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Luminaries, our leadership-level members, experience the Art Institute in unparalleled ways—with private tours, illuminating lectures, and so much more.
The Obama Portraits, featuring Kehinde Wiley’s painting of President Barack Obama and Amy Sherald’s portrayal of former first lady Michelle Obama, are on view in our galleries for just eight weeks this summer. Here’s how to see them.
Hear personal stories and insights from Art Institute staff as they tell you all about their favorite works from the collection in this series.
From celebratory statues to intricate mosaic panels, art was created for a wide variety of functions and contexts during the centuries that the Roman Empire reigned. Explore a few highlights from the Art Institute’s collection of ancient Roman art here.
Whether a painting, photograph, print, or sculpture—a portrait is often thought of as capturing a physical likeness of an individual.
We’re celebrating The Obama Portraits all summer long with free community events, virtual programs, and art making.
The Art Institute was the first museum in the United States to assemble a significant collection of modern art and to put it on permanent display. Today these holdings are among the finest in the world—enjoy highlights from this pioneering collection.
These portraits represent a remarkable fusion of Egyptian culture, Roman citizenship, and Greek self-identification.
These mummy portraits serve as an important reminder of the human needs to be creative and idiosyncratic.
Meet Kenneth Sutherland, Andrew W. Mellon Conservation Scientist at the Art Institute of Chicago.
A beautifully illustrated introduction to Bisa Butler’s innovative portrait quilts
An updated selection of extraordinary paintings at the Art Institute of Chicago, featuring works from around the globe and dating from ancient Egypt to the present day.
In this image, the features are greatly distorted as Pablo Picasso began to examine the subject’s facial features and characteristics as closely and specifically as possible.
In this work, Chicago-based artist Archibald J. Motley, Jr. depicts himself as a debonair yet serious artist, vibrant palette in hand. The traditional composition and lively colors offer a glimpse into the complexity of Motley himself.
This activity uses artworks and your close looking skills to practice making metaphors and similes.
Create your very own portrait using unconventional materials and objects, just like Francis Picabia. Explore the read aloud link for “Walter was Worried” by Laura Vaccaro Seeger to make connections between portraiture and personalities.
