ARHI 372: ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO FIELD TRIP

11 May 2021

Welcome to a virtual field trip to the Art Institute of Chicago! We’ll commence with the Art Institute’s
permanent collection of Asian art as well as two contemporary Asian exhibitions followed by
examination of nineteenth-century European and American art that embraced the influence of Asian art.
You will find the AIC collections complement periods, artists, and even original works of art we have
examined in class. In addition to Asian art, the nineteenth-century European and American collections
exhibit many works by artists such as James McNeill Whistler, Mary Cassatt, Claude Monet, Georges
Seurat, Vincent Van Gogh, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, etc. which we’ll study on Thursday when we
discuss Asian influence on Western art: Chinoiserie, Japonaiserie and Japonisme. There are four Art
Institute areas and two special exhibitions that particularly reinforce our Asian Art class materia l.
Although AIC sadly closed for much of the pandemic making it impossible to do an in-person
field trip this term, it has wonderful online resources for you to explore and to satisfy in-person
wishes until you can visit again in person. The assignment is designed to be completed during
class time.
Mountain of Heaven, by Tai Xiangzhao, 2014 (AIC China Cosmoscapes Special Exhibition)

The Art Institute of Chicago website offers excellent collection information:

1) South Asia Galleries: in these galleries, you’ll find a wide array of sculptures from India,
Pakistan, etc. which reinforce material we covered in the first part of the class. Choose two
works of sculpture from different historic periods related to Buddhism. Note the text label
accompanying each piece and include it with an image in your assignment. Discuss the style and
iconography for each. Next compare and contrast the two works and come to an overall
conclusion. You’ll see many works that relate to class material we’ve covered!

2) China Galleries: examine works in various media from different periods of Chinese art we’ve
studied. Choose two works to closely examine from different periods and in different media.
Note each piece in terms of style, medium, scale, etc. You’ll see beautiful examples of early
Chinese pottery and bronze vessels. Note the beautiful porcelains and ink paintings which
inspired Chinoiserie in the West. Write a summary of each piece, including images and
iconography as far as possible and label text with each piece as above.

3) Japan Galleries: explore these newly installed galleries—from golden Momoyama folding
screens glowing in dim light through bold woodblock prints and scrolls. As with China, choose
two works representing two different types of media and from different periods. Discuss each in
terms of style and iconography.

4) Modern Art: explore the two current special exhibitions: Modernity and Nostalgia: The Prints
of Ito Shinsui and Cosmoscapes: Ink Paintings by Tai Xiangzhou. Choose one modern work from
one of these two exhibitions to compare and contrast with a traditional work from the same
respective country which we have studied in class.

5) Nineteenth-century American and European Galleries: Examine works by Whistler and

Cassatt in the American Galleries and by Monet, Seurat, Van Gogh and Lautrec in the European
Galleries. Choose two works by different artists which you feel show Asian influence and
describe why for each. The Art Institute is famous for its nineteenth-century collections!

Museum Assignment: Make each response approximately 1/2 page in length and come
to an overall conclusion concerning the two works discussed. Also be sure to include an
image of each work discussed. This is a great opportunity to enhance your
connoisseurship skills. Be sure in each of your five short essays, to choose works by
different artists and from separate artistic movements in order to fully embrace the many
diverse works of art that comprise this enormous art collection. This assignment is
designed to be completed during Tuesday’s class time and is due via Moodle by class
time Thursday, May 13th. Enjoy the closest we can come to our class viewing artwork
in person this term!