Artists

1803–1872 · 4 works

A basket of fruit sits within a landscape and flowers gather at the foot of a tree. These paintings invite close attention to petals, leaves and the forms of ripening fruit.

1598–1688 · 5 works

1804–1880 · 7 works

Artists gather in a Roman room and sisters share a book. Ancient temples and church interiors offer another way to explore Hansen’s attention to figures and space.

1470–1536 · 3 works

1828–1882 · 4 works

• Pre-Raphaelite

Died 1584 · 3 works

• South Asian painting

Animals speak and a court reacts. Follow changing expressions and gestures through three painted pages from the Tales of a Parrot.

1847–1898 · 1 work

• Realism

De Scott Evans makes two suspended potatoes into an illusion of objects hanging against wood. The title, The Irish Question, gives this deceptively simple arrangement a less settled meaning. Start with the painted surfaces and shadows; the Art Institute connects the title cautiously to the historical situation of the Irish, rather than assigning one certain interpretation.

c. 1547–1612 · 2 works

1761–1817 · 1 work

Edward Savage’s portrait of George Washington offers a late-eighteenth-century image of a familiar historical figure. Look at the arrangement of the head and body before moving toward the details of the clothing. Comparing those choices with other portraits helps reveal how a public image is built from a particular painted pose.

1852–1928 · 1 work

A woman stands beside a stone wall, with water and low buildings behind her. This painting brings a Norwegian coastal setting into the collection, inviting a closer look at the figure and the landscape around her.

1819–1881 · 10 works

A wounded soldier, the artist’s husband and scenes from Egypt. These paintings move between portraits and scenes of encounters and care.

1755–1842 · 4 works

• Neoclassicism

1805–1900 · 1 work

• Folk Art

Erastus Salisbury Field surrounds Louisa Gallond Cook with patterned clothing, lace, a red curtain and a landscape opening. A small green book rests in her hand. The clearly drawn shapes make each detail easy to compare, from the repeated pattern of the dark dress to the crisp edges of the book.

1855–1938 · 2 works

A man digs a ditch, while the writer Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson sits for a portrait. Look at the different ways these paintings connect a person to a setting.

1873–1939 · 1 work

1803–1886 · 6 works

1855–1919 · 1 work

Evelyn De Morgan gives The Angel of Death the appearance of a solemn encounter on a stepped platform. A winged figure bends toward a seated woman, with their hands drawing the eye to the center. Gold paint and dark pastel work together on brown paper, making the figures seem both luminous and sculptural.

active c. 1730–1765 · 2 works

• South Asian painting

Fayzullah builds elaborate scenes within palaces, terraces and gardens. His figures occupy spaces filled with patterned surfaces and vivid color, while openings reveal activity farther away. One painting moves from bathing women to distant battlefields; another stages the arrival of a blindfolded suitor before a princess. Look at how architecture both separates the episodes and draws them into a continuous setting.

c. 1535–1612 · 8 works

• High Renaissance and Mannerism

1833–1914 · 4 works

1847–1898 · 8 works

1616–1680 · 4 works

1848–1919 · 8 works

• Realism

1806–1875 · 1 work

• Folk Art

Frederick R. Spencer’s Lady in Brown combines a richly trimmed bonnet, a pleated dress and a pale shawl. Small roses add a contrasting touch near the sitter’s hands. Look at how the repeated folds and loops move attention around the figure, then return to the more quietly modeled face.