Soaking Up Culture at the Art Institute of Chicago

The city of Chicago is the 3rd largest in the United States, but is often overlooked by international travelers that instead visit the more well-known coastal cities of New York and Los Angeles. I love Chicago, and I think it is a great destination for people who enjoy a vibrant music scene, impressive architecture, gloriously gluttonous local food, and the energy of American sports culture. What many people do not know is that Chicago is also a city of art, and it is home to one of the best art collections in the world.

Today I have the pleasure of visiting one of my favorite art museums, The Art Institute of Chicago. The museum itself is located in one of the most beautiful areas of the city, near the lake and surrounded by parks. I opted to enter through the main entrance, following the steps up to an impressive stone building with two large bronze lions standing at either side.

To enter the museum you must first pick up a ticket, which is often free for local people, but still reasonably priced for tourists. There are almost always special exhibits being held, so be sure to request those separate tickets if you are interested in what is being displayed. I am in luck, because today there is a special Van Gogh exhibit being shown. I have always appreciated Van Gogh’s colorful and unique style, as well as empathize with the artist’s sad and troubled life.

They have many of his most iconic paintings being displayed. I find it interesting that he painted so many self portraits over the course of his life. It is fascinating to see how his style changes with each painting.

As a part of the exhibit, there is a full-scale replica of Van Gogh’s room, with no detail left out, even including his simple wooden chair. Unfortunately, I have no photo, as this was a popular part of the exhibit with many people trying to take photos. I didn’t really feel the need to wait for that, so you can just imagine it looked just like the painting.

Exploring the permanent collections of the museum is a delightful journey across endless room upon room of priceless works of art. The place is absolutely huge, and navigating this labyrinth without missing anything is quite the task. There really is something for everyone in this museum, whether you enjoy classical paintings, pop-art, ancient sculptures, far eastern pottery, medieval suits of armor, wicker chairs, or even a vast collection of miniature replica homes.

You could easily spend all day wandering the halls of this museum, allowing yourself to get lost in its eloquent and understated rooms. Falling in love with memories and emotions captured and preserved from years long past.

I often daydream about lives lived in distant and unfamiliar lands, wondering what life might have been like.

If I close my eyes I can almost feel the gentle breeze on my cheek and the soft, dusty dirt between my toes.

If you enjoy art and find yourself in Chicago, do yourself a favor and visit The Art Institute. It is a great way to spend some time, and can be a wonderful place to hide away from some of Chicago’s notoriously cold winter weather.

All photos were taken by myself. Thank you for reading. :)