Monday, February 22, 2010

AIC: Galleries of American Art [Lower Level]

The two stories of the Rice Building, display the Art Institutes American permanent collection..which includes paintings, sculptures and decorative arts..
Lower Level - 18th & 19th century of American Art
Upper Level - American Art from 1890 onwards..
This post is about 18th & 19th century American Art [Lower Level]
Galleries 161-179..

















For me, the main attraction on the lower level are the sculptures..
The beautiful Sculpture Court, bathed in natural light displays some outstanding marble sculptures, mostly allegorical, moralizing stories of Pocahontas, Zenobia, Queen of Pamya and other historical and literary figures.. I was mostly interested in American sculptors like Lorado Taft, Edward Kemeys, Hermon Atkins McNeil, Daniel Chester French and Frederic Remington..
Not to be missed is the works of nation's first generation landscape painters, the Hudson River School.. and also Arts and Crafts objects highlighting Chicago's Prairie School of Architects and craftsmen, including Frank Llyod Wright.. all on the Lower Level..

Images displayed above..
- Sculpture Court..
- Pocahontas [1868].. By Joseph Mozier
- The Solitude of Soul [1914].. By Lorado Taft
- Truth [1900].. By Daniel Chester French
- Lincoln [1916].. By Daniel Chester French
- The Sun Vow [1901].. By Hermon Atkins MacNeil
- The Old Dragoons of 1850 [1905/09].. By Frederic Remington
- Hanging Head Dragonfly.. Tiffany Studio

Jesting Around: Whenever I hear the name Pocahontas, the song Fever crosses my mind.. Captain Smith and Pocahontas, Had a very mad affair, When her daddy tried to kill him, She said Daddy, oh don't you dare, He gives me fever, With his kisses
Fever when he holds me tight, Fever I'm his Mrs.And Daddy won't you treat him right ...
That actually made me do some search on who Pocahontas was..

For more on.. [click on the link]..
The Art Institute of Chicago...

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