Louis Comfort Tiffany - Field of Lilies

One of the first gifts that my husband gave me when we were dating was this beautiful Louis Comfort Tiffany replica glass panel.  He found it at the Art Institute of Chicago, and I have loved it.  Apparently the Field of Lilies window was designed for an installation at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893.  The chapel that it adorned has been reassembled at the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art.  Now that I know where it is, I may have to go visit it!

Gustave Caillebotte

My husband has some business in Washington, D.C., coming up, so we thought we'd see what's going on at the National Gallery.  They are having an exhibit of works by Gustave Caillebotte.  They have Paris Street, Rainy Day on loan from the Art Institute of Chicago, and I liked The Boulevard Seen from Above (below).

Brittany Town Morning, Larmor

This stunning painting by Dennis Miller Bunker is held by the Art Institute of Chicago.  I couldn't find it on their site, but I saw it at the museum.  Brittany Town Morning, Larmor is so beautiful, don't you think?

Votive Plaque with God Vishnu

Since I'm taking the jewelry class again I was especially impressed by this piece at the Art Institute.  Votive Plaque with God Vishnu is made of gilt bronze with ivory, semiprecious stones, crystal, and glass.  Stunning.

Foliage--Oak Tree and Fruit Seller

The paintings that the Art Institute holds by Edouard Vuillard are very large and very beautiful.  This one is called Foliage--Oak Tree and Fruit Seller.

The Banks of the Marne in Winter

I love Pisarro.  The Banks of the Marne in Winter is a very lovely oil painting by Camille Pissarro that is held by the Art Institute.

Circassian Cavalry...

This painting is so stunning in real life.  Circassian Cavalry Awaiting their Commanding Officer at the Door of a Byzantine Monument; Memory of the Orient by Alberto Pasini.  Find it at the Art Institute of Chicago.

In the Auvergne

More Millet!  More sheep!  Jean-Francois Millet's In the Auvergne is a beautiful pastoral scene, held by the Art Institute.

Renoir's True Colors

The Art Institute has an interesting exhibit right now.  Renoir's True Colors demonstrates how the conservationists discovered that the background colors in a Renoir painting are not what they were originally.  The painting is displayed alongside a computer-generated image of what they think the original looked like.  Fascinating!

The Keeper of the Herd

Here's another beautiful painting with sheep from the Art Institute: The Keeper of the Herd by Jean-Francois Millet.

Meekness

We finally made it downtown a couple of weeks ago.  This winter has been so miserable!  After an hour or two at the Art Institute, I have a lot of great artwork to share.  This one is called Meekness by Eustache Le Sueur.  It's dated 1650, but it look so modern!  I love the lamb.

Friday Featured Art: Neapolitan Creche

The Art Institute recently acquired a fabulous mid-18th-century creche from Naples.  They're promoting it as the Art Institute's Christmas gift to the city.  I really hope that we'll get downtown to see it before the holidays are over!

Friday Featured Art: April in Paris

The Art Institute has mini tours available as PDFs for self-guided, thematic tours of the museum.  One that will take you to some of the highlights is called April in Paris and includes Gustave Caillebotte's masterpiece, Paris Street; Rainy Day.  The next time you're in Chicago, print out a mini tour and enjoy some great art!

Thursday Text: The Sixty-Eight Rooms

My sister and nephew came to visit over the weekend, and it was a lot of fun!  We went to the Art Institute where Ian got to see the Thorne Miniature Rooms.  Then we heard that some of the girls in Young Women's had read a book about the miniature rooms.  The Sixty-Eight Rooms by Marianne Malone sounds like a great adventure.

Friday Featured Art: Arms and Armor

My parents are visiting!  I'm going to take my mom to the Art Institute.  We're going to hit some of the highlights (according to me), including the Arms and Armor.  A small portion is on display as they work toward having a more permanent space for the collection.  Fascinating.

Friday Featured Art: George Washington

We made it to the Lichtenstein exhibit.  It was interesting!  We liked the comic book paintings and this one: George Washington.  There were also some incredible optical illusion pieces.  If you're in Chicago before September 3, be sure to check it out.

Friday Featured Art: Lichtenstein

A new exhibit opened at the Art Institute two days ago.  Roy Lichtenstein: A Retrospective runs until September 3.  I'm kind of excited to see it.

Friday Featured Art: Tureen

I really wish this picture was in color! It's a lovely rabbit tureen from the 1750s that resides at the Art Institute of Chicago. It makes me happy every time I see it.

Friday Featured Art: Sampler

I made it to the Fabric of a New Nation exhibit at the Art Institute last Saturday! It was fantastic. There were bedspreads, quilts, and samplers. I really liked this one by Nancy Vredenburgh.

Friday Featured Art: Fabric of a New Nation

My next trip to the Art Institute will be to see the exhibit Fabric of a New Nation: American Needlework and Textiles, 1776-1840. If you haven't noticed yet, I've been really fascinated with fabric lately.