Looking for a fun introduction to the Art Institute? Want to see how works in the collection connect to each other, and to the world around us? Download a self-guide and bring it on your next visit. Each one features six works of art with brief, entertaining descriptions.
Please note: Works featured in past self-guides may be off view due to gallery renovations or regular rotations of the museum's collection. Works in the most recent self-guide are currently on view. We apologize for any inconvenience.
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Six Degrees of Francis Bacon
February 2010
While the game might be more conventionally played with a Bacon of the Kevin variety, this tour shows how the small world phenomenon is just as easily demonstrated through the 20th-century English painter Francis Bacon, known for his gruesome, unsettling images.
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Seven Deadly Sins
January 2010
As the New Year begins and resolutions are made, this guide takes a look at works of art that portray a few vices to avoid in 2010.
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Museum Minors
December 2009
Let’s face it: the winter holidays are never more fun than when you are a kid—no school, no responsibilities, just sweets, surprises, and swag. In honor of your favorite lads and lasses, enjoying the holiday season, we offer this tour of some of the museum’s memorable minors.
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Cracking the Code
November 2009
Ever since The Da Vinci Code hit the bestseller list, everyone is looking to unlock the mysteries hidden in works of art. Use this guide to crack the code on some the museum’s most symbol-filled objects.
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Off with Their Heads
October 2009
Inspired by the playfully disembodied human heads that practitioners of Victorian photocollage whimsically grafted on to animal bodies or morphed into household objects, this guide reveals the bounty of beheadings in the collection, from the ghoulish to the gorgeous.
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500 Ways of Looking at Modern
September 2009
This year, we celebrate the opening of the Modern Wing with 500 Ways of Looking at Modern, a yearlong season of exhibitions and events featuring the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and the Poetry Foundation. Get a glimpse at our season partners and other collaborators through modern masterpieces in the collection.
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Wine Flight
August 2009
Inspired by the exhibition A Case for Wine, this guide treats your artistic palate to a sampling of works—from earthy to fruity. After your tour, enjoy one of the wines suggested by wine expert and author Cathy Mantuano at Terzo Piano or with a picnic in Millennium Park.
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Weddings
July 2009
During the summer months, weddings and wedding parties are in full bloom. Walk down the aisle of the museum's galleries as this nuptial navigation explores artworks that celebrate the monumental day of matrimony.
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Inspired Architecture
June 2009
Inspired by the Burnham Plan Centennial, the Renzo Piano–designed Modern Wing, and a city rich with architectural tradition and innovation, this guide explores the awe-inspiring art of architecture.
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Modern Wing Highlights: Curators’ Picks
May 2009
Housing over 800 works in 65,000 feet of gallery space, the Modern Wing is a true treasure trove of 20th- and 21st-century art, architecture, design, and photography. Take in highlights from the new building’s stunning array of artworks as this guide features curators’ picks from their various collections.
Check out more themed tours of the museum and Modern Wing:
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Prelude to the Modern
April 2009
As we look forward to the opening of the Modern Wing next month, we look back at the art, artists, and innovative thinking that paved the way for modern and contemporary masters.
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Femmes Fatales
March 2009
Seductive yet dangerous, beautiful yet deadly—the femme fatale has captured the artistic imagination from biblical times to the modern-day cinema. Discover the empowering strength behind their mysterious charm as this tour visits a few of these legendary ladies.
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Framed
February 2009
Get the inside scoop on some of the Art Institute’s fabulous frames, beautiful borders, and sumptuous surrounds as this tour highlights the edgy art that is anything but marginal.
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What’s New in the New Year
January 2009
The museum is undergoing a significant transformation—and what better time to celebrate what’s new than at the New Year? Use this guide to discover freshly renovated galleries, never exhibited masterpieces, and recently returned favorites.
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All in the Family
December 2008
Love them or loathe them, families and family get-togethers are simply a part of life, especially during the holiday season. So bring your brood, collect your kin, and follow this family-filled tour through the collection.
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Red vs. Blue—Two Popular Hues
November 2008
Long before red and blue became the emblematic colors of the two major U.S. political parties, the vivid hues had been used by artists throughout the world. Explore the fascinating sources and rich symbolism of these popular shades and cast your vote for the most compelling color.
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Art in Vogue
October 2008
On this voguish voyage through the museum, the galleries are the fashion runway. Strut to the following style-studded stops and decide for yourself whose designs are in and whose are out.
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360 Degrees: Art beyond Borders
September 2008
In anticipation of our new season’s globe-spanning array of lectures, concerts, readings, symposia, and performances, this guide explores some of the museum’s early acquisitions from across the world—the very beginnings of our encyclopedic collection.
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A Feast for the Eyes
June 2008
Your mouth is not the only organ with great taste. Savor the museum’s buffet of visual flavors as this gourmandizing guide explores how artists throughout the centuries and across the world have transformed the edible into the artistic.
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Architecture in Art
May 2008
With only a year until the dramatic new Modern Wing opens, we can’t help but be excited about the union of architecture and art. Join in the thrilling anticipation as this tour explores these often interwoven creative fields.
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April in Paris
April 2008
Join us as we celebrate our world-renowned Impressionist and PostImpressionist collection before it travels to the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, as the largest loan in the museum’s history. Before the galleries dedicated to these works undergo renovations, wish these treasures a “bon voyage” with a stroll through the collection’s Parisian streets and blossoming French countryside.
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What's Your Type?
March 2008
In today’s information age, e-mails, advertisements, and yes, even artwork use lettering in ever-widening and more expressive forms. See how artists from ancient Egypt to the present have incorporated typography into their work.
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The City and the Country
February 2008
Inspired by works featured in the exhibitions Edward Hopper and Watercolors by Winslow Homer: The Color of Light, this month’s self guide travels between the hubbub of city life and the quiet, contemplative scenery of the countryside.
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Visionary Women
January 2008
Inspired by the bold vision of the many female photographers featured in the exhibition Girls on the Verge, this month’s self-guide honors and celebrates the voice of women artists.
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Kwanzaa
December 2007
Organized by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966 and now observed by 18 million people worldwide, Kwanzaa is a seven-day celebration of the African American family, community, and culture. Join the global festivities as this self-guide explores works that illuminate the seven principles of this communal holiday.
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Beautiful Beasts
November 2007
The spotlight always shines on the lions that stand guard at the Art Institute's entrance, but the museum is filled with other curious creatures that also deserve recognition. Trek through the wilds of our collection and discover a few of our many magnificent beasts.
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Museum Macabre
October 2007
As autumn’s blustery winds bring a chill to the air and Halloween looms at the end of the month, an unusually eerie atmosphere brews all October long. Get into the macabre mood as this tour highlights some otherworldly objects, creepy characters, and spooky specters.
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American Perspectives
September 2007
Celebrate American Perspectives—the Art Institute's yearlong collaboration with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Poetry Foundation—and explore the richly diverse views, voices, and visions of artists who have enriched the American experience.
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All That Glitters
August 2007
Despite the old adage, much of what glitters within the Art Institute’s collection is, in fact, gold. Let this month’s guide take you on a treasure hunt and discover fantastically lustrous and shimmering wonders.
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Photographic Vision
July 2007
Artists have always pondered the nature of vision, but the camera introduced a new dimension to this exploration—initiating new ways of seeing and presenting subject matter for photographers and painters alike. Inspired by the special exhibition Jeff Wall, on view June 29–September 23, this tour directs your eye to the photographic vision.
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The Art of Play
June 2007
If you grew up in the 1970s, it's likely that your first introduction to the Art Institute was the board game Masterpiece. Doesn't ring a bell? Meet the game's characters and the works they vied for on this tour of museum favorites. Make sure to stop by the Kraft Education Center to play the game!
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Nightlife in Art
May 2007
This month, the night is our stage. Let this guide escort you to works in the collection that embrace the night’s restless, insomniac moods as well as its peaceful times of slumber.
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Poetry and Art
April 2007
What artists do with color and form, poets do with words and rhythm. In celebration of National Poetry Month, take a tour of the collection to see how visual and poetic images resonate.
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March Madness
March 2007
Where would art be without madness? Feelings of alienation, mythical stories of insanity, or simply the refusal to follow the crowd have provided the creative spark for some of the world’s greatest artworks. This guide is filled with pieces of art that we’re sure you’ll go crazy over.
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Pathways of Heritage
February 2007
Africa's diverse cultures and rich artistic traditions are felt around the world. Follow the far-reaching pathways of the African diaspora with this month's self-guide.
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New Year's Resolutions
January 2007
There’s always room for improvement. As the New Year begins and we take stock of the months that have come to pass, we make resolutions that, kept or not, remind us of how we would like to live at our best.This self-guide peruses some typical resolutions as seen through several of the artworks housed in the museum.
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Winter Traditions
December 2006
The winter is no time for hibernation, especially when there are so many opportunities to indulge in parties, holiday festivities, and winter sports. Use this self-guide to travel through the world’s winter traditions.
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Peace and War
November 2006
War, like it or not, is a driving force in human history; its opposite, peace, is more elusive. This self-guide, picking up on this year’s Chicago Humanities Festival theme, takes a look at the ways in which war and peace have been represented through the ages.
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Chicago Artists
October 2006
Ever wondered which art icons have called Chicago home? As we celebrate Chicago Artists Month, find out more about the artists, patrons, and buildings that have inhabited Chicago’s landscape.
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On Location
August 2006
Inspired by the Chicago Outdoor Film Festival’s August 29 screening of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” in Grant Park, a film in which the Art Institute and our fair city figure prominently, we’ve used titles of movies set or filmed in Chicago to make some surprising connections with works of art in the collection.
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Let the Games Begin
July 2006
Has the summer heat got you too hot to trot?
Step inside where you can flex your mind and walk lively in
pursuit of works of art that celebrate the sporting life. Although just like fashion, specific sports fall in and out of favor, the basic urge to win, place, or show is timeless.
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Dance Fever
June 2006
There's no better time than summer to kick off your shoes, let your hair down, and dance! Whether you like to shake your tail-feathers on a crowded dance floor, elegantly glide beside a partner, or go solo, you can draw inspiration from these works, each of which involves dance in a slightly different way.
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A Bloomin' Tour of the Museum
May 2006
It’s bloomin’ springtime and time to start thinking beds, bulbs, and buds. Better than any seed catalogue, this self-guided tour leads you from one gorgeous blossom to another, while providing notes and tips by Tom Wolfe, the Art Institute’s preeminent gardener.
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You Look Marvelous!
April 2006
There are only two months until beach season, as every magazine seems to remind us this time of year. Whether you need to drop pounds or pack on muscle, you'll find inspiration among works of art that deal with the pursuit and glorification of bodily perfection.
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Your Lucky Day
March 2006
The Irish don’t have the market cornered on good luck. Maybe your rabbit’s foot or new penny has lost its luster. Rather than rely on good-luck charms, perhaps you need to be a bit more proactive at keeping bad luck at bay. Take a tour of six works of art to learn how different cultures attempt to conjure good fortune or repress ill will.
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Loves Me, Loves Me Not
February 2006
In this season of gooey chocolates and sentimental cards, this tour reminds you of what love is really made of: passion, devotion, treachery, tears. No wonder artists throughout time have depicted this rich and provocative subject.
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