Jurgen Herrmann, Dr. and Mrs. Leander Jennings, Nita Soref, Marilyn and Orren Bradley, Mr. and Mrs. Frank J. Pelisek, Dr. and Mrs. Robert Mann, Burton C. and Charlotte Zucker, James Brachman, Mr. and Mrs. John F. Monroe, Mr. and Mrs. Donald Wiiken, Elmer L. Winter, Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Goldfarb, Mr. Ben W. Heineman, Mr. and Mrs. Norman Hyman, Janey and Douglas MacNeil, and Friends. Photo credit Efraim Lev-er. © Harvey K. Littleton

#10 Maurice de Vlaminck, with 1907 votes / 2978 views – 64.04% popularity

Maurice de Vlaminck (French, 1876–1958), *The Wheat Field (Champs de Ble)*, ca. 1906. Oil on canvas. Milwaukee Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Harry Lynde Bradley. Photo credit Efraim Lev-er. ©2010 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris

#11 Beth Lipman, with 1805 votes / 2848 views – 63.38% popularity

Various glassware stacked and laid out on top of a short, black, wooden table — Beth Lipman, *Laid Table (Still Life with Metal Pitcher)*, 2007. Blown, sculpted, lamp-worked, and kiln-formed glass on wood table. 85 × 103 × 96 in. (215.9 × 261.62 × 243.84 cm). Purchase, Jill and Jack Pelisek Endowment, Jack Pelisek Funds, and various donors by exchange M2009.48. Photo credit by John R. Glembin © Beth Lipman

#12 Cornelia Parker, with 1904 votes / 3006 views – 63.34% popularity

Cornelia Parker (English, b. 1956), *Edge of England*, 1999. Chalk, wire, and wire mesh. Gift of Friends of Art M2000.89. Photo by Larry Sanders

#13 Henry Hamilton Bennett, with 1846 votes / 2921 views – 63.20% popularity

Henry Hamilton Bennett (American, 1843–1908), *Lone Rock with Canoe, Wisconsin Dells*, ca. 1890s–1908. Gelatin silver printing-out paper. Milwaukee Art Museum, Gift of H. H. Bennett Studio Foundation, Inc. Photo credit Larry Sanders

#14 Edmund Charles Tarbell, with 1900 votes / 3027 views – 62.77% popularity

Edmund Charles Tarbell (American, 1862–1938), *Three Sisters— A Study in June Sunlight*, 1890. Oil on canvas. Milwaukee Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Montgomery Sears. Photo credit John R. Glembin

#15 Francisco de Zurbarán, with 1872 votes / 2989 views – 62.63% popularity

Man in brown hooded robe looking down at a skull in his hands — Francisco de Zurbarán (Spanish, 1598–1664), *Saint Francis of Assisi in His Tomb*, 1630/34. Oil on canvas. Milwaukee Art Museum, Purchase. Photo credit John R. Glembin

#16 Artist from Murano, Italy, Nef Ewer, with 1816 votes / 2985 views – 62.58% popularity

Murano, Italy, *Nef Ewer*, Late 16th century. Colorless cristallo and blue glass with gilded ornamentation. Milwaukee Art Museum, Gift of Gabriele Flagg Pfeiffer. Photo credit John Nienhuis

#17 Andreas Gursky, with 1832 votes / 2933 views – 62.46% popularity

Andreas Gursky (German, b. 1955). San Francisco, 1998. Chromogenic print. Milwaukee Art Museum, Purchase, Erich C. Stern Fund in memory of Lucia K. Stern and the Richard and Ethel Herzfeld Foundation Acquisition Fund. Photo credit Matthew Marks Gallery © Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn — Andreas Gursky (German, b. 1955), *San Francisco*, 1998. Chromogenic print. Milwaukee Art Museum, Purchase, Erich C. Stern Fund in memory of Lucia K. Stern and the Richard and Ethel Herzfeld Foundation Acquisition Fund. Photo credit Matthew Marks Gallery © Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

#18 Probably Johann Loetz Witwe Glassworks, with 1892 votes / 3040 views – 62.24% popularity

Probably Johann Löetz Witwe Glassworks (Klostermühle, Austria, 1836–1947), Metalwork by La Pierre Manufacturing Company (New York, 1885–1893, and Newark, New Jersey, 1893–1929), Vase, ca. 1905. Glass with silver overlay. Milwaukee Art Museum, Gift of Warren Gilson. Photo credit Steve Rahn — Probably Johann Löetz Witwe Glassworks (Klostermühle, Austria, 1836–1947), Metalwork by La Pierre Manufacturing Company (New York, 1885–1893, and Newark, New Jersey, 1893–1929), *Vase*, ca. 1905. Glass with silver overlay. Milwaukee Art Museum, Gift of Warren Gilson. Photo credit Steve Rahn

#19 Jan van Os, with 1870 votes / 3006 views – 62.21% popularity

Multi-colored flowers overflowing in vase — Jan van Os (Dutch, 1744–1808), *Flowers in Terra-cotta Vase*, after 1780. Oil on panel. Layton Art Collection, Gift of Frederick Layton. Photo credit John R. Glembin

#20 William James Glackens, with 1829 votes / 2947 views – 62.06% popularity

Tugboats out on the ocean — William James Glackens (American, 1870–1938), *Breezy Day, Tugboats, New York Harbor*, ca. 1910. Oil on canvas. 26 x 31 3/4 in. (66.04 x 80.65 cm). Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Donald B. Abert and Mrs. Barbara Abert Tooman. M1974.230. Photo by John Nienhuis and Dedra Walls

#21 Andy Warhol, with 1929 votes/ 3109 views – 62.05% popularity

Milwaukee Art Museum Gift of Mrs. Harry Lynde Bradley M1977.156 Photo credit Efraim Lev-er © 2008 Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

#22 Robert Havell Jr., after John James Audubon, with 1833 votes / 2962 views – 61.88% popularity

Robert Havell, Jr. (Amercian, b. England 1793–1878), after John James Audubon (American, b. Santo Domingo [now Haiti], 1785–1851), American Flamingo (Phoenicopter Ruber. Linn.), No. 87, pl. CCCCXXXI (431); from "The Birds of America", 1838. Hand-colored engraving with aquatint. Milwaukee Art Museum, Gift of Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company. Photo credit John R. Glembin — Robert Havell, Jr. (Amercian, b. England 1793–1878), after John James Audubon (American, b. Santo Domingo [now Haiti], 1785–1851), *American Flamingo (Phoenicopter Ruber. Linn.), No. 87, pl. CCCCXXXI (431)*; from *“The Birds of America”*, 1838. Hand-colored engraving with aquatint. Milwaukee Art Museum, Gift of Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company. Photo credit John R. Glembin

#23 Mummy Coffin of Pedusiri, 1802 votes 2913 views – 61.86% popularity

Egyptian, Late Dynastic or Early Greco-Roman Period. Mummy Coffin of Pedusiri, ca. 500–250 BC. Plastered, polychromed, and gilded wood. Milwaukee Art Museum, Purchase. Photo credit Michael Tropea — Egyptian, Late Dynastic or Early Greco-Roman Period, *Mummy Coffin of Pedusiri*, ca. 500–250 BC. Plastered, polychromed, and gilded wood. Milwaukee Art Museum, Purchase. Photo credit Michael Tropea

#24 Harry Callahan, with 1727 votes / 2818 views – 61.28% popularity

Harry Callahan (American, 1912–1999), Chicago, ca. 1948. Gelatin silver print, printed 1950s. Milwaukee Art Museum, Purchase, with funds from the Ralph and Cora Oberndorfer Family Trust. Photo credit John R. Glembin. © The Estate of Harry Callahan, Courtesy Pace/MacGill Gallery, New York

#25 Karl Friedrich Schinkel, with 1799 votes / 2940 views – 61.19% popularity

Karl Friedrich Schinkel (German, 1781–1841). A Gothic Cathedral behind Trees, ca. 1813/15. Pen and gray ink and watercolor over graphite. Milwaukee Art Museum, Purchase, René von Schleinitz Memorial Fund. Photo credit Larry Sanders — Karl Friedrich Schinkel (German, 1781–1841), *A Gothic Cathedral behind Trees*, ca. 1813/15. Pen and gray ink and watercolor over graphite. Milwaukee Art Museum, Purchase, René von Schleinitz Memorial Fund. Photo credit Larry Sanders

There we have it! Were you surprised by the rankings? Any you agree or disagree with?

By the way, if you’re upset that your favorite among these Top 25 isn’t first, then come back to the Museum and vote! The Lab currently displays just these top 25. For example, if you want that Lipman glass still life sculpture in the top 5 (not that I’m biased or anything…), get into the Kohl’s Art Generation Lab and tap your vote into the touchscreens.

Thanks for voting and we hope you’ll join us this spring and summer in celebrating our 125th Anniversary!

Chelsea Emelie Kelly was the Museum’s Manager of Digital Learning. In addition to working on educational technology initiatives like the Kohl’s Art Generation Lab and this blog, she oversaw and taught teen programs.

7 replies on “People’s Choice: Your Top 25 Works of Art in the Collection”

This list is beyond bizarre…

Hi Ralph, it’s an eclectic mix! Curators chose highlights from their collections to populate the 186 total works to choose from, and then visitors chose their favorites–so it’s not the traditional thematic or chronological story, but definitely gives us some great information about the top choices.

[…] you may know from reading Chelsea Kelly’s last blog post, the Milwaukee Art Museum is celebrating its 125th anniversary–-commemorating the big year with […]

We visited Milwaukee in September and attended the Art Museum. Unfortunately they could not give us a list of the top 25 peoples choices. Too bad. Luckily we saw the postcard for the two majesties piece and located it. Great trip but would have loved to have been given the do not miss list. By the way grew up in Milwaukee and the St Francis picture scared us no end as kids. My brother asked me to see it and I found out he is touring France. Building magnificent, did sunset and sunrise photos. Milwaukee wonderful.Was born and raised there, thinking about retiring there,

Hi Susan, thanks so much for visiting and for your comment! It is a great idea to have this list available at our admissions desks so our visitor services staff can share it with anyone who is interested, and we’ll make sure it happens! Thanks for sharing your reflections and memories, too (the St. Francis is definitely a foreboding painting!). We hope to see you at the Museum many more times in the future!

I have inherited a beautiful piece of artwork. Upon googling the piece, I found your website. How can I find the value?

I have a framed 431. Flamingo (Phoenicopterus Ruber)

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