The Impressionists

Today one of my artsy friends, Eva, accompanied me for a quick outing over at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth. We wanted to see The Impressionists: Master Paintings from the Art Institute of Chicago. And I'll tell you this: I feel sorry for anybody who goes to the Art Institute of Chicago between now and November 2 when this show ends! Because at the moment the Kimbell has a lot of their really fine stuff.

The exhibit includes works from twenty great artists including Van Gogh, Morisot, Manet, Monet, Cezanne, Gaugin, and Renoir. My favorite was Renoir's "Two Sisters (On the Terrace)." Seeing it from about two feet away--wow. Such brilliant colors.

I also loved seeing Van Gogh's self-portrait. More interesting than whether he had an ear (he did) was the number of red and green strokes he used to create a realistic-looking facsimile of his face.

And Monet's "Stacks of Wheat"--seeing six such works next to each other so you can compare what he did with different seasons and light--brilliant! "Water Lilies" is pretty amazing, too.

If you don't live close enough to check out "The Impressionists" in person, at least scope out the exhibit's web site, which is loaded with great photos and info.

The museum is half price on Tuesdays, but considering how crowded the place was on a Thursday afternoon, I'd recommend paying the extra and going during a lower-traffic time like we did. Also, if you're a student, remember to take your ID card.