25 Works of Art You Need to See Before You Die

The art nerd's bucket list.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Art History 101 will give you an overview of art periods across time, highlighting pivotal works of art that every art-lover should know. This means, however, that a lot of important art becomes overshadowed by these "masterpieces." There are certain pieces that aren't necessarily famous but need to be seen, and seen in person, because of their cultural relevance, innovation, or sheer aesthetic beauty. We assure you that some of the art on this list would make Da Vinci's jaw drop. So we bid adieu to Michelangelo's David and Van Gogh's Starry Night. These are not the most famous works of art in history (although some of them are very well known), but a collection of the pieces you need to see up-close and in person. Here's 25 Works of Art You Need to See Before You Die, your real list of required museum visits. 

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25. Electronic Superhighway

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24. The Peacock Room

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23. Autumn Rhythm

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22. Three Flags

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21. "The Underbelly Project"

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Artist: 103 street artists
Location: International
Year Created: 2008-Present

It's unlikely that you will get to see the incredible collection of street art in "The Underbelly Project," a secret show of murals in abandoned subway stations, but the opportunity to sight the illegal works would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Over the last 5 years, 103 street artists have participated in this project, trespassing below ground to create murals that no one can see. According to Gothamist, the artists were attempting to create "a space in the world that collectors couldn't contaminate." "The Underbelly Project" is almost like the flip side of a show like "10 Years of Wooster Collective," which exhibited works from street art stars across the world this summer in a Chelsea gallery. While seeing the underground street art would involve trespassing into a hazardous area, if these spaces were open to the public one day, we would be the first to darn hardhats and head below ground.

Check out street artists at work in a Paris subway station below:

The Underbelly Project Paris from marine longuet on Vimeo.

20. Rothko Chapel

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19. Portrait of Silvia Elena

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18. Street Market

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17. Companion (Passing Through)

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16. Untitled (Big Man)

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15. Women Are Heros

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14. Dustheads

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13. The Means to an End...A Shadow Drama in Five Acts

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12. La Nona Ora (The Ninth Hour) or Pope Struck By a Meteorite

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11. "Sol LeWitt: A Wall Drawing Retrospective"

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10. Crack Is Wack

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9. The Cremaster Cycle

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8. The Dinner Party

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7. Sistine Chapel Ceiling

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6. The Garden of Earthly Delights

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5. Balloon Dog

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4. Torqued Ellipses

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3. Spiral Jetty

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2. Meeting Room

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1. Guernica

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