Mystical Landscapes

Mystical Landscapes is the latest exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), featuring 90 Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night over the Rhone at Arles, 1888. paintings and 20 works on paper by 36 artists from 15 countries. Among the breathtakingly beautiful works, are paintings by Van Gogh, Monet, O’Keefe, Munch, Gauguin, and many other famous artists. Another highlight was works by Canadian painters, such as Emily Carr and the group of seven, were also a part of the exhibition.

Mysticism is “the feeling of connecting with a deeper reality, a power much greater than ourselves, is a mystical experience. These experiences may reach any of us through the contemplation of nature and the cosmos. We are moved by the beauty of sunrise and sunset, the stars in the night sky, the reflections of the moon on lakes, the power of the ocean waves and the vision of snow-capped mountains”.

This exhibition collects the artists’ mystical experiences of something greater than themselves, expressed in paintings. I think it is truly eye-opening because I have never thought about landscape paintings in a religious sense. The audio guide does a great job providing background information of artists’ life, so I had a better understanding of their paintings.

Despite of my love for Van Gogh and Monet, Eugene Jansson’s paintings caught my eyes. Image result for eugene jansson artist He explores the contrast between the night and the street lights. His depiction of cityscape at night is usually seen as the representation of the death of spirituality, whereas the other artists’ nature landscape in the exhibition is seen as the rise/development of spirituality.