Connected Forever: Monet and Chicago
WDCB’s Gary Zidek caught up with Gloria Groom, the Art Institute’s Chair and David & Mary Winton Green Curator of European Painting & Sculpture, to talk about the museum’s new exhibit, MONET AND CHICAGO.
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“We take for granted what we have, the Art Institute is known for its Monets, but have you actually ever thought about that? And what we’d like to do is celebrate, but also slow people down, so that they don’t just take it for granted, and they really rethink and have a different experience with Monet’s paintings.” - the Art Institute’s Gloria Groom talking about what she hopes visitors take away from the museum’s new exhibit, MONET AND CHICAGO.
One hundred twenty-five years after the Art Institute first exhibited Claude Monet’s paintings, the city’s premiere art museum is putting a spotlight back on the French impressionist artist. The Art Institute has organized several Monet exhibits over the decades, but its latest, takes a different approach to its subject matter by exploring the iconic painter’s relationship with Chicago. Titled MONET AND CHICAGO, the exhibit features 68 paintings and draws on new insights revealed in a massive research project into Monet’s works.
The highly anticipated exhibit was originally scheduled to open in May, but was pushed to September as a result of the ramifications from the COVID-19 pandemic. MONET AND CHICAGO opened earlier this month and will remain on display until January 18 2021.
APPLE TREES, 1878. Claude Monet.
The Art Institute is perfectly situated to present a comprehensive exhibit of Monet’s career given that its own collection (the largest outside of Paris) includes 33 of his paintings and 13 drawings. MONET AND CHICAGO pays special attention to the origins of that relationship. One of the first rooms in the exhibit offers some insight into the locals that began collecting the artist’s work. Would Chicago have a special connection to Monet, if not for the Palmers, Ryersons and Annie Coburn?
A special multi-media display offers some insight into Monet’s painting process. Researchers used x-rays and infrared tools to look closer at Monet’s works, and uncovered “edits” he made painting over certain figures and objects.
Monet’s THE BEACH AT SAINT ADRESSE likely went through a few changed before the finished version emerged.
THE BEACH AT SAINT ADRESSE, 1867. Claude Monet.
“Basically, we just expanded a couple of the rooms. We added an extra gallery to give the exhibition extra space and we took down some of the freestanding walls that normally we use to accent rooms. The rest was more in the superficial, like no benches and the lighting couldn’t be too dark, too dramatic, because people would bump into each other.” - curator Gloria Groom talking about some of the changes that were made to the exhibit’s physical lay-out to allow for more social distancing.
STACKS OF WHEAT (END OF DAY, AUTUMN), 1890/91. Claude Monet.
MONET AND CHICAGO will be on display at the Art Institute of Chicago through January 18 2021.
WATER LILY POND, 1900. Claude Monet.
