Discover Art: Chicago, Norway, Denmark

When I was in college I enrolled in an art class that ended up becoming the hardest class I took (even over Biochemistry and Anatomy Physiology). The professor promised it would be the hardest class we'd take as well as the most useful and memorable. Of course at the time we all scoffed at her, but when I graduated college and ended up walking through the Louvre in Paris, France and then the Musée d'Orsay and Musée National Picasso I was really grateful for what my art professor taught me. Thanks to that college art class I knew the names of the artists, recognized pieces of work, I knew the dates they were painted and the era they came from.

Then while visiting Chicago, Sweden, Denmark and Norway I found more reasons to be thankful for that college art class. I was amazed when I visited the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) that they let me take photos of the art. Every museum I've visited until now has never let me take photos of the art.  I want to share with my dear readers some of the fabulous pieces at AIC, I'm sure you will recognize some of them (as well as the famous piece by Norwegian artist, Edvard Munch I snapped in Oslo):

The staircase inside the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) is bright and filled with words:

When I arrived at AIC I visited the Impressionist wing and the early American art wing:

Claude Monet's "Stacks of Wheat," 1890; Art Institute of Chicago:

Claude Monet's "Water Lily Pond," 1900; Art Institute of Chicago; I've also visited this place in Giverny, France:

Edward Hopper, "Nighthawks," 1942; Art Institute of Chicago:



Grant Wood, "American Gothic," 1930; Art Institute of Chicago; The models were Grant's sister and dentist:

Gustave Caillebotte, "Paris Street, Rainy Day," 1877; Art Institute of Chicago:

Georges Seurat, "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte," 1884; Art Institute of Chicago:

Paul Cézanne, "The Basket of Apples," 1893; Art Institute of Chicago:

Vincent van Gogh "Self Portrait," 1887; Art Institute of Chicago:

Vincent van Gogh "The Bedroom," 1889; Art Institute of Chicago; This was the guest bedroom of van Gogh's:

I was also amazed that the Oslo National Gallery and the Edvard Munch Museum let me take pictures of the art. I went to the museums in Oslo to see Edvard Munch's "The Scream" and "Madonna" by the Norwegian artist. While at the museums we learned that Munch had an engagement with a woman go bad and he never really recovered from it and remained single until his death. Upon his death he donated all his art to Oslo.

Edvard Munch "The Scream," 1896:

And when I visited the Hans Christian Andersen Museum in Odense, Denmark (again you are allowed to take photos) there was original artwork on display from his famous book "The Ugly Duckling," artwork by Thomas Vilhelm Pedersen (as well as artwork from his books "The Little Mermaid" and "The Emporer's New Clothes"):

"The Ugly Duckling"

Did you have a favorite? I found I really enjoyed the art of Gustave Caillebotte, especially in person. And I've always been awe struck by the pointillism paintings of Georges Seurat.

More Chicago.
More Norway.
More Denmark.

Photos: CopyStrands