Today I am going to tell you more about Chicago, this time about one of its museums.
Chicago is a city full of museums and it was impossible to want to see many during our one-week visit to the city last April, but I was certain about which one I wanted to visit if I only had to choose one, The Art Institute of Chicago.
One of the most important art museums in the United States among other things for its extensive collection of Impressionist art.
So one noon, after lunch with my son, we went to visit the museum which is located on Michigan Avenue adjacent to Grant Park.
The Building
These pictures of the museum building are not from the day I visited the museum, I forgot to take pictures of the outside of the building that day. But I did take some nice pictures the day I visited Millennium Park with my hubby.
The building underwent an expansion and this modern wing of the building can be admired from the flower field of the Lurie Garden in Millennium Park.
Entrance to the Exhibit Halls
We entered the museum through the main entrance on Michigan Avenue. And after buying the ticket. We climbed the stairs to access the exhibition halls.
I wanted to start with the Impressionists. And that's where I headed. On the way up the stairs, I stopped to contemplate a huge stained glass window. The Hartwell Memorial Window, which was from an old church in Rhode Island until it was moved to the museum.
The Impressionists
I already mentioned that the Art Institute of Chicago is famous for its extensive collection of impressionist art. And it is impressive how many works it has from this period.
Some of the most important impressionist paintings in the museum's permanent collection include Renoir's Two Sisters.
The museum has one of the most famous paintings by Georges Seurat, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.
There were several paintings by Van Gogh.
Including one of the paintings from his studio in the South of France. The Bedroom. There are three paintings that Van Gogh made of his bedroom in Arles in the South of France. The other two paintings are in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. I felt lucky to be there in front of the painting knowing that I had seen all three of them once in my life.
There were paintings by Pisarro and Toulouse-Lautrec.
And many paintings by artists such as Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne and many more.
American Art
Leaving the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist rooms, in a hall of stairs is the painting Sky above Clouds by Georgia O'Keeffe which from what I have read is the largest painting on display in the museum.
From there, I moved on to the American Art room because I wanted to see Grant Wood's American Gothic.
But what I appreciated most about this room was being able to see Edward Hopper's Nighthawks in person. I found the painting impressive, it looks like a photograph.
In the modern side of the Museum
My visit continued through the modern part of the museum. This part has a big hall with a very colorful ceiling of colorful panels. This side of the museum can also be accessed from the street, on Columbus Drive.
The view of Millennium Park from the second floor, where I went to see the contemporary artwork, is amazing.
Other highlights
In this part of the museum, there are a few paintings by the Spaniard Joan Miró. So I had a feast because I love Miro's paintings.
There were a few paintings by Marc Chagall.
Also paintings by another of my favorites, the French painter Fernand Léger.
And a few paintings by Picasso.
Including one of Pablo Picasso's outstanding blue period paintings, The Old Guitarist.
One of the highlights of contemporary art in the museum's collection is Starry Night and the Astronauts by the American painter Alma Thomas.
There were also several works by Andy Warhol.
And I could go on listing valuable and impressive paintings in this part of the museum and I would never finish the post ;) So let's continue with the visit, and don't worry it's coming to an end, hehe.
The Thorne Miniature Rooms
One of the rooms I had on my list of what I wanted to see on my visit to the museum was The Thorne Miniature Rooms. My son, who had been to the museum several times, had never been to this room and didn't even know it existed. He had work for college to do that day and during my visit, he waited for me in the cafeteria working, but we agreed to meet up to visit the miniatures.
The collection of miniatures of houses and church spaces that the collection recreates with details of architecture and furniture is amazing. The precision of the details and the handling of the light in each of the rooms is so impressive.
The room was very crowded and it was difficult to stop to appreciate each of the miniatures. But the visit was definitely worth it.
The Buddha
When we were ready to leave, my son said to me, you still haven't seen the Buddha which is one of the iconic pieces of the museum, so we went to visit the Asian Art room.
And there it was, the sculpture Buddha Shakyamuni Seated in Meditation. A 12th-century piece of art.
The museum is impressive and I could have easily spent a couple more hours touring it. But we were already on time and had arranged to meet my husband for a Hotpot early dinner. So we went outside the Museum to find a subway station.
The Art Institute of Chicago is a must-see if you visit Chicago and I hope to visit it again someday. I would love to tour without rush not only its exhibition halls but the different areas of the building which like many others in the city can be considered as an architectural masterpiece.
Thank you for reading!
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