Today has been a good...no...let me start again...Today has been a GREAT day, so I'm not going to whine about anything. Springtime in Chicago is unpredictable - sunny and warm or cold and snowy, in the same day. This spring has been predictably unpredictable, but today in Chicago was beautiful. Although it was a little windy on Michigan Avenue, it was sunny and the temperature was around 50 degrees.
I got to do one of my favorite things today. Wynn and I took our day off and made our way to the Art Institute to see a special exhibit:
Van Gogh's Bedrooms
There were no sunflowers or starry night skies at this exhibit; but rather many other brightly painted still-life and landscape paintings, and drawings, we have never seen before. It's an amazing show.
Vincent wrote to his brother, Theo, that he had no money to pay for models, so he painted things that were free.
The three bedroom paintings are hung together so you can compare them.
I love these shoes. They are said to be his.
This is one of his latter self-portraits. He looks more gaunt here. His (self-) injured ear is on the other side.
This is one of his last paintings before he died of a gun shot wound...probably self-inflicted. It's said that the whole town came to say good-bye to him, even though the folks didn't know him well. He was gentle and kind, despite his struggle with mental health illness.
If you've never been to the Art Institute in Chicago, put it on your bucket list. Tripadvisor ranked it the "BEST MUSEUM IN THE WORLD, 2014." The Van Gogh's Bedrooms exhibit will be here until May 10, 2016. (Sadly, those coming to the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting will miss it.)
I'm not sure everyone will understand how I feel about today. I'm certain my fellow cancer survivors will. I lived another day...long enough to go to the Art Institute another time...one of my favorite things to do. Thank you, Xalkori.
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