Immerse in the Arts
Paul Cezanne’s approach to art making was complex and set him apart within the Impressionist circle and modern art as a whole. So much that his unsophisticated approach to color, technique and materiality regarded him amongst his peers as an “artist’s artist,” and several of his admirers, including Monet, Pissaro, Matisse and Picasso, referred to Cezanne as “the greatest of us all.”
The Art Institute of Chicago’s collection spans 5,000 years, including a collection donated in 1922 by Mrs. Bertha Honore Palmer, wife of hotelier Potter Palmer, a gift which positioned Chicago as the city with greatest collection of Impressionist art in the world.
Located just two blocks from the hotel, the Chicago Art Institute Cezanne experience includes:
- The Art Institute of Chicago and Cezanne exhibition VIP undated/untimed entry passes for two (2)
- Two cocktails at Lockwood Lobby Bar
- Art Institute Self-guided tour card
Palmer House, a Hilton Hotel has a special connection to the Art Institute of Chicago...
In 1922, the Art Institute of Chicago acquired much of the collection of Bertha Palmer and her husband, Potter Palmer. The core of their collection was their Impressionist paintings, which included works by artists such as Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, and Edgar Degas. Many of these paintings are now among the highlights of the museum’s permanent collection; when the Palmers began collecting Impressionist art in the 1890s, however, it was considered radical, even controversial. It is due to Mrs. Palmer’s forward thinking, influence, and willingness to pursue her own taste rather than follow trends that Chicago is home to one of the greatest collections of Impressionism in the world.
Bertha Palmer died in Florida on May 5, 1918. In her will, she made two bequests to the Art Institute valued at $100,000 and $400,000; these funds were to be used to purchase artworks from her collection. The works were chosen and evaluated by the museum’s trustees, including her sons, Honoré Palmer and Potter Palmer, Jr. Her sons supplemented the bequest with a donation of thirty-two additional paintings and pastels. In 1922 the Palmer collection was installed in galleries 25 and 26 (present-day galleries 206 and 207, respectively, in the museum’s Allerton Building) These paintings have constituted the core of the Art Institute’s Impressionist holdings ever since. Many other Impressionist paintings in the collection might never have come to the museum if Mrs. Palmer had not first blazed the trail for collecting art that was considered radical. Her impact on Chicago is such that years later, when a visitor remarked on the cost of buying all the Renoirs in the gallery, the president of the Art Institute could only reply, “In Chicago we don’t buy Renoirs. We inherit them from our grandmothers.”
Package Terms & Conditions
Offer subject to availability at Palmer House, a Hilton Hotel for stays booked and actualized by September 5, 2022. Rates subject to availability and fluctuate depending on availability and demand. Rates are per room, per night based on single or double occupancy. Rates vary by season and location, do not include resort/service fees, state and local taxes, incidental charges or gratuities, and are subject to change without notice. Limited availability. Offer cannot be combined with other promotional offers, award stays, or meeting/group stays. Two (2) Art Institute of Chicago VIP Admission tickets including two (2) Cezanne exhibit passes per stay will be provided upon check-in. The value of each pass cannot be exchanged for cash, hotel credits, Hilton Honors™ Points or other hotel services. Request plan code: “P33”
