Letters: Why the Art Institute's handling of Gustave Caillebotte's sexuality is disappointing
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's 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 — and an exhibit curated this way all but denies the artistic legacy of gay artists and gay life throughout history.
In many of Caillebotte's 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.
'The First Homosexuals,' 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, 'Caillebotte belongs here!' — in an exhibit where the sensual, erotic and homosocial dimensions of his work and life could be foregrounded and celebrated.
We hope many Chicagoans felt the same.In her review of the Gustave Caillebotte show now on view at the Art Institute, Hannah Edgar questions the museum's decision to change the title of the exhibit from 'Caillebotte: Painting Men,' used by the Getty and Musee d'Orsay, to 'Caillebotte: Painting His World.' Her article explores whether this title change is based on an Art Institute decision to downplay the homoerotic aspects of some of the paintings.
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 — that this is an example of queer erasure and is consistent with the Art Institute's pathological 1950s mindset — completely over the top and in fact ridiculous.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.
On May 8, Robert Prevost was elected as Pope Leo XIV, and the Chicago papers claimed him as 'Chicago's pope.' Everyone, no matter what their religion, was proud that Chicago could produce a man who was elevated to the papacy.
Then in June, Chicago recognized the good work of another Catholic, Sister Rosemary Connelly. 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.
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.
These three wonderful church champions have made all Catholics feel good about their church and have encouraged many to emulate their actions.
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.
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.The Cubs will host the 2027 All-Star Game. It's 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.
Wrigley Field is a showcase because it's a classic. Fans aren't clamoring for more bells and whistles. I hope Major League Baseball doesn't take it for granted.I won't 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's Aug. 5 op-ed ('MLB All-Star Game in 2027? Let's fly the 'W' for Chicago's economy') that it's good for the city and a chance to showcase the most iconic stadium in MLB. Sorry, Fenway Park, your Green Monster can't compete with Wrigley Field's ivy-covered walls.
I hope the visitors enjoy the city and try a Chicago hot dog — with mustard, of course.
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Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
Letters: Why the Art Institute's handling of Gustave Caillebotte's sexuality is disappointing
We read with interest Hannah Elgar's feature 'How light a touch is too light?' (Aug. 3) about the handling of Gustave Caillebotte's sexuality by the Art Institute and the renaming of the exhibition 'Painting His World.' We were especially struck by the comments from Jonathan Katz because of our experience visiting the Caillebotte exhibit and 'The First Homosexuals' at Wrightwood 659, curated by Katz. 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's 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 — and an exhibit curated this way all but denies the artistic legacy of gay artists and gay life throughout history. In many of Caillebotte's 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. 'The First Homosexuals,' 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, 'Caillebotte belongs here!' — in an exhibit where the sensual, erotic and homosocial dimensions of his work and life could be foregrounded and celebrated. We hope many Chicagoans felt the her review of the Gustave Caillebotte show now on view at the Art Institute, Hannah Edgar questions the museum's decision to change the title of the exhibit from 'Caillebotte: Painting Men,' used by the Getty and Musee d'Orsay, to 'Caillebotte: Painting His World.' Her article explores whether this title change is based on an Art Institute decision to downplay the homoerotic aspects of some of the paintings. 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 — that this is an example of queer erasure and is consistent with the Art Institute's pathological 1950s mindset — completely over the top and in fact 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. On May 8, Robert Prevost was elected as Pope Leo XIV, and the Chicago papers claimed him as 'Chicago's pope.' Everyone, no matter what their religion, was proud that Chicago could produce a man who was elevated to the papacy. Then in June, Chicago recognized the good work of another Catholic, Sister Rosemary Connelly. 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. 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. These three wonderful church champions have made all Catholics feel good about their church and have encouraged many to emulate their actions. 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. 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 Cubs will host the 2027 All-Star Game. It's 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. Wrigley Field is a showcase because it's a classic. Fans aren't clamoring for more bells and whistles. I hope Major League Baseball doesn't take it for granted.I won't 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's Aug. 5 op-ed ('MLB All-Star Game in 2027? Let's fly the 'W' for Chicago's economy') that it's good for the city and a chance to showcase the most iconic stadium in MLB. Sorry, Fenway Park, your Green Monster can't compete with Wrigley Field's ivy-covered walls. I hope the visitors enjoy the city and try a Chicago hot dog — with mustard, of course.
Chicago Tribune
6 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Celebrating the one and only Tom Lehrer, the satirical voice of generations
Fame is a drug, fed by attention, applause and money. Those who become addicted sometimes have a desperate need to hold on, even as the talents that brought renown begin to fade and eventually disappear. Which brings me to Tom Lehrer. He died on July 26 at 97, living in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he had once been a student at Harvard University and taught there too. He had been out of the public eye for decades, but his death prompted a New York Times obituary that covered almost an entire page of that newspaper and the internet was filled with memories. Former local sportswriter Ron Rapoport wrote on Facebook that 'much of my generation felt a special sadness (at the news of his death) … Lehrer was the greatest satirical songwriter of his time and he wrote the background music to much of our lives.' Adam Gopnik in The New Yorker wrote that 'Lehrer's gifts included an extraordinary and easily overlooked musicality, the secret sauce of his satire. One simple reason his songs endure is that, for all that they are written for their words, it's hard to stop humming their tunes.' My first memories of him were of his piano and voice pouring from the record albums played in my parents' living room and the laughter that accompanied them. When I first heard them, I was too young to fully understand the lyrics. But his lively piano playing grabbed me, as did his cheery singing and eventually I grew into his ingenious, satirical, subversive lyrics and have been a devoted fan ever since. He wrote and recorded 40 or so songs and performed them in 100-some concerts, modest numbers for his towering reputation. But his decision to dump his career at its height only added to his legend. As he said, 'I don't feel the need for anonymous affection. If they buy my records, I love that. But I don't think I need people in the dark applauding.' Lehrer was born and raised in Manhattan, one of two sons of Morris James Lehrer, a successful tie manufacturer, and Anna (Waller) Lehrer, who divorced when he was 14. After graduating early from a Connecticut prep school, he went to Harvard, where he majored in mathematics and received his bachelor's degree in 1946, at 18, and earned a master's degree the next year. He took piano lessons as a child, but shied away from the classics and was drawn to the music of Broadway show tunes and such composers as Cole Porter, Gilbert and Sullivan and the comedy songs of Abe Burrows. It was in college that he began playing his own songs, mostly for classmates. His friends convinced him to make a record. He thought his songs might sell a few hundred copies, so he booked a studio, recorded 11 tunes, had 400 copies of the record pressed and began to sell via mail order. That first album soon sold 350,000, fueled primarily by word of mouth, especially on college campuses. Most Chicagoans first heard Lehrer when his music was played on the radio by a young talent named Mike Nichols. Before his Nichols & May comedy duo act and directorial successes, he created and hosted 'The Midnight Special' on WFMT. Lehrer's performance life started then, was interrupted by a two-year Army hitch, and by the late 1950s came nightclub engagements in New York, Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Canada and Europe. He played here, twice at Orchestra Hall, turning down the frequent offers from the brothers George and Oscar Marienthal to play their club, Mister Kelly's. Then he was done. Yes, he resumed briefly in 1965 but then stopped for good in 1967, except for contributing a few songs for TV's 'The Electric Company.' His life became one of academics, with teaching posts at Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of California, where he also taught classes on Broadway musicals. A new generation met Lehrer in 1980 when the British producer Cameron Mackintosh (the man behind such shows as 'Phantom of the Opera,' 'Miss Saigon' and 'Les Misérables') presented 'Tomfoolery,' a revue of Lehrer's songs. It was a smash in London and later came to New York, Washington, Dublin and here in 1982. The show played at the Apollo Theater and was reviewed by Tribune drama critic Richard Christiansen, who wrote that it was 'an extremely smart, slick little review that gives us an entertaining opportunity to re-examine and re-enjoy the work of a very gifted comic moralist of our time.' Lehrer also chatted on the radio with Studs Terkel. Jason Brett owned the Apollo with Stuart Oken when 'Toomfoolery' came to town, and over the weekend he told me, 'His songs had people howling during the show's all too brief run. Understandable. Growing up, I played his album so much, my brother hid it from me.' Lest this story seem a mere nostalgia jaunt, think of it rather as an introduction. The internet is awash in clips of Lehrer and, in keeping with his spirit, he gave away all his music a few years ago, placing it in the public domain. His website is still alive and a wonderful repository. It's possible that some of the songs' subjects — Wernher Von Braun, the German rocket scientist who worked for the Nazis and then for the U.S. — might not register with you folks who enjoyed the weekend's Lollapalooza, but you will find that most of his work is timeless. To my mind, it's impossible not to like his 'National Brotherhood Week':Or not appreciate his take on nuclear proliferation, 'Who's Next?':Lehrer's work received a lot of praise ('In his inimitable and ghastly way … he has a kind of genius') but also had detractors ('More desperate than amusing'). He was angrily assailed in some quarters and no more so than for his 'The Vatican Rag': Often wrongly compared to his 'funny' songwriting contemporary Allan Sherman, who was much tamer, he is a lot closer to 'Weird Al' Yankovic, who has gladly admitted to Lehrer's influence. Or to comic Mort Sahl. But he was, remains, one of a rare kind. Oh, one more thing, from writer Gerald Nachman in his wonderful book, 'Seriously Funny: The Rebel Comedians of the 1850s and 1960s,' Lehrer was 'famous for introducing the 'Jell-O shot' … which he perfected in the service as a way to smuggle booze into the barracks.'
Eater
01-08-2025
- Eater
The Best Dishes Eater Chicago Editors Ate This Week: August 1
The editors at Eater Chicago dine out several times a week, if not per day, which means we're always encountering standout dishes that deserve time in the limelight. Here's the very best of everything the team has eaten this week. Coppa from Rose Mary x Cane Pazzo dinner in West Loop A dish from a recent collaboration at Rose Mary. Jeffy Mai/Eater Chicago Rose Mary is consistently one of the city's hottest dining destinations, and this past week, there was extra buzz at the restaurant for a special one-night-only dinner with Cane Pazzo of Charleston, South Carolina. The evening showcased a collaborative menu by local culinary celeb and Top Chef winner Joe Flamm and Cane Pazzo's Mark Bolchoz. Given both chefs' pedigrees in Italian cuisine, it was no surprise that the meal felt like a cohesive vision. The standout course arrived early — a plate of coppa topped with grilled pepper and artichoke relish, and parmesan. It was accompanied by grilled focaccia, and every bite was a reminder that sometimes, quality ingredients shine brightest with the simplest preparations. It's not a dish I'll be able to order again, but one that will linger in my memory for a while. — Jeffy Mai, associate editor, Eater Midwest Double burger from Wolf & Company in West Town A burger from Wolf & Company. Jeffy Mai/Eater Chicago Traversing the 606, or Bloomingdale Trail, is an easy and surefire way to work up an appetite. Luckily for Chicagoans, a new restaurant and marketplace recently opened just steps away from the path on Western Avenue. Wolf & Company is the latest project from the team behind Little Bad Wolf and Gretel, and it certainly has potential. The bi-level space features a restaurant, marketplace, and deli on the first floor, and a breezy second-floor cafe and lounge with plenty of outdoor seating. The menu offers a selection of pizzas, sandwiches, and approachable items like wings and steak frites. But for those who have been to Wolf & Company's older siblings, you probably already know the burgers are fantastic. Well, I'm happy to report that the newcomer's offering is similarly noteworthy. I opted for the double-patty — triple-patty and single-patty mini burgers are also available — and it delivered the salty, umami-rich flavor bomb I was expecting. The burger is dressed with charred onion aioli, pickles, and cheese, and though it doesn't really need much else, you can add optional toppings like an egg, bacon, or fried onion straws. And hey, if you feel a food coma coming on after devouring the burger and a generous helping of curly fries, there's always a 2.7-mile trail nearby to help walk it off. — J.M. Mixed Mushroom and Veggie Dumplings from Union Dumpling House in Lincoln Square Union Dumpling House is solid. Ashok Selvam/Eater Chicago Union Dumpling House isn't for lingering. Customers order from a pair of touchscreen terminals near the entrance and are given a number while workers furiously prepare their chosen dumplings. There are a few flat screens that play an advertisement for the restaurant on a loop, and the acting is magnificent, showing us that dumplings are nutritious, delicious, and suitable for any multicultural group of customers. Theatrics aside, the dumplings are solid and can go toe to toe with any spot in Chinatown. While there are meatier options available, I love the chance to fool my toddler into eating vegetables, and the mixed mushroom and veggie option rose to the occasion. Truth be told, I liked the veggie selection better than lamb, pork, and shrimp selections. Not to say that carnivores won't be happy, but I was quite pleased with the texture of the mushrooms. You could taste the veggies; they weren't some cheap stuffing meant to emulate meat, which is a pet peeve of mine. This spot is good for a quick meal. I just hope they switch that video up or at least turn the volume down a little bit. — Ashok Selvam, lead editor, Eater Midwest Breakfast Sando from Sarima in Wicker Park Breakfast isn't one of my favorite meals. I'd rather grab a protein bar or smoothie and run out the door. Eggs have never been something I look forward to eating. But I've softened over the years and realized a good egg sandwich isn't so bad. Kasama raised the stakes with its Fil-Am classic, as seen on that award-winning comedy on Hulu. Several have since entered the ring, inspired by the combo of eggs and longanissa. Which brings me to Sarima, a new Wicker Park bakery where South Asian and Filipino flavors mingle. For those who don't eat pork, a cohort that includes religious Muslims and vegetarians, breakfast, breakfast sandwiches don't always satisfy, especially as you smell the wonderful aroma of bacon. But it's 2025, and we have the technology. At Sarima, they make bacon tocino out of chicken with outstanding results. The breakfast sandwich, perched on a potato bun, is a quality morning meal with a little pep thanks to a sweet and sour achaar aioli. You can customize it, but the crispy hash brown patty is something. Yes, I feel bad I haven't ordered the dosa yet. But I'll probably ask them to add some of that tocino to really rile up the vegetarian ancestors. At Sarima, Ice Cube gets what he's always wanted: Breakfast with no hog. — A.S.
