Art Institute of Chicago Reviews (Chicago, Illinois)

A day of Art

Stephenville, Texas

February 12, 2013

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Best of IgoUgo When we plan trips as a family we each pick a couple of things we really want to do. Of course since my boys are huge baseball lovers they picked the baseball related things. For me one of my must dos was the Art Institute. I am someone who loves ...Read more When we plan trips as a family we each pick a couple of things we really want to do. Of course since my boys are huge baseball lovers they picked the baseball related things. For me one of my must dos was the Art Institute. I am someone who loves to look at art and could spend all day doing it. Of course my favorite is the older stuff like Picasso, Monet, and Van Gough. When I looked up info on the Museum I found out that one of my other favorites was also the traveling art display, Roy Lichtenstein.
I must start out by saying that the line to get into the art museum was pretty long. I think we waited outside for about 30 minutes. The wait was not bad, however it was a hot day in Chicago that day and for many that was uncomfortable, being from Texas we were ok. The wait was definitely worth it. The hours of the museum are 10:30-5 daily and till 8 on Thursday. Admission is $23 for adults and free for children under 14.
The outside of the museum is just as exciting to see as the inside. The front entrance has amazing architecture and you are greeted by 2 huge lions. To the right of the entrance is a beautiful courtyard with lots of green ivy and other plants and a water fountain. Once again a beautiful and enjoyable place probably any other day but on this day it was hot and humid under all the trees and plants. To the left was a beautiful garden.
Once you are inside you have 3 floors and several rooms to choose from to begin looking at. We went straight to the Lichtenstein exhibit. There were several rooms that connect almost making it like a maze. Art lines both sides of the room and there are even a few displays in the middle. Of course you can purchase a radio that will tell you all about each piece.
After about an hour or more we took off for the different sections of the museum. We saw some modern art, Picasso, Monet and my son’s favorite was the pointillism of a Sunday Afternoon. At school he had been learning about pointillism and one of the other classes even did a project of this specific piece. When we walked around the corner of one of the rooms my son’s jaw dropped. He was in such awe and loved the piece. It was a huge canvas that covered the whole wall.
My favorite piece was the Picasso "Old Guitarist" I am a huge fan of Picasso and love his art; this one was especially unique to me because of its story. Because Picasso was so poor he often painted over a painting because he could not afford new canvas. In this particular painting you could see the images from a painting that had been painted over.
Overall the Art Museum was a great experience. I wish we could have spent more time there. I think we could have easily used 2 days. However with limited time and a 7 year old who could only handle so much we only got to spend about a ½ day there. If you have limited time I would research what the museum has before going and then try to hit your favorites first.
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From journal Blown away by the Windy City

Art Institute of Chicago (The)

by VA_traveler

Dumfries, Virginia

February 25, 2008

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Best of IgoUgo When my husband and I are planning a city visit, we almost always make sure to include a trip to an art museum. Normally these visits involve me dragging my husband from gallery to gallery as I try to enjoy pre-Rennaissance religious works (I still ...Read more

From journal Three Days in the Windy City

The Art Institute of Chicago

by phileasfogg

New Delhi, India

March 5, 2007

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Best of IgoUgo Chicago’s Art Institute boasts of over 5,000 works, and by the time I’d spent four hours here, I was in a starry-eyed daze. There are many galleries, but the ones I can recommend are: European Prints and Drawings, and European 1400s, 1500s-1600s, ...Read more Chicago’s Art Institute boasts of over 5,000 works, and by the time I’d spent four hours here, I was in a starry-eyed daze. There are many galleries, but the ones I can recommend are:

European Prints and Drawings, and European 1400s, 1500s-1600s, 1700s, and 1800s. A collection, spanning centuries and countries, with works ranging from the icon-like paintings of the 1400s, through the opulent mythological depictions, dreamy landscapes, still lives and portraits of later years. Along with famous names like Caravaggio, Tiepolo, Murillo and Turner, are lesser known painters - Karl Blechen’s Interior of the Palmhouse at Potsdam is in every conceivable shade of green, with brilliant light and shade. Alberto Passini’s Circassian Army Awaiting its Commander at a Byzantine Monument is full of life - down to the pigeons pecking at grain!

The collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art is mind-blowing, too. All the heavyweights are here - Monet and his waterlilies; Van Gogh (Self portrait, Bedroom at Arles); Toulouse-Lautrec (The Jockey, At the Moulin Rouge); Millet (Among others, The Song of the Lark - a peasant girl standing in the half-light, sickle in hand, listening intently - and the equally rural Bringing Home the Newborn Calf). Another monumental work is Georges Seurat’s painstakingly perfect pointillist masterpiece, A Sunday on La Grande Jatte.

Chinese, Japanese and Korean Art converge in a glorious display of carved jades and serene Buddhas, ferocious warriors and mettlesome ceramic stallions glazed in vivid yellows, greens, and browns. There are delicate silk paintings, brocaded costumes - and most abundant of all - porcelain. These range from delicate green teapots to pale blue jun pottery, glazed with purple-red.

Beyond the Paperweight Collection, which houses hundreds of largely French glass paperweights in floral designs, lie the European Arts. These galleries contains everyday art: carved furniture, ornate mirrors, crystal, and porcelain- Wedgwood, Dresden, and Sèvres.

The American Arts galleries, similarly, have furniture, silverware, paintings, and sculpture. Many stalwarts are represented - John Singer Sargent (Mrs George Swinton is very impressive); Winslow Homer (the silvery fish in The Herring Net almost writhe as they’re hauled into the tossing boat); and one of my favourites - Mary Cassatt. The Bath, depicting a mother bathing her little girl, is heartwarmingly tender. Another must-see in this section are Frederic Remington’s metal sculptures. One is of four cowboys, racing their horses so fast, only six of the sixteen hooves touch the ground!

And if you have children in tow, do check out one last gallery, the Thorne Miniature Rooms. Each room, only about a foot each side, is a perfect miniature replica of a typical historical room - mainly American or European, though there are Chinese and Japanese rooms too. There are bedrooms, living rooms, libraries, drawing rooms, dining rooms, even kitchens, all the way from Louis XIV through Victorian England, to 1930s Paris, to New Mexico, Virginia, wherever. Everything- furniture, upholstery, utensils, books, toys, paintings - is a perfect miniature. Utterly enchanting!

The Institute is open from 10am to 5 or 6pm, depending upon the season. Tickets are $12 per adult; there are discounts for senior citizens and students.

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From journal Work- and Weekends- in the Windy City

Art Institute of Chicago (The)

by zabelle

Portland, Connecticut

October 31, 2006

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Best of IgoUgo From its very humble begins as the Chicago Academy of Design in 1866, the Art Institute of Chicago has grown into a world-class Art Museum and School. It has hosted many traveling exhibits over the years, in addition to its own very fine collection. ...Read more From its very humble begins as the Chicago Academy of Design in 1866, the Art Institute of Chicago has grown into a world-class Art Museum and School. It has hosted many traveling exhibits over the years, in addition to its own very fine collection. The current main building was designed in 1893 by the Boston firm of Shepley, Rutan, and Coolidge. The building has been expanded and added to over the years but still holds true to its neoclassical design.

What they are known for in particular is their collection of Impressionists, both American and French. Though their first major acquisition was a collection of Dutch masters.

Visiting here does not come cheap, with entrance at $12 a person. Thursday evenings from 5 to 8pm are free. In addition, you will want to take the headphone tour, which is an additional $6. There are discounted rates for seniors and children. There is a special tour, especially for children. We accidentally listen to several of the offerings, and they are very good. We found the director's tour particularly interesting.

Let me begin by saying this is a beautiful museum, and the rooms are light and bright and well set up. Having said that, this has got to be the most confusing museum I have ever visited. Because it is made up of several different buildings, the flow is not easy. It is very difficult to find some of the galleries, and the maps are not much help. There are two different sets of elevators to the upper floors, and to see the full collections you need to use both of them. Don’t be afraid to ask for directions.

We began our visit in the café, which is in the far rear of the lower floor. When we left, it seemed natural to view what was the closest which was the ancient art section. There was a beautiful collection of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman items. I am always in awe of the glassware that has survived 2,000 years; mine at home seldom survives 10 years. The audio tour was our guide to the import pieces in the collection.

From here, we passed through a small exhibit of Renaissance jewelry, which led right into the modern furniture of Frank Lloyd Wright. The desk is of particular interest, since he didn’t do a lot of office furniture and this was done for the Johnson Wax Co.

There is a particularly nice section of American historic paintings and furniture. It is done very well and highlights the work of Winslow Homer on one whole wall. If you have ever wondered where Grant Wood’s "American Gothic" is located, look no further.

The Old Masters Collection is very deep here. Two Rembrandts, Rubens, Goya, Cranach, and much more.

Allow 3 or more hours for your visit here.

Go to Art Institute for general information. The Art Institute does not have its own parking—keep that in mind. Close

From journal Getting Together in Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago

by rjyoung

Chicago, Illinois

October 31, 2006

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The Art Institute of Chicago sits on Michigan Avenue, and the building is noticeable from far away because of the two large marble lions sitting on the stairs. The Institute is home to many great works of art, sculptures, and artifacts. Admission is ...Read more

From journal Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago

by Scorpiosue1102

Hoffman Estates, Illinois

March 23, 2006

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I absolutely love this museum. It has been over 5 years since I've been there, but it's great. You can see Monet, Picasso, Cassat, Cezanne, Chigall, Dali, Gauguin, van Gogh (self-portrait), Klee, Manet, Renoir, Rembrandt, Seurat, O'Keefe, Hopper, ...Read more

From journal Suburban Girl's Take on Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago

by teebee29

San Antonio, Texas

February 23, 2006

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This is hands-down the best collections of art in the country, and one of the best in the world. It cannot be missed. Here, you have the opportunity to see great works by Claude Monet, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Rene ...Read more

From journal Winter Weekend in Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago

by globetrekr

Buffalo, New York

January 17, 2006

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This art gallery is the ultimate in my opinion. With treasures from all time periods, there is something from everyone's taste. My friend who is not "into art" was even drawn in by the number of "poster" pictures (pictures he has ...Read more

From journal Highlights of Chicago

Art Institute of Chicago (The)

by goofball38

Chicago, Illinois

December 5, 2005

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This museum is so culturally diverse in that it has everything from Asian, Indian, Middle Ages, Impressionism, Egyptian exhibits, and so on. There is literally something for everyone. I love the Arms and Armor room, where they display swords ...Read more

From journal Chicago is Awesome

Art Institute of Chicago (The)

by timmcgrawfan17f

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

November 9, 2005

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Sunday we hit the Art Institute. If you like art, this place is for you. I wasn't too sure if I was going to like the place because I'm not really into art, but it was actually pretty neat. I'm glad I went. If you go, plan to spend all day there ...Read more

From journal Weekend in Chicago

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