ABOVE: tiny slices of the shortlisted paintings in the “Greatest Painting” contest being held by the British National Gallery in London. Voting goes until September 4.

The brits started all this “greatest this” and “greatest that” nonsense with their “Greatest Briton” contest in 2002, and the concept has spread worldwide faster than H5N1 Avian Flu, and will soon culminate, we’re sure, in a live television unveiling of a list of the “Greatest cat food can label manufacturer.” Now the National Gallery in London is going ahead with its “Greatest Painting in Britain” contest, and the shortlist of ten potentially great paintings was announced yesterday. They are (as pictured above from left to right):

1. Jan Van Eyck, The Arnolfini Portrait
2. Piero della Francesca, The Baptism of Christ
3. William Hogarth, A Rake’s Progress
4. Henry Raeburn, Revd Dr Robert Walker Skating on Duddingston Loch
5. John Constable, The Hay Wain
6. JMW Turner, The Fighting Temeraire
7. Ford Madox Brown, The Last of England
8. Edouard Manet, A Bar at the Folies-Bergère
9. Van Gogh, Sunflowers
10. David Hockney, Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy (not pictured)

The Hockney painting, the website helpfully informs us, cannot be displayed “due to copyright restrictions,” (proving yet again the total slobbering idiocy of 21st century copyright law) so, um, try to imagine how great it is. Voting goes until Sept. 4 and then the ranking will be revealed on the BBC’s Today show. Which, by the way, is a radio show. This is stupid. We’re leaving. [footsteps, door slamming]

LINK: National Gallery > The Greatest Painting in Britain Poll