Postcard from Chicago

I’ve been fortunate to have visited some of the most famous art galleries in the world…The Louvre, the Orsay, The British National Gallery, the Uffizi and others as well as special exhibitions of great art. But, the Chicago Institute of Art can hold their own against any of them! It is a very special place, to say the very least.

This very large building, guarded by its two famous lions, sits on Michigan Ave. at Adams St. Inside you will find art of all kinds from all over the world. But be warned, it is impossible to see and appreciate it all, even over several visits. I know…I tried. Most every day of my Chicago visit, I spent two or more hours exploring the numerous wings and gallery rooms. I was able to see many of the worlds most famous paintings that were the most important to me, along with some pleasant surprises…but I had to be content with that.

The sad truth is that after about two hours, my head starts spinning and I can’t take in anymore art. So I would go do other things, usually coming back the next day, or sometimes even later the same day.

On many days, my friend Susan needed to be home and do some work as she had been away for a over a month. So, about 10:10 most mornings, I would walk a block and a half to pick up the #6 express bus to downtown Chicago and about 20 minutes later I would get off 1/2 block from the Institute and be there when it opened at 10:30. Talk about having my own transportation to and from one of the most famous galleries in the world! Later, Susan and I would meet up downtown and head out to other adventures.

Inside is a treasure trove of original art work of all kinds from all over the world. I focused mainly on paintings as that is where my passion lies. There are works here by some of the most famous painters that ever lived. From the early European works of Durer, Rembrandt, Caravaggio, El Greco, Rubens, Delacroix, David, Turner Constable…to the Impressionists and post-Impressionists such as Manet, Monet, Renoir, Degas, Cezanne, Morisot, Van Gogh, Seurat, and too many others to name. Then there are the modern painters led by Picasso, Matisse, Gris, Kandinsky, Modigliani, and Leger. No wonder my head was spinning!

The American painters are extremely well represented with the likes of Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, Frederick Remington, Mary Cassatt, James McNeil Whistler, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Edward Hopper.

This museum is an art lover’s dream. As my friend Susan is a member, I was able to get in free everyday to take in these treasures. For any lover of fine art, this is heaven. Would that I lived there…I would go nearly every day and focus on one painting, bringing a guide book with me so read all about it and appreciate it more.

It was difficult to decide what paintings to show you here, but I chose two of the Institute’s most famous…”Nighthawks” by Edward Hopper and “A Sunday on La Grande Jatte,” by George Seurat. Both are considered the finest works of the respective artists. By the way, I photographed these works as it is allowed, but without flash. Thank God for anti-shake lenses.

I will try and share more great works with you in the future, maybe sneak one in hear or there. If you love great art, I hope you can see this wonderful place sometime in your life.