Back to the Art Institute of Chicago

I tried to see the Edward Hopper and Winslow Homer exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago, but when I went with my mom, it was WAY too crowded. Alas... now it is gone... Mom saw it three times and I guess it was hugely popular, probably because people really like to see realism in paintings. I don't happen to care that much about realism in art, I like all the periods... It was disappointing to miss this popular show, but we didn't count on the crowds!

We took the time to go through the modern section of the museum and looked at a couple of our favorite periods. Last time we went, we saw the impressionists, so we skipped them this time. I only took a couple of photos. I love the fauvists. This fauve painting is by Vasily Kandinsky:


My favorite is Matisse. I think he liked fabric patterns just like me:


This playful one is Paul Klee:


This one interested us. It's by Marc Chagall whose work is full of exuberant storytelling. This one is called Birth, but I don't think it was a happy day for this family:



Finally, these two beauties are by Pierre Bonnard. You must make a trip to Chicago to see these paintings in person. My photos don't capture their beautiful, intense, deep color.


My mom always tells the story of her first year of teaching second grade back in the early sixties and she had a lovely modern art poster up in her classroom. I think she said it was by Kandinsky... Anyway, she enjoyed the painting for awhile until it suddenly occurred to her that it was a big painting of a naked woman. No one ever said anything to her about it and she quietly took it down. Whoops!