Ten Greatest American Works of Art 10. Petunia No. 2 Georgia OKeeffe 9.

. Call of the Wild Jack London 8. Harry Potter series J.K. Rowling 7. 1984 George Orwell 6. Christinas World Andrew Wyeth 5. The Color Purple Alice Walker 4. Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck 3. The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne 2. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain 1. To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee Georgia OKeeffe was a major figure in American art, playing a pivotal role in the

development of American modernism as it related to the European avant-garde movement. Her use of intense color and experimentation with scale has made her style one of the most recognized internationally. While all of O Keeffes works showcase this experimental and innovative movement in art and culture, she is especially known for her in-depth and close up abstract renderings of flowers. Petunia No. 2 is of particularly significance, as it is her first large scale depiction of a flower and the start of what would become one of her signature themes. The flower is abstracted though still realistically defined, and OKeeffe achieved a watercolor effect despite

the medium of oil on canvas. She once said that people rarely take the time to observe the beauty in nature that surrounds them, and so she painted what she saw in each flower large enough so that others could see it. Call of the Wild For a time, sales of the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling eclipsed that of the

Bible, the all-time bestseller. It is a heartfelt tale of strength and kindness, courage and acceptance, challenging those who believe in the greatness of power over love. As a story of a wizarding school, it has unmistakable originality. Suspenseful and brilliantly written, it calls for readers to believe in the possibility of an extraordinary and unknown world coexisting alongside our own. 1984 by George Orwell paints a stark portrait of a bleak future world in which

Communism has overtaken the world and expanded exponentially in power. Andrew Wyeth created Christinas World three years after his fathers death,

during which his style changed significantlyhis landscapes were barren and tones became muted. Christinas World was inspired by Christina Olson, an acquaintance of Wyeths who was stricken with polio but eschewed a wheelchair and crawled around the Maine farm depicted in the painting. This work has a note of plaintive grief and seems to symbolize suffering courageously borne. Its subject and style are particularly innovative, and it plays a large part in popular culture. Writers and filmmakers refer to it, and a surprisingly large number of people owned a copy during the time period. The Color Purple The Great Gatsby

The Scarlet Letter The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn