This exhibition showcases 25 paintings from the preeminent private collection of French 18th-century art in the United States: The Horvitz Collection.
The selection of works focuses on Neoclassicism, an artistic style that emerged in the later 1700s and flourished through the 1820s, a period of tremendous political and social upheaval in France. This time was also the heyday of...
This exhibition showcases 25 paintings from the preeminent private collection of French 18th-century art in the United States: The Horvitz Collection.
The selection of works focuses on Neoclassicism, an artistic style that emerged in the later 1700s and flourished through the 1820s, a period of tremendous political and social upheaval in France. This time was also the heyday of “history painting,” a genre of painting characterized by large-scale compositions portraying scenes from history, mythology, and religion. Neoclassical painters looked to the art, architecture, and literature of ancient Greece and Rome for inspiration, often as a lens through which to depict and comment upon contemporary events, and several works included in the exhibition were displayed to a broad public at the annual Paris Salons.
While these works were created more than 200 years ago and often depict ancient or mythological events, they also reference social and political challenges that remain relevant today, from the overthrow of an absolutist government during the French Revolution—which saw the groundwork laid for modern democracies—through to Napoleon’s Empire and the eventual restoration of Bourbon monarchy. This period also coincided with the rise of Enlightenment ideals, the democratization of knowledge, the spread of printed materials, and the origins of industrialization and increased urbanization.
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What's on
Germane Barnes: Columnar Disorder (Until 27 January 2025)
Paula Modersohn-Becker: I Am Me (Starts on 12 October 2024)
French Neoclassical Paintings from The Horvitz Collection (Starts on 19 October 2024)
Other exhibitions at The Art Institute of Chicago
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The Art Institute of Chicago
The Art Institute of Chicago is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the US, attracting approximately 1.5 million guests annually. It is home to some of the world's most famous paintings, including The Old Guitarist by Pablo Picasso, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Georges-Pierre Seurat, Edward Hopper's Nighthawks, and Grant Wood's American Gothic, among countless other works.
Opening hours
Thursday | 11:00 - 20:00 |
Friday | 11:00 - 17:00 |
Saturday | 11:00 - 17:00 |
Sunday | 11:00 - 17:00 |
Monday | 11:00 - 17:00 |
Tuesday | Closed |
Wednesday | Closed |