The Detroit Institute of Arts in 2 hours
Quick answer
In 2 hours at the Detroit Institute of Arts, spend 30 minutes with Diego Rivera's Detroit Industry Murals, then see Van Gogh's self-portrait, Bruegel's The Wedding Dance, Caravaggio and Whistler in the European and American galleries, and finish with the Ishtar Gate dragon and African art.
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The route: 7 stops
Some second-floor galleries are temporarily closed and some works may have moved: pick up the day's map.
- 1
0:00 · Rivera Court
Detroit Industry — Diego Rivera (1932–1933)
The 27 panels cover all four walls of the court. On the north and south walls, the Ford River Rouge assembly line; above, the races of humanity and the earth's resources.
- 2
0:30 · European painting
Self-Portrait with Straw Hat — Vincent van Gogh (1887)
Painted in Paris, with the short brushstrokes he learned from the Impressionists.
- 3
0:40 · European painting
The Wedding Dance — Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1566)
A lively peasant dance: count the couples and find the comic details.
- 4
0:50 · European painting
Martha and Mary Magdalene — Caravaggio (c. 1598)
A conversation about conversion in the painter's signature chiaroscuro.
- 5
1:00 · European painting
The Nightmare — Henry Fuseli (1781)
An incubus crouching on a sleeping woman: one of Romanticism's most unsettling images.
- 6
1:15 · American painting
Nocturne in Black and Gold: The Falling Rocket — James McNeill Whistler (c. 1875)
Near-abstract fireworks that sparked a famous libel trial with critic John Ruskin.
- 7
1:35 · Ancient art
Dragon of Marduk from the Ishtar Gate (Babylon, c. 600 BC)
A glazed-brick relief from Babylon's great gate.
Tips
- With only 1 hour, spend half of it in Rivera Court.
- Friday runs until 9pm: a good chance to visit without rushing.
- Scan any work on the route with AnyArt to hear its story.
Frequently asked questions
Can you see the DIA in 2 hours?
Yes, the essentials: Rivera's murals and the European and American masterpieces.
Where are the Rivera murals?
In Rivera Court, the building's central courtyard.
Can you take photos?
Generally yes, without flash, in the permanent collection.
What if I only have 1 hour?
Rivera's murals plus the Van Gogh and the Bruegel.