Funny how art can mimic life. After my second trip through the Art Institute of Chicago this year, I was again amazed at the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artwork on display. The local art collectors that donated their collection to the museum truly collected European masterpieces that reflected the life of the city in which they lived.
Seurat's stunning display of Pointillism in A Sunday on La Grande Jatte depicts the ideals of life in Chicago. Although the artwork was created in Europe and had no connection to the city of Chicago in the creative process, one can see how the artwork, made famous by Ferris Bueller's Day Off is an icon for the city.
Chicago was designed to have open park land along Lake Michigan. These open spaces were to be a place for citizens to gather from within the city and the developing suburban communities. Grant Park was part of the "Burnham Plan" for Chicago. Millenium Park modernized the waterfront park land. Both parks today provide gathering places for residents and tourists.
When visitors gaze at the large canvas in the Art Institute of Chicago they encounter people gathering near the water in France. They see people participating in various activities form swimming to boating to sunbathing and people watching. These same activities can be seen as one gazes at the Chicago lakefront. Although styles of clothes may change, the activities remain the same.
When I see this artwork I dream and imagine life in Chicago in the late 1800s. I look at the rest of the Impressionist exhibit in the museum and am fascinated by the taste the collectors had. The artwork they brought back from Europe truly mimicked the world in which they lived.I cannot think of a better "Museum Home" for the Impressionist artwork in the USA than Chicago!
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