When Katharine Lochnan, the Art Gallery of Ontario’s senior curator, set out to create an expansive exhibition that spanned art, nature, and mysticism, she surely didn’t expect that she’d be creating something so groundbreaking that she’d shift art history analyzation from secular to mystical. But, after five years and with the help of two guest curators, a partnership with Musée d’Orsay, and over 20 multidisciplinary advisors (including theologians, astrophysicists, and psychologists), she did just that.
Mystical Landscapes: Masterpieces from Monet, Van Gogh, and More, is unlike most exhibitions in that it knows no historical or geographical bounds. With over 80 paintings and close to 30 works on paper by 37 artists from 14 countries, the collection is as vast as it is awe-inspiring. The exhibition’s focus on spirituality is conveyed thematically, broken into seven sections that move the viewer through a journey of their own, exploring themes such as the divine darkness, wilderness, and the cosmos.
Featuring several works that have never before been in Canada, or left their home country for that matter, Lochnan worked tirelessly to push the players and pull the pieces together. And in an unprecedented feat, Mystical Landscapes also brings together three Paul Gauguin paintings for the first time since they were painted. It was Lochnan’s efforts that the works were meant to be displayed as a triptych.
So, whether you’ve always wanted to see Van Gogh’s Starry Night over the Rhone at Arles, a mini exhibit of Claude Monet’s most famous art, or a selection of works by Georgia O’Keefe, Mystical Landscapes will do that, and so much more. And don’t forget to take the audio guide along with you.
Mystical Landscapes will remain on display until January 29, 2017, before making its second and final stop at Paris’ Musée d’Orsay next spring.