by | Sep 28, 2013 | Fashion, Inspirations, Travels |
The last day of the Impressionism, Fashin, & Modernity exhibit in Chicago is tomorrow so if you are in the area, please go and see this exceptional exhibit. My husband and I were celebrating our wedding anniversary in Chicago and wanted to see this exhibit. In my first post, Impressionism, Fashion, & Modernity Exhibition: Perfection! I touched on some of my favorites and wanted to come back to show more photos because I couldn’t just pick a specific part of the exhibit.
This dress is exquisite and the shawl is gorgeous. Do you notice that the focus is not on the lady but what she’s wearing? Her face is looking away.
Installation shot of Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity at the Art Institute of Chicago.
The dress and shawl on the mannequin below is the interpretation of what she’s wearing in the portrait above. It is so similar that I had to really take a second look to make sure I read that it was not the original pieces.
Installation shot of Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Edgar Degas interpretation of a lady in a hat shop. I have always seen Degas’s ballet portraits; but this is a first for me to see him show a lady either getting ready to try on a hat or has just taken the hat off. The portrait is done in pastels and shows blurred flowers and ribbons on the hats.
Edgar Degas. Millinery Shop, 1879/86. The Art Institute of Chicago, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Larned Coburn Memorial Collection.
Edouard Manet was a sharp dresser and it was interesting to see him portrayed in a top hat carrying a walking stick. I guess I thought he would of been portrayed with a paint brush.
Henri Fantin-Latour. Édouard Manet, 1867. The Art Institute of Chicago, Stickney Fund.
This portrait by Édouard Manet below shows a women reading a book in the park. It looks like a park or a Forest? What do you think?
The brush work lets the viewer peak in to her world. What is she reading? The gloves on her hands or the ruffle around her neck. Is it cold?
Édouard Manet. Woman Reading (La Lecture de l’illustré), 1879/80. The Art Institute of Chicago, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Larned Coburn Memorial Collection.
The exhibition has so much to see.
This is another portrait by Édouard Manet that shows a lady surrounded with a background of fans behind her. She is laying on her couch or bed so effortlessly. It almost seems like she’s saying with her eyes, “Édouard I have been in this pose for hours, are we close to being finished?” What do you think she’s saying?
Édouard Manet. Lady with Fans (Portrait of Nina de Callias), 1873. Musée d’Orsay, Paris, bequest of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Rouart, RF 2850.
In the next post I will be focusing on portraits of Renoir, Seurat and some of my favorite dresses from the Impressionism, Fashion, & Modernity Exhibition.
* All photos courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago.
by | Sep 27, 2013 | Fashion, From the Heart, Inspirations, Travels |
Hi Elegant Lovelies,
I enjoyed my visit to Chicago, my mornings were so relaxing and serene.
JTWisdom at Under the Ginkgo Tree Bed & Breakfast in Chicago for Wedding Anniversary
Going the the Art Institute of Chicago really verified what I always say, “a person never stops learning.” We are growing and changing and should pursue learning something new everyday. This is an exhibition I am so happy I had the opportunity to see it.
JTwisdom having breakfast before going to the Art Institute of Chicago
I have quite a few favorites. Click on the portrait to enlarge and see the brush strokes and dresses in more detail.
This painting is of Madame Georges Charpentier and her children. Her son is sitting on the couch and her daughter is sitting on the cute doggie and they are dressed the same. Renoir paid attention to detail in this portrait. Do you see the pleating in her son’s and daughter’s dress? Madame Georges Charpentier’s dress is beautiful and her gold jewelry is exquisite.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Madame Georges Charpentier and Her Children, 1878. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Collection, Wolfe Fund.
Renoir looks so relaxed and at ease in this portrait. He is dressed very dapper and looks very approachable and care free.
Frédéric Bazille. Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1867. Musée d’Orsay, Paris, on deposit to the Musée Fabre, Montpellier, DL 1970 3.
This portrait was quite risque for the time. A woman being painted in her robe. She’s a very brave lady to be painted this way. I know we consider this very tame now but back then it was as if she had not a single bit of clothes on.
Édouard Manet. Young Lady in 1866 (also called La Femme au perroquet, 1866. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, gift of Erwin Davis.
This is one of the famous paintings that’s house at the Art Institute of Chicago, Georges Suerat (1859-1891), A Sunday on La Grande Jatte-1884. Everyone looks so relaxed and having fun at the Park. This painting is amazing to see with all of those series of continuous dots.
I had to add a couple of pictures of my favorite dresses.
Installation shot of Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity at the Art Institute of Chicago.
The portrait in the foreground is by Édouard Manet, The Parisienne, 1875. This dress is haute couture of the time. Fashion at it’s best, this lady struts and holds her head up high in this dress. Beautiful!
Installation shot of Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity at the Art Institute of Chicago.
*Photos courtesy of The Art Institute of Chicago”
*JTwisdom’s photo included in this post*
by | Sep 21, 2013 | Fashion, Travels |
JT at the Art Institute of Chicago
September is a special month for me. I married my sweetheart fourteen years ago on September 11 and it is also my hubby’s birthday on September 24th!
For our anniversary, My hubby surprised me with a road trip to Chicago. I did not know if we were doing something special in town or traveling out of town. It was such a treat because we went to the Art Institute of Chicago to see the “Impressionism, Fashion & Modernity,” Exhibition. As a part of the press, Art Institute provided me with a press pass for the exhibition admission. The Exhibition is well done and closes Sunday, September 29, 2013. The Art Institute of Chicago is the final of three stops for this phenomenal exhibition.
Sponsors of the Exhibit
Major funding for Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity at the Art Institute of Chicago has been generously provided by Alexandra and John Nichols.
Chase and J.P. Morgan are the Corporate Sponsors of Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity at the Art Institute of Chicago.
The press release provided by the Art Institute stated, “this is a groundbreaking and critically acclaimed exhibition. Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity, which opened in Paris in October 2012, lands at the Art Institute this summer as the final stop on its world tour.Organized by the Art Institute of Chicago, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and the Muséed’Orsay, Paris, the exhibition broke attendance records in Paris and has been lauded by international and national critics alike. Roberta Smith of the New York Times called the New York presentation a “thrilling, erudite show” with “visual fireworks, historical clarity, and pitch-perfect contextualizing.” Vogue proclaimed the show “breathtaking” for its portrayal of “art’s passionate love affair with fashion in the boulevards and salons of late 19th-century France.” And now audiences in Chicago will be able to spend the summer with the first exhibition to explore the role of fashion in the revolutionary Impressionist movement.”
I totally agree that the paintings are amazing and I am truly fortunate to be able to see these paintings, garments and related objects exhibited in the United States. It was so thought provoking to see the painting with a lady in a particular dress and then turn around and see either an interpretation or the exact same dress in the case. I am enjoying every minute of it!
This portrait below is one of my favorites and my hubby really liked it too.
Jean Béraud. A Ball, 1878. Musée d’Orsay, Paris, RF 1994 15.
In the portrait, look at all men in their tuxedo tails, with gloves and top hats. Look at the ladies in their corset-fitted dresses and the oh so feminine fans. What do you think they are celebrating? Everyone is so involved in their conversations. Wouldn’t it be such a pleasure to be a fly on the wall? The red curtains in the background are so striking that it adds even more depth to the portrait.
The portrait, “In The Conservatory,” below is of the artist’s wife. She passed away shortly after this portrait was painted. The artist (husband) preserved the dress and never painted again after his wife’s death.
Installation shot of Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity at the Art Institute of Chicago.
I had to share this image of her because she looks beautiful. Look at the detail in the dress. Do you see the dots, stripes, pleating and the layering of the hem? I also see her gold jewelry.
Albert Bartholomé. In the Conservatory, c. 1881. Musée d’Orsay, Paris, gift of the Société des Amis du Musée d’Orsay, 1990, RF 1990 26.
Below is the exact same dress that was painted in the portrait above, not a replica. Let me say that again, that this is the exact same dress. It brings the painting to life to see this dress.
Summer dress worn by Madame Bartholomé in the painting In the Conservatory, French, 1880. Musée d’Orsay, Paris, gift of the gallery Charles and André Bailly, 1991, ODO 1991 1.
The bustle dresses were fitted in the waist, flows along the hips and sat high up in the back and often accentuated with draping, bows or some sort of ornamentation. I could only imagine how uncomfortable these dresses were with fitted corsets underneath. The dresses are beautiful and are draped so well that I can understand why women wore the corset. Kind of like wearing 6 inch stiletto heels? Women do it to be fashionable, on trend, in style and to look taller and slimmer.
This Exhibition brings out so many discussions regarding fashion and society. The exhibit is open until Sunday, September 29th so if you are in Chicago please go see this captivating exhibit at The Art Institute of Chicago.
Installation shot of Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Stay tuned for more of my favorites from the Exhibition: Impressionism, Fashion & Modernity.
* All photos courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago.
by | Sep 2, 2013 | Travels |
Good Day Elegant Readers,
Hope you are having a great holiday weekend of rest and relaxation.
A few months ago I was contacted to take an Xperience Days activity experience. Xperience Days offers 1,000 of activity experience gifts in the US and UK from cooking classes to dinner cruises. My hubby and I choose a diner jazz cruise in Memphis operated by Memphis Riverboats Inc. I had to make a change to our original cruise date because a friend of ours had passed way and we wanted to attend the memorial service. Our representative and his supervisor from Xperience and the people at Memphis Riverboats were so accommodating and understanding. We were able to arrange another date with no problem.
We arrived at the registration center by 7:00pm so we could set sail at 7:30pm.
We arrived at the small parking lot, expecting to pay five or ten dollars. Thankfully, it was free, so awesome. My recommendation is to arrive early because by the time arrived, only a few parking spaces were left. The lot attendant asked two people to move their cars because they were not going on the cruise. The attendant asked ask if we were here for the cruise. We let him that we were. He said enjoy your cruise and we said we will. It was great to know that the lot was reserved for only people traveling on the dinner cruises.
The parking space was near at the ticket building entrance. We came up to the counter, gave them our registration certificate and they knew who we were. The process was so easy and quick. We got our tickets and went outside and waited to get on the boat.
The view was beautiful and serene as the sun was setting over the river.
My hubby looks so relaxed.
We were suppose to leave on the Island Queen boat at 7:30pm but we actually boarded at that time. The boat arrived late in the harbor.
We waited in this area for the boat to arrive. Everyone was really nice. Families were going on the cruise together, celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and there was even a wedding party.
Great view of the Island Queen boat.
We boarded at 7:30pm and starting cruising at 7:45pm. When we first got on, I was about to find an open table to sit down; however, we had a sitting chart. We sat to the left of the band, at the first table. The dinner featured traditional Memphis BBQ fixings: maple-smoked baked beans, pulled pork, grilled marinated chicken, corn, cole slaw and a chocolate Oreo dessert. The food was served buffet style and you were called by rows to come to the buffet. The beverages was at the other end of the room.
As we were eating the band was playing some good old school jazz.
The food was good and my favorite was the baked beans with brown sugar flavoring. The band serenaded us while we ate.
The band
A kind fellow cruiser took a picture for us. So nice.
The cruise lasted about 2 hours and 15 minutes. My hubby and I enjoyed every minute of it.
If you get a chance to visit Memphis you have to take a dinner cruise from Xperience days.
by | Aug 31, 2013 | Travels |
When I think of Memphis, two things immediately come to my mind – Elvis and BBQ. When talking with friends and family about traveling to Memphis, they always mention visiting Graceland or are recommending a great BBQ place for dinner. Having never traveled to Memphis despite its close proximity to where I grew up, I never experienced either one.
I got my first chance to visit Memphis last year when my hubby and I attended the Duran Duran concert. It was so cool and a fun time. Although, we did n0t get to see Elvis; but we had a chance to sample some of its famous BBQ. When we got a chance for a return visit this year, we made sure to have Graceland on our places to visit.
My hubby and I left early Saturday morning. The drive is always cool with my hubby because we talk the whole time and like to listen to music.
The first stop was Graceland. I did not know what to expect because I have heard mix reviews. Some people said they really enjoyed seeing the house, while others said it was not worth their time. I always want to have an open mind, so I was ready to go exploring.
We drove into the parking lot which is super huge and the parking attendant was very friendly. We got out and walked to the Visitor Building and purchased our tickets. We stepped up to the ticket entrance and we heard a voice over us say that we can go to booth six to purchase our tickets. After using our AAA discount to save ten percent on the tickets, we briefly browsed the gift shop and then proceeded out of the building to take the shuttle across the street to the home. The first point is for you to take a photo and then it was a short wait for the bus. We boarded a 25 passenger air-conditioned bus and were driven across the street. First impression was that this was a two-story, well-kept home. I have to mention that the home was very well kept and the grounds were well manicured.
Graceland — Elvis’s home
After leaving the bus, our group stepped into the home to begin the tour. It was tight inside the house because everyone wants to take a look at each room. An interesting fact is that Elvis only had his guests on the first floor. And that he and his family were only allowed on the second floor. In respect for Elvis and his family, no one is allowed on the second floor. The tour of the home is not that long because your are only touring the first floor and the basement.
The stairs to the second floor are roped off, so no one can go upstairs.
Staircase roped off in Elvis home.
His interior decorating was an eclectic taste. When you walk in to the kitchen, it is like you stepped right into the 1970s.
Elvis Kitchen
Everything has been preserved from the time period, nothing has changed. It was interesting to see his taste in furniture and what fabrications he wanted in his home.
The game room was mind boggling with the fabric pleated ceiling and walls. I actually thought this room was pretty cool.
Game room
The basement was very mod and Elvis had a lot of friends down there. It was said that Elvis watch watch three different televisions at the same time because the President had done this.
Basement
One of the most interesting rooms that my hubby took a picture of was the family room. I could imagine that a lot of guitar playing happened in this room. Look at the wood and the hard edginess of the room. This room embodies the 70s.
Family room
The house was smaller than I thought but it was such a great tour to see a glimpse of where Elvis and his family lived.
We had a blast!
JT and Hubby
We even got a glimpse of a little Elvis.
Little Elvis Impersonator
Stay tuned because there is more to the Graceland Experience!
by | Feb 27, 2013 | Travels |
Snow, Rain, and Sleet. These wintertime activities lead some people to sing the blues and long for warmer days and the promise of spring. I am amazed at how many people do not really care for snow. For me, I love the sights of falling snow and my doggies playing in the snow. However, if you are one of those people who are looking for cheap holidays, you are not alone. Cheap doesn’t mean it’s not fun and memorable. You can have a great vacation and not break the bank.
Many people set their sights on warmer climates and enjoy popular destinations on a budget. Travel websites like Dealchecker are offering great getaways to many popular destinations, like The Bahamas.
Even though my hubby and I enjoy the snow, we love to visit cities and countries in various climates. The Bahamas vacation, almost two years, was a vacation to remember. When we boarded the plane for Florida, it was snowing. We were going to a completely different climate. It was 54 degrees in Missouri and 80 degrees in the Bahamas.
Seeing the clear blue ocean in Nassau is breath-taking and I recommend that everyone takes a trip to this beautiful place.
Nassau, Bahamas
In Nassau, we visited Fort Charlotte.
Our tour guide was so informative, telling us about the fort. Built in 1789, the Fort was meant to protect the island from pirate invaders. Despite the expansive size of the fort, it was never involved in any battles.
It was very interesting to go down into the Fort, seeing where soldiers were stationed.
One important point to mention. I always made sure that if I took anything out of my bag, I made sure that all my important items were put back in.
For example, our passports. That travel bag is great because it had so many different compartments. It is unisex so I or my husband could carry it.
The Bahamas also has many open air shopping. You can barter with the locals for some great deals. You can find from everything necklaces to handbags. If authentic Bahama-made gifts are important to you, make sure to ask the vendor. Another thing you can do is look at the price tags or inside the clothing piece. Sometimes you think you are getting a great souvenir, but the tag may say “Made In China”. Make sure you do your homework if having a real souvenir is the only option for you.
These pictures bring back so many joyous memories. I think that it is time for my hubby and I to think about planning another trip. Where would you like to go on your dream vacation?
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