Ok, I may have only been in Chicago a couple of days but I’ll go ahead and say: I think this is my favourite city in the US 🙂 .
The tropical storm that welcomed me on Wednesday night went over the city quickly, and each day the weather has been improving significantly, showing the city’s best side.
I have been looking forward to spending some time in Chicago, particularly to be able to finally visit the Art Institute of Chicago (ARTIC), one of the top Art Museums in the world holding a broad and massive collection.
Already the first room of the ARTIC’s collection of Impressionists is mind-blowing, with several Renoirs, Monet and most importantly the gorgeous “Paris Street: Rainy Day” by Gustave Caillebotte, so lively and realistic that standing close to it I almost felt like I could walk right into the scene and stroll around Paris.
In the next room, I could already see from the distance Seurat’s “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte“, one of my favourite paintings. But I decided to take things slow and delay a bit the pleasure to finally meet in person this amazing masterpiece, and took a stroll around the other rooms holding older European artworks, including some by El Greco, Rossetti and Cranach the elder.
Ultimately, I finally stood face to face with Seurat’s masterpiece. From the little monkey on a leash to the grumpy man under the umbrella sitting next to the tree or the little girl in white enjoying a stroll in the sunshine with her mom (or the baby sitter maybe?), the level of detail and the liveliness of this picture gave me so much joy, and I think I spent 20 minutes just studying every single detail of this incredible artwork.
Two other luminous, idyllic paintings by Cross and Signac on the opposite wall contribute to making this room a little piece of paradise on earth.
Another of the painting that I have been dying to see in real life is Edward Hopper’s “Nighthawks“, such a strong and powerful allegory of human alienation and isolation even in what on the surface would look like a perfect social situation.
This institution is truly astonishing, and full of surprises room after room (including a “visit” by Whistler’s mom, on loan from the Musee d’Orsay 🙂 ).
I don’t think I can express how incredible spending a full day here has been. Even the contemporary art section (which is typically not my favourite) was a pleasant surprise with great works by Warhol, Lichtenstein and Alma Thomas, an incredible artist I got to know first in DC at the Museum for Women in Art.
Another incredible treasure of the ARTIC is the exhibition on outdoor art in Chicago, featuring the “America Windows” donated to the city of Chicago by Marc Chagall in 1977. The ARTIC’s collection covers also the work of famous architects that helped shape Chicago (and the world) with their work like Frank Lloyd Wright and Adler&Sullivan. Many elements of decor and even the entire trading room from the old Chicago stock exchange can be seen at the ARTIC.
I must say that my day at the ARTIC was definitely one of the best so far: this is a place that alone would justify a trip to Chicago, and I hope to get many more opportunities to spend time here in the future (maybe I should just get a job in Chicago? 😀 ).