07/25/17 - Day 113 - Chicago, IL - Art Institute of Chicago
Founded in 1879 and located in Grant Park, the museum is one of the largest and oldest in the U.S. It's home to a few iconic pieces of art, some of which I've included below.
I started off in the Asian Art section. This duck quickly caught me eye.
It was accompanied by some very colorful visages of funeral totems used to ward off evil spirits which would otherwise disturb them in the afterlife.
There is quite a collection of ~1000 year old ceramics, including this set that looked as though it was made of ivory.
There is a section devoted to the Indian subcontinent art with lots of sandstone sculptures.
The ancient Greek exhibit had some intricately decorated plates and vessels dating back to the 5th century B.C.
In the American art wing, I ran into this bronze sculpture, a reduced version of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.
The museum also included several examples of 18th and 19th century furniture, which I always get a kick out of.
There were two paintings that I recognized immediately due to their prevalence in pop culture, American Gothic and Nighthawks. I didn't know that both were located housed here, so it was a pleasant surprise.
In the European art section, I came across this amusing series of painting depicting a story in which a notorious Spanish criminal is disarmed, shot, and captured by a friar he attempted to rob.
I was also impressed by this painting that resembles a relief sculpture. The use of light and shadow conveyed a sense of depth that's even evident in the photograph (it's more dramatic in person)
There is also an extensive collection of medieval weapons and armor.
Overall I spent more than four hours at the museum and had to rush through both the European paintings and medieval collections. This museum is probably about as large as the Met in NYC, so it would take a few days to really examine all the exhibits. Definitely worth the price of admission.
I started off in the Asian Art section. This duck quickly caught me eye.
It was accompanied by some very colorful visages of funeral totems used to ward off evil spirits which would otherwise disturb them in the afterlife.
There is quite a collection of ~1000 year old ceramics, including this set that looked as though it was made of ivory.
There is a section devoted to the Indian subcontinent art with lots of sandstone sculptures.
The ancient Greek exhibit had some intricately decorated plates and vessels dating back to the 5th century B.C.
In the American art wing, I ran into this bronze sculpture, a reduced version of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.
The museum also included several examples of 18th and 19th century furniture, which I always get a kick out of.
There were two paintings that I recognized immediately due to their prevalence in pop culture, American Gothic and Nighthawks. I didn't know that both were located housed here, so it was a pleasant surprise.
In the European art section, I came across this amusing series of painting depicting a story in which a notorious Spanish criminal is disarmed, shot, and captured by a friar he attempted to rob.
I was also impressed by this painting that resembles a relief sculpture. The use of light and shadow conveyed a sense of depth that's even evident in the photograph (it's more dramatic in person)
There is also an extensive collection of medieval weapons and armor.
Overall I spent more than four hours at the museum and had to rush through both the European paintings and medieval collections. This museum is probably about as large as the Met in NYC, so it would take a few days to really examine all the exhibits. Definitely worth the price of admission.
Comments
Post a Comment