Sep 25
For all the masterpieces at the Art Institute of Chicago, sometimes it is good to wander slowly and find new favorite paintings. Here’s a few works and details that jumped out at me this summer.
I posted not too long ago about Stikmen popping up near Boston, so I was on the look out for them in Chicago. I didn’t find any of the road decals but I did find one of the original stick figures. The Art Institute of Chicago sits on Michigan Avenue with the front steps looking down S Adams Ave. As you cross Michigan, literally a few yards from the Chicago Art Institute, there is a Stikman glued to a street light utility box and painted for camouflage. Thousands of people walk this way every day to enter the Museum. I wonder how many noticed the Stikman? I wonder how long he’s been there?
Partial grazing light image of Picasso’s “The Old Guitarist” as it hangs at The Art Institute of Chicago
It is not uncommon for artists to rework or even reuse canvases. Careful examination with scientific techniques can offer glimpses of pasts images buried beneath the surface. But sometimes you don’t need sophisticated instruments; sometimes the underlying image is very obvious looking at the final piece. This was my experience with Pablo Picasso’s “The Old Guitarist” and the ghostly woman’s face in the top center of the painting. Looking at it from the side and letting the light graze the image, you can see the depth of her face very clearly.
