Over the centuries there have been a countless amount of inspiring and talented artists. In this article, I came up with a short list of three artists that every teen should know about. These are artists that I love and admire and believe that other teenagers will feel the same way. Please keep in mind that my list is imperfect, and I am totally open to suggestions. With that being said, in no particular order or ranking, here is my list of the three most important artists every teen should know about. 

1. Kehinde Wiley

Wiley is most famous for his beautiful presidential portrait of Barack Obama, which garnered national attention when it was unveiled in 2018. The world had never seen anything like it, as it marked a sharp departure from the traditional style that had defined presidential portraits for years; instead of being dark and formal, this painting has a sense of informality and contains vibrant colors.

Aside from his iconic painting of Obama, Wiley is most commonly known for his portraits of young Black men with dramatic floral backgrounds. With his art, he challenges stereotypes associated with Black men, such as violence and fear. Every teen needs to know about Kehinde Wiley and his artwork because not only does he produce beautiful works of art, but he is simultaneously working on making the world a better place. 

2. Michelangelo

Of course I had to include an artist from the Renaissance because it is one of the most significant time periods in Art History. When discussing the most famous Renaissance Artists, Leonardo da Vinci is almost always the winner. However, when discussing the best Renaissance artists, it is an entirely different debate and one can argue that Michelangelo reigns supreme.

Michelangelo painted the beautiful frescoes in the Sistine Chapel. Being one of the most popular tourist destinations in the entire world, the Sistine Chapel hosts around 6 million visitors a year. Not only was Michelangelo a fabulous painter, but he also mastered the art of sculpture, which is evident from his marble depiction of David. Michelangelo's David receives over a million visitors a year and is appreciated by many for its immaculate representation of the human anatomy. I included Michelangelo in this list because he is responsible for both the Sistine Chapel and David, which are masterpieces appreciated by millions of people to this day. 

3. Vincent van Gogh

Obviously, I had to include Van Gogh in this list because he created arguably the most famous painting of all time, The Starry Night. Many people know who Van Gogh was and how he cut off his own ear; however, few understand anything more than that. 

Van Gogh was a Post-Impressionist artist, meaning that his paintings often had visible brushstrokes, texture, vibrant colors, and real-life subject matter. 

Now, let's address the elephant in the room: Why did he chop off his own ear? The short story is he got in a fight with Paul Gauguin and it escalated into him cutting off a part of his ear. Shortly after the skirmish, he admitted himself into a mental asylum. At the asylum, he was encouraged to practice art and painted The Starry Night. 

Van Gogh struggled with mental illness his entire life, and in 1890, he shot himself in the chest and died two days later. Besides The Starry Night, Van Gogh left behind a plethora of beautiful works of art, including Wheat Field with Cypresses, Irises, and many self-portraits. 

Honorable Mention: Maya Lin

I wanted to include Maya Lin because I am so inspired by her story. She is not as well known as the other artists I mentioned, but she designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial when she was only 21 years old. Her memorial sparked national controversy because it was so simple and different from the other monuments in Washington DC. While the Lincoln and Washington Memorials are classical and white, the Vietnam Memorial has a modern appearance and is made out of highly polished black granite. I admire her courage and how she was unafraid to design such a unique and unprecedented national monument.