Who are the greatest photographers of the 20th Century?
When you hear a question like that, you know that David W. Galenson, a professor of economics at the University of Chicago, is at it again.
Galenson is the guy who takes a statistical approach to such questions. His new list, just published as a working paper by the National Bureau of Economic Research, provides the answer, based on research that parallels his previous work. In July 2008, he ranked the greatest architects of the 20th Century; in February 2007, he ranked the greatest women artists of the 20th century, and in December 2005, he ranked the greatest artists of the 20th century. (All were also published as working papers by NBER.)