Artnet News asked leading curators and museum directors to share their favorite artworks of all time. Connie Butler of MoMA PS1 chose David Hammons's "Bliz-aard Ball Sale" (1983), praising its connection from Duchamp to AI. Julieta Gonzalez of the Wexner Center selected Hans Holbein the Younger's "The Ambassadors" (1533), highlighting its anamorphic skull as a metaphor for viewing modernity from the margins. Madeleine Grynsztejn of MCA Chicago picked Francisco Goya's "A Pilgrimage to San Isidro" (1819–23) from his Black Paintings cycle, calling it a metaphor for fanaticism.
This article matters because it offers rare insight into the personal tastes and critical frameworks of influential museum professionals, revealing how canonical works continue to shape curatorial thinking. By sharing their deeply subjective choices, these directors demonstrate that great art remains open to interpretation and evolves with each generation of viewers, reinforcing the enduring power of historical masterpieces to speak to contemporary concerns.