Beatriz E. Ledesma Studio

@ The Museum of the Art Institute of Chicago I just saw a terrific exhibit on symbolism. As a symbolist artist myself, to view the exhibit brought pleasurable enjoyment.

A display of about 80 works on paper drawn from the Art Institute of Chicago's collection of drawings, prints, and illustrated books that captures Symbolism's diverse styles and imaginative mysterious worlds.

The Symbolism began in 1880s in France as a literary and very quickly was embraced by visual artists who shared a "cynical perspective on technological advancement and the influx of people from rural areas to urban centers across turn-of-the-century Europe...".

For them the rise of industry and materialism was a sign of moral decline, although they "embraced scientific discoveries as fertile ground for inspiration..."

Symbolist used art to imagine alternate realities, some transposing mythological and religious subjects while others turned inward to examine the self.

The exhibit runs from October 4, 2025- January 5, 2026

For more information on the exhibit

https://www.artic.edu/exhibitions/10094/strange-realities-the-symbolist-imagination

Here there are some pics of the exhibit. I hope you enjoy them. Would love to read your thoughts in the comments section below!

Odilon Redon (1840-1916)