Sleep in Van Gogh's Bedroom After Viewing the Exhibition at Art Institute Chicago
- February 10, 2016 15:34
Vincent van Gogh’s painting of his bedroom in Arles is arguably the most famous chambre in the history of art. So important was this composition that Van Gogh made three distinct versions and considered it his finest painting. Now, for the first time in North America, all three versions of the painting will be together in an exhibition titled Van Gogh’s Bedrooms at the Art Institute of Chicago.
The museum has also cleverly recreated van Gogh's bedroom for Airbnb clientele. For $10, the single room with a double bed in a larger apartment can be rented. Amenities include WiFi, ublike 1888, when Van Gogh painted the work. The room is located adjacent to the museum’s campus in Chicago’s River North neighborhood.
Airbnb host "Vincent" describes the rental: "This room will make you feel like you're living in a painting. It's decorated in a Post-Impressionist style, reminiscent of Southern France and times gone by. Its furniture, bright colors, and artwork will give you the experience of a lifetime."
Opening on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2016, the exhibition is the first ever dedicated to the Bedroom paintings, presenting an in-depth study of documentary, scientific, and physical evidence pertaining to all three versions. Beginning with Van Gogh’s early canvases of cottages and birds’ nests, the show explores the artist’s use of the motif of home as a haven, creative chamber, and physical reality.
Enhancing the exploration of the artist’s artworks and his longing for a place of his own are several engaging interactive technologies designed in partnership with Bluecadet.
An illustrated exhibition catalog with a lead essay from Gloria Groom, Chair of European Painting and Sculpture and David and Mary Winton Green Curator, was published by the Art Institute of Chicago in partnership with Yale University Press.