Art Institute of Chicago

We ventured into the city today for the first time since the Sox game and I'm not sure I"m even counting that as "downtown." Technically, it's the southside so it's a bit borderline.

Garden outside the Art Institute of Chicago

Art Institute of Chicago-Madison Ave Chicago, IL

Madison Ave looking North

Madison Ave looking South

Entrance Foyer

This picture doesn't show the massiveness of this painting. It filled an entire wall. It measures 96 x 288" They also has several other pieces that were very pretty by O'Keeffe.

Georgia O'Keefe Sky Above Clouds IV 1965

 My absolute favorite wing was the impressionism movement. This is Monet's serious called Stacks of Wheat. It displays how light and atmosphere can change on a single subject. He painted 25 canvases over a year time in this series. I believe there are 5 or 6 total at the AIC.

Stacks of Wheat- Claude Monet

 

Waterloo Bridge series by Monet - similar concept as Stacks of Wheat.

Waterloo series Monet

A few more from Monet. These were my favorites. They were AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Monet

This was my absolute favorite of van Gogh. I could stare at it all day. The details are AMAZING and if you look at it from different angles and distances it looks completely different and alternate details pop out at you. 

Vincent van Gogh The Poet's Garden 1888

Vincent van Gogh Fishing in the Spring, the Pont de Clichy 1887

 More van Gogh.

Van Gogh

Van Gogh

And of course Seurat. The painting is 118 X 78" It was huge!! Pointillism at it's best. It took him 2 years to complete the painting.

Georges Seurat- A Sunday on La Grande 1884

They had an entire exhibit of PAPERWEIGHTS!!! For some reason, it made me think of Uncle Johnny. This was his kind of collection. 

They also had an exhibit of miniature rooms. The details of each room was amazing and intricate. Most of the rooms were quite ornate. 

I spy a GA Peach....

A few of the rooms

Georgia Double Parlor

 Marc Chagall-The American Windows commemorating the American Bicentennial. They were reinstalled at the AIC.

Marc Chagall The American Windows

 The final famous piece, George Wood American Gothic 1930

George Wood - American Gothic

 The Modern Wing at the Art Institute of Chicago.

I walked around a little after the museum and strolled on Columbus Ave a bit before heading back to the car. It turned out to be a great day and stormed later but the weather held out for our trip downtown. Not sure where we are heading next but I can't wait to explore more!!!