Klee, Paul
Strange Glance
1930
Oil on canvas
25 3/4 x 15 in. (65.4 x 38.1 cm)
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This barely visible image comes from abstract artist Paul Klee.  To be abstract, the image does not necessarily represent the object which it depicts.   Here, the face is barely visible, but is quite clearly a distorted image of a face.  The opacity, the blending of the face with the background intensifies the abstractness of the work.

Hopper, Edward
Nighthawks
1942
Oil on canvas
33 1/8 x 60 in. (84.1 x 152.4 cm)
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One of the most famous images of modern art, this night scene depicts the loneliness of strangers dining at night.  Notice the use of light and shade; how the light fades into shadow to depict the isolation of the patrons of the cafe.  It is purported that the woman is in fact the artist's wife.

Seurat, Georges Pierre
A Sunday on La Grande Jatte -- 1884
1884-1886
Oil on canvas
81 3/4 x 121 1/4"; 207.6 x 308 cm
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Arguably the most famous post-impressionist work, this is probably the finest example of pointillism to be created.  Depicting a warm Sunday on the Island of La Grand Jatte, this melting pot of classes relax after church, the only day off for many of the lower class workers.  The palette was restricted to only certain colors, with no overlap.  The optical science employed is not very different then a television set, where small dots of colors, when viewed from a distance, creates an image.   The image however, looks very posed...the people are static, almost as if frozen in time.

van Gogh, Vincent

The Starry Night over the Rhone, 1888
Oil on canvas
72.5 x 92 cm
Musée d’Orsay, Paris ____________________________________
Probably one of the most famous painters, van Gogh painted two versions of this painting, one of the only works of his I actually like.  This is a gorgeous view, with it's bright yellows and deep blues creating a a clear and calm night.  Notice the reflection of light from the buildings in the water.  This image, however, does not do justice to the actual painting.