Art Institute of Chicago

So I took a trip to the Art Institute of Chicago again this time with my younger sister and her boyfriend and I have to say that like any other time I get to go there I enjoy it. Even a bit more this time seeing as I was with people I like but rarely get to spend time with lately and that they acually try to talk about the peices though neither are trained in the art field, its interesting to hear what others have to say about various peices. While there we saw Hopper's Nighthawks painting, went through the miniatures section thats currently there, and spent most of our time in the Chinese and Korean ceramics. I've never noticed NightHawks there before and it was refreshing to see a painting that is often mentioned in any class that I take, a painting that I could readily recognize since I'll admit I not that good with art history, usually I can say I saw something a book but can't remember what the title or artist is. Another peice we saw that I was pleased with being able to recognize was a Giacometti peice in the lower level. A bronze cast piece caught my attention right around the corner from the Giacometti, it was by Antonin Mercie someone I haven't heard of, the head of Joan of Arc, the lighting that the peice was what really caught the eye it was placed basically directly under a spot light which made the piece almost glow the way one would imagine a saint to. I can't see that piece being put anywhere else. The miniatures impressed me alot. I would imagine that this was because I probaly don't have the patience to put something like together, and how realistic they look. Both Nate and I took a few pictures of different miniatures and when we went through them later we were stumped as to whos house it was at for a second before remembering where we had been the day before. The ceramics pieces have always been in interest for me, the smoothness and careful detail that some of the ceramists are able to get into this medium amazes me. I have difficulty just getting a piece in ceramics relatively smooth. Over all I enjoyed this trip as I usually do even with the cold walk from Union Station.