{"id":131780,"date":"2025-08-09T13:14:09","date_gmt":"2025-08-09T13:14:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/131780\/"},"modified":"2025-08-09T13:14:09","modified_gmt":"2025-08-09T13:14:09","slug":"art-institutes-handling-of-gustave-caillebotte-is-disappointing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/131780\/","title":{"rendered":"Art Institute’s handling of Gustave Caillebotte is disappointing"},"content":{"rendered":"

We read with interest Hannah Elgar\u2019s feature \u201cHow light a touch is too light?\u201d<\/a> (Aug. 3) about the handling of Gustave Caillebotte\u2019s sexuality by the Art Institute and the renaming of the exhibition \u201cPainting His World.\u201d We were especially struck by the comments from Jonathan Katz because of our experience visiting the Caillebotte exhibit and \u201cThe First Homosexuals\u201d at Wrightwood 659, curated by Katz.<\/p>\n

I am a scholar of anti-discrimination law (and a faculty member at Loyola University Chicago School of Law), and my husband, David, is a teacher and student of art history. While we enjoyed the Caillebotte exhibit very much, we were disappointed at its elliptical (at best) treatment of Caillebotte\u2019s sexuality, for two reasons. It seemed insensitive to the realities of class, which in large part enabled Caillebotte to paint what he wished without worrying about sales or a disapproving public. But worse, one of our closest friends, Mark Brosmer, is a gay artist in Los Angeles \u2014 and an exhibit curated this way all but denies the artistic legacy of gay artists and gay life throughout history.<\/p>\n

In many of Caillebotte\u2019s paintings, we recognized a loving depiction of the sociability of gay men together in the past, something we have observed and enjoyed in the present day.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe First Homosexuals,\u201d by contrast, enthusiastically explores that legacy, helping the viewer to understand which artists felt freer to express their same-sex orientation in their art, and why; what those risks were and who was willing to take those risks. We immediately thought, \u201cCaillebotte belongs here!\u201d \u2014 in an exhibit where the sensual, erotic and homosocial dimensions of his work and life could be foregrounded and celebrated.<\/p>\n

We hope many Chicagoans felt the same.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Diane Kemker, Chicago<\/p>\n

Claims are laughable<\/p>\n

In her review of the Gustave Caillebotte show now on view at the Art Institute, Hannah Edgar questions the museum\u2019s decision to change the title of the exhibit from \u201cCaillebotte: Painting Men,\u201d used by the Getty and Musee d\u2019Orsay, to \u201cCaillebotte: Painting His World.\u201d Her article explores whether this title change is based on an Art Institute decision to downplay the homoerotic aspects of some of the paintings.<\/p>\n

This change of title and emphasis strike me as minor considering that all three museums have displayed the same paintings and offered the same biographical information. There is a lack of evidence that Caillebotte was gay. Which makes the assertion of an art historian Edgar consults \u2014 that this is an example of queer erasure and is consistent with the Art Institute\u2019s pathological 1950s mindset \u2014 completely over the top and in fact ridiculous.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Bill Hinchliff, Chicago<\/p>\n

Catholic highs, lows<\/p>\n

At a time when Catholics in Chicago are visibly proud of their religion, it is shameful than one organization has chosen to focus on the worst parts of their history.<\/p>\n

On May 8, Robert Prevost was elected as Pope Leo XIV, and the Chicago papers claimed him as \u201cChicago\u2019s pope.\u201d Everyone, no matter what their religion, was proud that Chicago could produce a man who was elevated to the papacy.<\/p>\n

Then in June, Chicago recognized the good work of another Catholic, Sister Rosemary Connelly<\/a>. For over 50 years, Connelly was a dynamic force building Misericordia into a healthy home for children and adults with physical and developmental challenges. Politicians and church leaders were effusive in their praise of her work, and Chicago papers gave extensive coverage as a real testament to her years of service to the church.<\/p>\n

Recently, the church was once again recognized as a beacon of hope when the news focused on the works two valiant nuns, Sister Patricia Murphy and Sister JoAnn Persch, after Murphy passed away. Both women were recognized for spending more than 40 years championing the rights of the poor and the immigrants. They spent long hours with immigrants in detention and found ways to house the asylum-seekers sent to Chicago by Texas Gov. Abbott.<\/p>\n

These three wonderful church champions have made all Catholics feel good about their church and have encouraged many to emulate their actions.<\/p>\n

That is why it is so disconcerting that the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, has chosen to grab the headlines by bringing up decades-old sexual abuse allegations.<\/p>\n

SNAP should continue to investigate these allegations, as it has been doing for the last many years, but it should do it quietly and stop grabbing the headlines and erasing the euphoric feelings of the Catholics in the Chicago area.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Mary Ann McGinley,\u00a0Wilmette<\/p>\n

Baseball game buzz<\/p>\n

The Cubs will host the 2027\u00a0All-Star\u00a0Game. It\u2019s about time the sport focuses its promotional energy on the upcoming event, rather than on special attraction games at a motor speedway park or a cornfield. I imagine a return to Hawaii or a game at an amusement park site is next.<\/p>\n

Wrigley Field is a showcase because it\u2019s a classic. Fans aren\u2019t clamoring for more bells and whistles. I hope Major League Baseball doesn\u2019t take it for granted.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Adam Silbert, New York<\/p>\n

Game good for city<\/p>\n

I won\u2019t be at Wrigley Field in 2027 for the All-Star Game, an ostentatious display of no consequence other than to line the pockets of sponsors and appease the egos of overpaid, uninterested athletes. But I agree with Jack Lavin\u2019s Aug. 5 op-ed (\u201cMLB All-Star Game in 2027? Let\u2019s fly the \u2018W\u2019 for Chicago\u2019s economy\u201d<\/a>) that it\u2019s good for the city and a chance to showcase the most iconic stadium in MLB. Sorry, Fenway Park, your Green Monster can\u2019t compete with Wrigley Field\u2019s ivy-covered walls.<\/p>\n

I hope the visitors enjoy the city and try a Chicago hot dog \u2014 with mustard, of course.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Jerry Levy, Deerfield<\/p>\n

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here<\/a> or email letters@chicagotribune.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We read with interest Hannah Elgar\u2019s feature \u201cHow light a touch is too light?\u201d (Aug. 3) about the…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":131781,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5124],"tags":[960,5386,1818,7281,1269],"class_list":{"0":"post-131780","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-chicago","8":"tag-chicago","9":"tag-il","10":"tag-illinois","11":"tag-letters-to-the-editor","12":"tag-opinion"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114998992166413776","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131780","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=131780"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131780\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/131781"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=131780"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=131780"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=131780"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}