The Art Institute of Chicago

#chicago #TheArtInstituteofChicago #impressionists #famouspaintings #thechicagobean #cloudgate 

When vising a new city, one of the first things we do is visit the major art gallery. In this case we arrived too early so relaxed until opening in the sculpture garden next door.

The first thing you notice when entering the gallery is the cost involved of about $25, which is a shock as galleries in the UK are free to the public. Asking for advice we were advised to go to the top floor to view the Impressionists, as this would soon become crowded, and we were glad we did. 
Apparently, Chicago has one of the best collections of these paintings outside of Paris and it was impressive to see so many masterpieces in one area. As well as the famous paintings, it's always interesting to see other work by these artists.

After spending a long time viewing these, we decided to search out the other recommended paintings. Viewing this David Hockney work was quite moving as we had just heard that he had passed away.

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Several other memorable paintings were also on show and we had to be selective as time was passing. One of our favorites being Nighthawks by Edward Hopper.

Going outside we visited The Chicago Bean, which is officially called Cloud Gate, in Millennium Park. Joining the throng of people posing around it was a fascinating experience which everyone seemed to enjoy, including us. Going under it provided quite abstract images.

A stunning gallery and tourist area made for an enjoyable day in a city we would highly recommend anyone to visit.