The Art Institute of Chicago

This is one of those museums you need about 18 visits to do justice to. A few hours was enough to awe me.



I saw a new van Gogh I loved, some men getting drunk at an outdoor fair.




Then there was a Magritte that posed an interesting translation challenge. The painting is of a train emerging from a fire place and his original French title was ‘La durée poignardée’. The English title became ‘Time Transfixed’ and Magritte hated it. I agree it doesn’t capture the depth of the French but I haven’t yet come up with a better translation. Anyone?






This painting by Archibald Motley Jr. pretty much depicts the atmosphere at the Green Mill, which I iterate, is one of my favourite bars in my history of barring.