Traveling Chicago - Sunday at the Art Institute

If someone has only three hours to see Chicago and asks you what to do with those three hours, what would you suggest? The Art Institute www.artinstitute.org , founded in 1879, would definitely be one of my top choices. You can't miss it. It's in downtown Chicago on Michigan Avenue and Adams. Victor J. Danilov lists the Art Institute as one of Chicago’s big three museums in his book Chicago’s Museums – A Complete Guide to the City’s Cultural Attractions. Without a doubt, the Art Institute deserves this billing. 

Our friends had just about three hours before having to head to the airport and they wanted to go to the Art Institute. It’s fun going with other people. Although one can see any type of art at the Art Institute, it is particularly noted for its Impressionist collection. We often gravitate to the Impressionists when we go there. When we have company, though, we ask our guests what they want to see. On another visit, friends asked to see the Asian paintings and that’s where we went. For the first time, I saw these paintings first instead of on my way out. I realized how beautiful this art was with its fine delicate lines. I promised myself that I would return to this section to admire it again and I have been there several times.

Paris Street; Rainy Day by Gustave Caillebotte

This Sunday our friends preferred the contemporary artists. We followed a path in that direction. The first painting that caught our eyes was the Gustave Caillebotte painting Paris Street;Rainy Day. We usually start at that room. This work always stands out as you enter it and it was good to see it again like seeing an old friend. After that, we took a different path toward the moderns.

As we walked on, we saw a large variety of art. DeKooning, Klee, Feininger, Miro, Kandinsky, and Marc Chagall just to name a few. It’s impossible to go to the Art Institute and be disappointed. Especially since the new wing was built, their collection is vast and has art to suit everyone's preferences. I look forward to going with other guests and discovering what art they like. It’s a great way to expand your ideas. In the meantime, here’s a peak into some of the paintings that we saw this time. 

White Crucifixion by Marc Chagall

Carnival in Arcueil by Lyonel Feininger