{"id":1870906,"date":"2026-04-07T19:25:53","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T16:25:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1870906"},"modified":"2026-04-07T19:25:53","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T16:25:53","slug":"100-masterpieces-to-see-at-the-art-institute-of-chicago","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1870906","title":{"rendered":"100 Masterpieces to See at the Art Institute of Chicago"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\tFounded in 1879, the Art Institute of Chicago is one of the nation\u2019s oldest museums\u2014and one of its greatest. Spanning two connected buildings and covering nearly one million square feet, it is also one of the largest, making a visit to the Art Institute a potentially intimidating endeavor.<\/p>\n
\n\tAsk 10 people what to see there, and you may get 10 different answers. Some will direct you to the Impressionist galleries, where world-famous works by Van Gogh, Caillebotte, and Seurat lie in wait. Others will tell you to go to the Surrealist section, which houses quite a few treasures. And still others\u2014locals, most likely\u2014will urge you visit some of the less often visited corners of the museum, notably the basement gallery for Narcissa Niblack Thorne\u2019s elaborate miniatures.<\/p>\n
\n\tTo help you out, we\u2019ve assembled a list of 100 great artworks to see at the Art Institute. They run the gamut from ancient Greek statues to Japanese folding screens, from medieval rarities to modernist masterpieces. In sum, they offer a view of global art history that is only growing wider as the Art Institute acquires works to fill the gaps in its extensive collection.<\/p>\n
\n\tTwo things to bear in mind: First, the artworks below are not ranked by quality; they are instead grouped by the areas of the museum in which they appear. Second, we\u2019ve done our best to note which works aren\u2019t currently on view, though this changes frequently, since pieces are regularly loaned out for exhibitions and galleries are frequently renovated and rehung. Check the Art Institute\u2019s website for the most current information about what\u2019s in the galleries.<\/p>\n
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Edward Kemeys, Lion<\/em>, 1893<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: \u00a9Art Institute of Chicago\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\tArtworks have come and gone at the Art Institute, but this one has stood in the same place ever since the museum opened to the public on December 8, 1893. (At more than two tons, it is simply too heavy to go most anywhere else.) Edward Kemeys, its maker, was known as an animalier\u2014an artist who specializes in depicting animals\u2014and he was by some estimates even the first of his kind in the United States. Though he did not attend art school, he was trained in the iron business, and after the Civil War he applied his close study of buffaloes, lions, wolves, and other creatures seen at zoos to produce highly detailed sculptures such as this one. With a flowy mane and a slender chest, this lion\u2014one of two on hand at the Michigan Avenue entrance\u2014is now an Art Institute icon.<\/p>\n
Where to see it: Museum Grounds<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
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Narcissa Niblack Thorne, A18: Shaker Living Room, c. 1800<\/em>, ca. 1940<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Art Institute of Chicago\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\tSome of the museum\u2019s greatest gems are tucked away in a hard-to-find basement gallery. That gallery is host to 68 intricate miniature scenes by Narcissa Niblack Thorne, who produced around 100 works like these. With a painstaking level of detail, Thorne recreated interiors evocative of rooms in France, Japan, the United States, and elsewhere, filling them with teeny chairs, rugs, chandeliers, wardrobes, and more. While it is fun to see Thorne\u2019s abundantly furnished spaces, it\u2019s equally pleasurable to observe her work in a sparer aesthetic, as with this miniature resembling a Shaker living room, whose floorboards are even dented to make them appear worn.<\/p>\n
Where to see it: Applied Arts Galleries<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
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Coffin and Mummy of Paankhaenamun, ca. 924\u2013889 BCE<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Art Institute of Chicago\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\tThe Art Institute of Chicago\u2019s galleries technically contain a dead body: the corpse of Pa-ankh-en-Amun, an Egyptian man who lived sometime around 900 BCE and was mummified upon his passing. His remains now lie in this painted coffin, a star of the museum\u2019s modestly scaled but treasure-laden galleries for Egyptian art. As was common for ancient Egyptian coffins, this one was painted with images showing its owner\u2019s passage into the afterlife, with Pa-ankh-en-Amun seen walking hand in hand with Horus, the falcon-headed god of the sun and sky. Since acquiring the coffin more than a century ago, the Art Institute has repeatedly studied it; in 2014, curators sent it off to a nearby hospital whose scanning machines revealed that Pa-ankh-en-Amun was middle-aged when he died.<\/p>\n
Where to see it: Egyptian Galleries<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
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Bead Net Funerary Shroud, 664\u2013525 BCE<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Art Institute of Chicago\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\tThe scarab at the center of this shroud refers to Khepri, the ancient Egyptian god of rebirth. This object would have been placed atop a mummy set for burial, with the beaded face slipping neatly over the human visage beneath the bandages. The hope, perhaps, was that the shroud\u2019s wearer would pass through the afterlife and return again. Though it is some 2,500 years old, the shroud\u2019s faience beads retain their glow, their rich blues rivaling those of a beloved Alma Thomas painting from the 20th century in the galleries for contemporary art (more on that below). Care to know how the shroud\u2019s maker meticulously sewed the beads into place? The museum has an in-depth guide explaining it all.<\/p>\n
Where to see it: Egyptian Galleries<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
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Statuette of a Female Figure, 2600 BCE\u20132400 BCE<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Art Institute of Chicago\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\tNot many works regularly on view at the Art Institute of Chicago are older than this little statue, which dates to the Early Bronze Age. A prime example of the spare aesthetic that defined art of Greece\u2019s Cyclades islands during that era, the marble statuette depicts a figure with its arms wrapped across its chest, its pudgy stomach perhaps indicating that the person depicted is a pregnant woman. Other details, including eyes and hair, may have once been painted on, but those features and any other adornments have been lost to time. Still, even in its minimalist form, the statuette retains its beauty\u2014and even hints at modernist sculpture of the 20th century.<\/p>\n
Where to see it: Greek and Roman Galleries<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
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Volute Krater, ca. 340 BCE<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Art Institute of Chicago\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\tOrpheus presides over this ornately painted vessel known as a krater, his head appearing to float amid corkscrewing flowers of all sorts. Beneath him are a young soldier and another male figure whom the Art Institute has identified as either his tutor or his philosopher. Set in a naiksos<\/em>, or a tomb, these two men converse amid others figures who may represent people who have already passed. The name of the ancient Greek maker of this krater, done in a style known as red figure painting, is not known, though scholars have identified the artist as Painter of Copenhagen 4223, who also applied his talents to elegant vessels held by the British Museum, the Wadsworth, and other institutions.<\/p>\n
Where to see it: Greek and Roman Galleries<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
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Architectural Relief Depicting the Gigantomachy (Battle Between Gods and Giants), 3rd century BCE\u20132nd century BCE<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Art Institute of Chicago\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\tOutside academia, Etruscan art may lack the public visibility enjoyed by Greek and Roman art. This architectural relief demonstrates why Etruscan art merits due attention. Done in terracotta, a medium at which Etruscan artisans were particularly adept, it depicts a giant locked in battle with a god and goddess whose robes ripple as they fight. Reliefs like this one adorned buildings\u2014likely a temple, in this case, according to the museum\u2014and were once painted. Though some of that color is now gone, there is still some reddish pigment left behind.<\/p>\n
Where to see it: Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Galleries<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
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Statue of a Young Satyr Wearing a Theater Mask of Silenos, ca. 1st century CE<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Art Institute of Chicago\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\tThere may be no weirder work at the Art Institute than this sculpture of a young satyr pushing a hand through the theater mask of an older one. What exactly does it mean? Chicago <\/em>magazine posed the question to Karen Manchester, head of the museum\u2019s department of ancient and Byzantine art, who said that similar ancient Roman statues represent a \u201cmischievous\u201d follower of Dionysus who \u201cplayfully frightens another little satyr standing opposite him.\u201d (One such companion may initially have accompanied this statue.) Beyond that, Manchester was short on answers, though she did note that the work is intriguing for another reason besides its strangeness: It was restored by Alessandro Algardi, a renowned Baroque sculptor, during the 17th century. Since it went on loan to the museum in 2014, the statue has developed a cult following.<\/p>\n
Where to see it: Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Galleries<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
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Fragment of a Statue of Venus, 1st century CE\u20132nd century CE<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Art Institute of Chicago\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\tAncient Roman sculptors were known for copying Greek marbles with a stunning degree of accuracy. Indeed, this exquisite Roman fragment is essentially a remake of Kallimachos\u2019s statue of Aphrodite, which likewise features a translucent drape falling across the torso of a buxom body. Here, that ancient Greek goddess, recast as the Roman deity Venus, makes visible her belly button and stomach, emphasizing her role as a mother. Julius Caesar claimed to have been descended from Venus; he adorned his temples dedicated to her with statues similar to this one.<\/p>\n
Where to see it: Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Galleries<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
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Statue of the Aphrodite of Knidos, 2nd century CE<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Art Institute of Chicago\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\tMuch like other ancient Roman sculptures, this one is a remake of a Greek work, now lost, by Praxiteles, the most important sculptor of that culture. The Roman version even emphasizes some of Praxiteles\u2019s innovations, including the way he depicted contrapposto, a pose in which more weight is placed on one leg than the other. But according to the museum, this one differs from Praxiteles\u2019s in one key regard: The original was a divine representation of Aphrodite that was meant for a hallowed setting on the island of Knidos, while the Roman copy was merely placed in the garden of its elite owner. Tough luck for the Roman marble, whose surface was pocked and wrinkled over time as a result.<\/p>\n
Where to see it: Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Galleries<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
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Mosaic Fragment with Man Leading a Giraffe, 5th century<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Art Institute of Chicago\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\tCompared with all the Greek and Roman sculptures on view, the Byzantine offerings at this museum are relatively sparse. Still, this Byzantine mosaic manages to hold its own. Likely made for the home of a wealthy family in Syria or Lebanon, the mosaic shows a man leading a giraffe using a leash wrapped around its head. Giraffes were the subject of widespread fascination in Byzantium, where they were brought from Africa by emperors and trotted out for the public. This mosaic is hardly the only Byzantine one to portray a giraffe, but it\u2019s a notable one for its economy of representation. The man\u2019s eyes, for example, are depicted using just a few whitish tesserae.<\/p>\n
Where to see it: Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Galleries<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
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Model of a Pigsty and Latrines, 100 BCE\u2013100 CE<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Art Institute of Chicago\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\tWhat we are seeing here is essentially a very elegant toilet. In this Han dynasty sculpture, several pigs are positioned near a staircase leading to a latrine; in real life, waste would flow via pipes to the pigs, who could then consume it. The subject may not sound like something that could be rendered beautiful, but the sculpture\u2019s maker has done just that, individualizing each pig in such a way that it is possible to tell their age and even their frame of mind. The sculpture would have been buried in a tomb\u2014ancient Chinese graves commonly held representations of structures seen in everyday life\u2014and likely came from what is now the Henan Province.<\/p>\n
Where to see it: Asian Art Galleries<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
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Buddhist Votive Stele, 551 CE<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Art Institute of Chicago\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\tAt just over 11 feet tall, this stele towers over its neighbors in the galleries for Chinese art. Commissioned by a religious family seeking to curry favor with the Buddha, the stele features various representations of the wandering ascetic, including depictions in which he is shown dying and then being prepared for cremation. All around these scenes are dazzling arrays of figures: worshipers, monks, musicians, and more. A tablet like this one was originally meant for a temple courtyard or a public space, but even in the Art Institute, it continues to demand admiration.<\/p>\n
Where to see it: Asian Art Galleries<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
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S\u014dgy\u014d Hachiman, 10th century<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Art Institute of Chicago\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\tHachiman, god of warriors, is a syncretic deity, merging aspects of Shinto and Buddhist lore. A shapeshifter in more sense than one, Hachiman is here shown as a monk, with his head shaved and a wrap known as a kesa<\/em> drawn around his chest. Likely made for use in processionals, the sculpture is elegantly crafted from wood, the folds of the robe appearing to undulate. It attests to the rich cross-pollination of cultures taking place in Japan, where Buddhism had taken root just a few centuries prior to the sculpture\u2019s making.<\/p>\n
Where to see it: Asian Art Galleries<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
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Shiva as Lord of the Dance (Nataraja), 10th\/11th century<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Art Institute of Chicago\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\tIn this bronze sculpture, Shiva is depicted dancing, spinning around and sending his locks flying in all directions. Surrounded by a ring of fire, he has one foot atop Ganga, the Hindu goddess of the rivers. Crafted in Chola-dynasty India, during a period when temple architecture was reaching new heights, this sculpture would have been carried around during religious events. Ever since the mid 1960s, it has been a fixture of a long gallery at the Art Institute devoted primarily to Indian art.<\/p>\n
Where to see it: Asian Art Galleries<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
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Seated Guanyin, 960 CE\u20131279<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Art Institute of Chicago\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\tIn Buddhism, bodhisattvas, or enlightened beings, are often associated with specific qualities; Guanyin is commonly linked to compassion and mercy. This sculpture features the bodhisattva seated in a pose known as \u201cGuanyin of the Southern Seas,\u201d wherein he props one arm on a bent knee. Similar sculptures recur throughout Chinese history, but this one is emblematic of a sensibility distinct to the Song dynasty, a time when artists sought to imbue their creations with increased naturalism. Crafted from paulownia wood, the sculpture was repainted centuries later, during the Ming dynasty, and gilded in parts. The gold leaf has been largely lost to time, so it no longer sparkles as it used to.<\/p>\n
Where to see it: Asian Arts Galleries<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
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Buddha Shakyamuni Seated in Meditation (Dhyanamudra), ca. 12th century<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Art Institute of Chicago\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\tWith the fall of the Pala empire during the 12th century, Buddhism began to die out in in most parts of India. The town of Nagapattinam, however, remained an exception during the Chola period because the Srivijaya empire, from what is now Indonesia, had firmly installed itself there. This seated Buddha hails from that town. Sculpted from a granite, the pared-down work is not exactly lifelike, but it is not trying to be. It measures a little over five feet tall; if this Buddha were to stand up, he would tower over the viewer standing before him.<\/p>\n
Where to see it: Asian Art Galleries<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
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Karttikeya, Commander of the Divine Army, Seated on a Peacock, ca. 12th century<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Art Institute of Chicago\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\tKarttikeya, the Hindu god of war, has six heads and 12 arms in this sculpture carved from heavy basalt. Dating back to Ganga period India, the sculpture shows Karttikeya seated atop a peacock. The bird\u2019s voluminous plumage seems to mirror Karttikeya\u2019s array of arms, which fan out just like the peacock\u2019s feathers. A treasure of the airy hall for Indian art at the Art Institute, the work may have originated in what is now the city of Madanapalle, in the state of Andra Pradesh, according to the museum.<\/p>\n
Where to see it: Asian Art Galleries<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
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Duck-Shaped Ewer with Daoist Priest, ca. 12th century<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Art Institute of Chicago\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\tIt is hard to resist this ewer\u2019s form: a Daoist priest standing atop a smiling, unnaturally large duck. Though it is notable primarily for being one of the most fanciful objects in the museum, the vessel is interesting, too, in its function. In its original usage, wine would have been poured into an opening in the top, in the priest\u2019s bowl, and then would have flowed out from the duck\u2019s mouth. The ewer was produced in Goryeo dynasty Korea in a pottery style known as celadon, which is prized for its clean, arcing shapes and its signature greenish hue.<\/p>\n
Where to see it: Asian Art Galleries<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
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Hasegawa S\u00f4ya, Willow Bridge and Waterwheel<\/em>, ca. 1650<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Art Institute of Chicago\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\tGallery 109, unofficially known as the Tadao Ando Gallery for the starchitect who designed it, is among the most beloved parts of the Art Institute, prized as both a haven from the crowds that inhabit adjacent areas and a good space for hushed contemplation. Devoted to Japanese art, the spare gallery features just a handful of large-scale works; the star is this Edo period folding screen. A bridge arcs across its two segments, which also portray willows with cascading foliage and gnarled roots. Hasegawa S\u00f4ya, the screen\u2019s maker, eschewed naturalism for something more expressive, painting much of his surface with gold that casts an unearthly shimmer. French Impressionists\u2014including those featured in the Art Institute\u2019s hallowed galleries for European art of the 19th century\u2014drew their inspiration from Japanese artworks similar to this one.<\/p>\n
Where to see it: Asian Art Galleries<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
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Moon Jar, late 17th century\u2013early 18th century<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Art Institute of Chicago\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\tOne of the more recent changes to the Art Institute came in 2024 with the formation of a new set of galleries for Korean art\u2014a reflection, perhaps, of a fascination with creations from that nation that took hold in the United States in the years prior. These galleries brought to light great artworks that had not previously gotten much attention, including this Joseon dynasty moon jar. Porcelain vessels such as these are considered highly valuable today and are beloved for their bulbous form. Though most moon jars are fully white, this one has pink splotches on its surface. These are most likely stains, according to the Art Institute, but they are not exactly blemishes, since they only enhance the jar\u2019s beauty.<\/p>\n
Where to see it: Asian Art Galleries<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
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Jar with Narcissus, Nandina Berries, Lingzhi Mushrooms, and Rocks, 1723\u201335<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Art Institute of Chicago\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\tDuring the Ming dynasty, Chinese artisans painted pottery using the doucai<\/em> technique, wherein an outline of blue underglaze remains visible surrounding the objects represented. Doucai<\/em> pottery was most popular during the 15th century. It eventually fell out of favor, only to return later on, with a revival taking place in the 18th century during the Qing dynasty. This porcelain jar dates to that resurgence and evinces a distinctly Ming dynasty\u2013inspired aesthetic: The stems and petals of its billowy narcissus flower are all marked out in signature blue on the edges. A set of reddish lingzhi<\/em> mushrooms sprout beneath them, suggesting a harmonious environment hosting multiple biological kingdoms.<\/p>\n
Where to see it: Asian Art Galleries<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
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Utagawa Hiroshige, Asakusa Rice Fields and Torinomachi Festival<\/em>, 1857<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Art Institute of Chicago\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\tUtagawa Hiroshige was one of the foremost printmakers associated with the ukiyo-e genre, which offered views of cosmopolitan Japan during the Edo period. He remains most famous for \u201cOne Hundred Famous Views of Edo\u201d; the Art Institute owns dozens of works from that series of woodblock prints and periodically exhibits them. This one is less quaint than it may first appear: It depicts the interior of a brothel in Tokyo\u2019s Yoshiwara district, with a courtesan\u2019s garment draped across a windowsill. While the print\u2019s title may refer to a festival, that event goes largely undepicted. Instead, the focus is the cat that looks on from inside, presumably relishing the ability to see everything from a high angle.<\/p>\n
Where to see it: Asian Art Galleries<\/em><\/p>\n
This work is not currently on view.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
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Diptych of the Virgin and Child Enthroned and the Crucifixion<\/em>, ca. 1280<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Art Institute of Chicago\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\tWhile the Art Institute may not have the deepest collection of medieval and Byzantine art, it does offer some gems, such as this one. The diptych depicts familiar subject matter: the Virgin Mary seated on her throne with the Christ Child, alongside the Crucifixion, a pairing that acts as a quick recap of Christ\u2019s life prior to the Resurrection. But the two panels\u2014which are hinged together, and could be opened for private worship in one\u2019s home\u2014are notable for their gold-leaf details. See the delicate patterning on the haloes surrounding the Virgin Mary and the angels nearby\u2014a web of lines so intricate that it recalls calligraphy.<\/p>\n
Where to see it: European Painting and Sculpture Galleries<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
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Bernat Martorell, Saint George and the Dragon<\/em>, 1434\u201335<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Art Institute of Chicago\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\tThere are many paintings of Saint George, a soldier who earned his place in Christian lore for slaying a dragon that terrorized the town of Silene, but few are quite so vibrant as this one by Bernat Martorell, a painter who worked in what is now Barcelona. Here, Saint George swoops past the princess who warned him to leave and bears down on the beast, shown baring its sharp teeth, while a crowd far in the distance looks on. Martorell and his colleagues hadn\u2019t quite worked out the rules of perspective, which is why this picture feels so skewed; those innovations were still being honed by Renaissance painters in Italy. But no matter: Saint George and the Dragon<\/em> succeeds in spite of its awkwardness, regularly drawing admirers today.<\/p>\n
Where to see it: European Painting and Sculpture Galleries<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
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Sandro Botticelli, Virgin and Child with an Angel<\/em>, 1475\u201385<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Art Institute of Chicago\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\tYou\u2019d have to head to Italy to see the world\u2019s finest Botticellis, but there aren\u2019t many museums in the United States that can say they own a work by the Renaissance painter, and that in itself is something worth boasting about. In this painting, Botticelli returns to a frequently depicted biblical subject: the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus. But whereas most artists before Botticelli set this image in a divine realm centuries in the past, he positions the mother-son duo before a grassy field abutting a river\u2014a setting that could have been found in Botticelli\u2019s Italy. In so doing, he situates this religious scene in an everyday milieu familiar to his viewers. To further pull his material down to earth, Botticelli humanizes his subjects, with Mary displaying a furtive, matronly gaze that doesn\u2019t always appear in medieval art.<\/p>\n
Where to see it: European Painting and Sculpture Galleries<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
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Workshop of Dieric Bouts, Mater Dolorosa (Sorrowing Virgin)<\/em>, ca. 1490<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Art Institute of Chicago\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\tDieric Bouts, a northern Renaissance painter based in Flemish Brabant, appears not to have personally painted this work, instead providing designs to be executed by members of his workshop. But what execution! Working in oil, a medium that afforded northern Renaissance artists the ability to render details impossible to obtain through the tempera used in Italy, the workshop\u2019s members intricately painted out every swollen tear shed by this Virgin Mary, whose image may have once faced a panel of Christ wearing a crown of thorns. Bouts\u2019s drawings call for heightened naturalism: This Mary does not cry in a way that is elegant. She has grieved so much, in fact, that her eyes have gone bloodshot.<\/p>\n
Where to see it: European Painting and Sculpture Galleries<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
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Giovanni Battista Moroni, Gian Lodovico Madruzzo<\/em>, 1551\u201352<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Art Institute of Chicago\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\tWhile Giovanni Battista Moroni was much loved in 16th-century Lombardy for his austere, minimalist portraits, his reputation has taken a lashing in the centuries since; the art historian Bernard Berenson once quipped that Moroni\u2019s subjects were \u201ctoo uninterestingly themselves.\u201d The plainness of Moroni\u2019s style is what animates a painting like this one, however. It features Gian Ludovico Madruzzo, a Catholic cardinal who was involved in the Council of Trent, which responded to the Protestant Reformation by making changes to the Catholic Church. Moroni\u2019s portrait fittingly pictures Madruzzo as a man immune to the excess that once characterized the Church\u2014and as a fearsome figure worth heeding. At more than 16 feet tall, the painting towers over the viewer, who may feel small in the face of it, just like the obedient dog at Madruzzo\u2019s side.<\/p>\n
Where to see it: European Painting and Sculpture Galleries<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
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