Master Paintings in the Art Institute of Chicago

This is a revised, expanded, and newly designed edition of the Art Institute’s most popular collection book. First issued in 1983, it has sold over 100,000 copies. This new version is being published to coincide with the expansion of the museum into its Modern Wing, designed by Renzo Piano and opening in spring 2009. The Art Institute of Chicago is one of the most important museums in North America, with a broad representation of world art. This book focuses on some of the museum public’s favorite works—149 paintings from Europe and the Americas ranging from the 15th to the early 21st century. The quality and variety of the selection in this book reflect the range of the Art Institute’s holdings. Each work is illustrated in color and accompanied by a lively and informative entry.

In this updated volume, twenty-three objects from the previous edition have been replaced with other works, including recent accessions. Many of the text entries for the objects featured in the previous edition have been refreshed and updated to include new research. Celebrated works from the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist collection (including such iconic images as Caillebotte’s Paris—A Rainy Day, Lautrec’s At the Moulin Rouge, Renoir’s Acrobats at the Cirque Fernando, Seurat’s Sunday on La Grande Jatte—1884, Van Gogh’s Bedroom, and works by Cézanne, Degas, Gauguin, and more) are featured alongside paintings by important Old Master artists like Correggio, El Greco, Rubens, Rembrandt, Fragonard, and Goya. Other highlights include paintings by 18th- and 19th-century American artists (those who established themselves in the nascent nation, such as Copley, Stuart, Cole, Church, Homer, Eakins, Remington, and Chase; and those who chose mainly to work abroad, such as Cassatt, Sargent, and Whistler.) The Art Institute’s representation of 20th-century art is one of the most comprehensive in the nation. In addition to such signal American works as Hopper’s Nighthawks, Wood’sAmerican Gothic, and De Kooning’s Excavation, the museum boasts outstanding examples of all phases of Picasso’s career, major works by Matisse and other Paris School artists, and a particularly strong Surrealist collection. In honor of the Modern Wing, the selection of modern and contemporary works has been expanded in this edition, incorporating recently acquired works by Kelly, Lichtenstein, and Twombly.