Most fun for the adults: Viewing all the paintings of the sea by a myriad of famous artists.

Most fun for the kids: The audio tour might make the exhibit enjoyable for older children since it will help explain the importance of the paintings.

Best ages for this attraction: 12 and over

Price per tickets: $12 plus the price of admission, $10.

Manet and the Sea is the featured exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago on display from October 20, 2003 through January 19, 2004. This exhibition is devoted to the marine paintings of Edouard Manet. While Manet is the featured artist, there are several other marine paintings from others such as Pierre Auguste Renoir, Johan Barthold Jongkind, Eugene Boudin, Berthe Morisot, James McNeill Whistler, Claude Monet and more.

Manet's seascapes, ranging from 1864 to shortly before his death in 1883, are a little-studied subject of the artist who sometimes is referred to as the father of Impressionism. The links between Manet and his immediate predecessors and contemporaries such as Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot , James McNeill Whistler, Gustave Gourbet, Eugene Delacroix, and others are examined.

To truly understand the exhibit I suggest you get the audio tour for $6. There are several walls of the exhibit that have paintings from three artists, such as Monet, Manet and Whistler, all on the same subject. The audio tour explains which of these painters painted it first, how the other two painters were influenced, and the differences between their styles are identified.

One interesting fact about the subjects Manet chose for his paintings, was that he occasionally painted modern events. In 1864 he created a painting about an American Civil War naval battle that took place off the coast of France, The Battle of the U.S.S "Kearsarge" and the C.S.S. "Alabama". He used his imagination, since he was not present at the battle, to create the scene. Within one month from the event happening, and not even history yet, the painting was on display for people to see.

Towards the end of the exhibit is a large room with painting only on one curved wall. On this wall are nine paintings of waves from various artists. Works from Renoir, Monet, Manet and others are included. The exhibit is very large and takes about an hour to go through. We went on a Saturday morning at 10:00 when the general museum opened and it was very crowded.

Several products related to the exhibition are available in the giftshop including postcards, a Manet and the Sea exhibition catalogue, an ornaments and umbrella with one of the paintings, and much more.

Special Viewing Hours
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday:10:30 a.m.-4:15 p.m.
Tuesday: 10:30 a.m.-7:45 p.m.
Friday: 9:30 a.m.-4:15 p.m.
Saturday, Sunday: 9:00 a.m.-4:45 p.m.
Closed: Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day

AUDIO TOUR
$5 for members and School of the Art Institute students
$6 for the public

OTHER VENUES
Philadelphia Museum of Art
February 15-May 30, 2004

Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
June 18-September 26, 2004