My last visit to the Art Institute of Chicago brought me to two wonderful, and very different exhibits: Charles White: A Retrospective and John Singer Sargent and Chicago's Gilded Age. Both artists are American, but from very different backgrounds and times.
Charles White (1918 – 1979) emerged from Chicago as an artist, activist, and educator in New York and Los Angeles during his four decade career. His work depicts the role of the African American in American culture and history. I found this exhibit to be profoundly impactful, meaningful, and relevant to current times.
The Trenton Six, 1949
John Singer Sargent (1856 - 1925) was born in Florence, Italy to American parents. The Sargent exhibit was devoted to his connections to Chicago at the turn of the century. Dozens of his paintings were exhibited in Chicago including the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893. Chicagoan, Charles Derring, was a friend and patron, who help secure Sargent's legacy with the city. Sargent paintings are beautiful in color and brushwork, but really live in the past with little connection to the present.
La Carmencita, 1890