Detroit Institute of Art

The Detroit Institute of Art
Bev and I spent a most memorable day today at the DIA (Detroit Institute of Art). What a great place with a whole city block filled with the art treasures of the ages. Rooms filled with the works of the Van Gogh, Cezsan, the Dutch Masters such as Van Dyke, and Rembrandt. The English portrait master Edinborough,.
Then there were paintings by Renoir, Degas and Picasso. Bronze sculptures by Rodin, Chinese and Egyptian art. More paintings by Matisse, furniture and paintings of the Renaissance and the French era.
There were exhibits of American artists showing the transition from colonial times to the present modernistic art.
One of the most famous in the DIA was the Diego Rivera Murals in their own two story hall with the murals depicting the are of the automotive manufacturing. They must be 100 feet long and 40 feet in height with smaller murals above them. Commissioned by Ford these were a gift to the museum.
There is also a section of African art as well as Black American artists.
It should be noted here that all of the wealthy industrialists in Detroit (mostly associated with the auto industry) the Edsel Fords, the Dodges, the Fishers (body by Fisher), the Olds (Oldsmobile) and many others, but also the families such as the Forbes, had vast art collections which were donated to the DIA. One donor gave $30 mil alone and there is a wall of donors names that just say $1 mil or more.
It now covers 600,000 square feet and has over 100 galleries, a 1,100 seat auditorium, a 380 seat lecture hall, and is scheduled to add 77,000 more feet by 2009.
This is really some art institute to see. It really is overwhelming and even though we spent 7 hours here we did not nearly do it justice. I hope that the five photos I am allowed to place in the blog help you understand the greatness of this fine art museum.
1 The English Masters
2 Marvle statue one of many
3 One of the Diego Rivera Murals
4 Rembrant one of several
5 St Ives (patron of attorneys