A day downtown: Cezanne and more

 

The Art Institute's big summer show is a retrospective of works by Paul Cezanne.  It opened in May and closes September 5. I finally quit dithering and went to see it this past Monday.  

I walked the mile from the train station to the museum.  I'm an AIC member so I could get in at 10:00 (general public at 11:00) with no lines.  This was the second AIC visit I've had since the pandemic. (Here is my post from May 2021.)

The AIC lions were reinstalled a few weeks ago after a month-long cleaning and re-waxing.  (Here's how they did it.)  (And her is the story of the lions.) 

 From the AIC website:  This exhibition is the first major retrospective of the artist’s work in the United States in more than 25 years and the first exhibition on Cezanne organized by the Art Institute of Chicago in more than 70 years. Planned in coordination with Tate Modern, the ambitious project explores Cezanne’s work across media and genres with 80 oil paintings, 40 watercolors and draw positions from public and private collections in North and South America, Europe, and Asia.   

I got photos of landscapes, still lifes, and portraits but none of the many baigneuses (bathers).

The galleries weren't terribly crowded but I wore a mask to be on the safe side. 

I saw a few other favorites (Chagall and Sargeant shown here).  

I usually take Adams St. from the station to Michigan Ave. but this time I took Washington St.  

The Methodists were the first to establish a church in the settlement that became Chicago. (Church 1830, city 1837.)   After several buildings on this site they built an innovative tower. There is a sanctuary on the lower floor and a chapel at the top with offices (leased) on the other floors. Stained glass windows at street level depict scenes from congregation's beginning.  [Sometime I will go inside.]

The Chicago Cultural Center (on Michigan at Washington) was built as the Chicago Public Library.  The Grand Army of the Republic Hall is now an event venue.  It is topped by the largest Tiffany dome in the world. (One source values the dome at $35 million.) 

I didn't get an exterior photo -- you'll have to look it up! -- but I did take pictures of the mosaic floors.

There's another Tiffany dome at Macy's / Marshall Field's.   (State & Washington) 

The Picasso sculpture in Daley Plaza (50 W. Washington) is called just that -- Picasso never gave it a name.   It caused quite a stir when it was unveiled in 1967 but over the decades it's become a familiar part of the downtown streetscape.

I caught the 1:32 train, arrived in Waukegan at 3:15, and was home before 4:00.  ("Why don't I do this more often?" I wonder.  I need to!)