Art Institute of Chicago

An art museum in Chicago, Illinois, founded in 1879 and known for its encyclopedic collection, landmark building, and association with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte: Georges Seurat’s large-scale painting of Parisians relaxing beside the Seine, completed in 1886. This pointillist landmark is among the museum’s most recognized works.
Encyclopedic museum: A museum that collects and displays works spanning multiple cultures, periods, and artistic media. The Art Institute organizes collections across global histories and art forms.
Great Chicago Fire: The 1871 conflagration that destroyed much of Chicago and accelerated the city’s rebuilding. The museum emerged amid Chicago’s post-fire civic and cultural renewal.
Art conservation and restoration: The study and treatment of artworks to preserve their material condition and cultural significance. Conservation sustains the museum’s collection for research and display.
American Gothic: Grant Wood’s 1930 painting of a farmer and a woman standing before a Gothic Revival house. The painting anchors the museum’s celebrated collection of American art.
School of the Art Institute of Chicago: A private art and design school in Chicago affiliated with the Art Institute of Chicago. The museum and school share an institutional history and name.
Chicago Academy of Fine Arts: The institution founded in Chicago in 1879 that became the Art Institute of Chicago in 1882. It was the museum’s original name at its founding.
Art history: The study of visual art through its historical, cultural, and material contexts. The museum’s collections support scholarship across periods and cultures.
Nighthawks: Edward Hopper’s 1942 painting of customers in a brightly lit urban diner at night. Its nocturnal diner scene is a signature work in the collection.
Art museum: An institution that collects, preserves, studies, and exhibits works of art. This broader institution type describes the museum’s central public role.

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