I prefer abstract to figurative work, but I have to say some of my favorite figurative painters are Willem DeKooning, John Singer Sargent, Jenny Seville, Dana Schutz, Alice Neil, Kippenberger, Jan Steen (whose work always makes me laugh), Frans Hals, Diego Velasquez, and Jan Vermeer.
Dana Schutz and Alice Neil are my favorites.
I like Emil Nolde more for his landscapes and water colors.