Osso, I know the question is "What is the GREATEST painting in England?" That I cannot answer since I do not really have objective criteria for making that determination. There are criteria for differentiating good from bad paintings, but not for determining the "best" among ten great paintings. Therefore I have merely selected the one I personally prefer, the one that floats my boat best.
I actually liked one of the six alternates better than the ten finalists, but of the group on offer to the BBC radio audience (interesting competition - paintings judged by a radio audience), the Hockney would be my selection. Something nicely detached about it. The skating reverend almost had me, but the Hockney was (to my eye) the only one that couldn't have been painted anywhere else.
I like the skating rev too. On Hockney, maybe I am too close to it/him/them.
On Turner, I was just nattering, you're welcome to your choices.
I still think that the selections are, in several cases, not among the key works of some artists, and it throws me off a bit.
Let's say it was between the two. I happen to like both Turner and Piero della Francesca. I suspect P. is more important in history, but don't know that - it may be the opposite - and I don't care in any case.
But, what of each painting relative to each artist's works?
Which is why I said I don't know enough.
I think part of the problem, if it is a problem, is that we've tried to make this an artistic assessment -which is not what this is about.
This is more like the survey about who's the greatest American - didn't the BBC listeners/viewers pick Homer Simpson?
It's a popular culture thingie, not so much an academic exercise. The popular culture angle helps me "appreciate" the more chocolate box selections they've got as the top ten.
Yes the skating rev is a charming "shape." And I agree that the fact that these examples of artists' painting sometmes present problems in choosing. I think, for example, that Van Gogh's oeuvre includes paintings far superior to that shown here. Same with Turner.
@Clary,
This is by John Constable, not Turner!
@Dale Dalton,
Did you read her post? She said it was by Constable.
