Strange Realities: The Symbolist Imagination
Art Institute of Chicago 159 East Monroe Street, Chicago, ILArt Institute of Chicago
Symbolism is among the most complex art movements to define. Although it followed on the heels of Impressionism, whose imagery was accessible and bright, Symbolism’s dark and mysterious vocabulary is far less known. While Symbolist artists were aligned in their embrace of the creative imagination, they used diverse styles and drew inspiration from the past, […]
Lecture: Dreams and Nightmares at the Fin de Siècle
Art Institute of Chicago 159 East Monroe Street, Chicago, ILArt Institute of Chicago
The last decade of the 19th century in Europe saw an explosion of evocative and disturbing works of art, reflecting a cultural cynicism felt around rapid industrialization, a perceived moral decline, and the rural flight to urban centers. These anxieties inspired Symbolist artists to draw on a dark and mysterious vocabulary of demons, skeletons, femmes […]