Hieronymus Bosch (b.1450 - d.1516) gets my vote for his sheer courage. He created his art at a time in history when it was very dangerous to depict images such as his. Artists were routinely punished to various degrees for producing what the Church considered blasphemous and dangerous works. Despite the personal danger to himself he painted what he was compelled to paint. Bosch's art inspired the likes of
H.R.Giger and his "biomechanics" and nearly every other well-known "dark" or "fanatsy" artist today. Therefore, he is what I would consider my favorite.
Btw, in terms of Classical artists, nobody will ever touch
Michelangelo...
