Up close, it may appear as a blur of random dots and brush strokes.
Taking a step back, perhaps one will notice the figure of a woman standing in a garden. And at the right distance, one might pick out a house in the upper right corner, hidden behind soft greens and blues.
No, it’s not a Magic Eye 3D poster, it’s a painting by world-renowned Vincent van Gogh, one of two new pieces on display at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art.
“Femme Dans Un Jardin” (A Woman in the Garden), 1887, by van Gogh and “Un Pin” (A Pine), 1905, by Henri Edmond Cross, will be exhibited in the museum’s European gallery until June. Both paintings represent “pointillism,” a post-impressionist style founded by Georges Seurat, an artist with whom van Gogh and Cross painted in France. Pointillism is a form that uses tiny dots or short brush strokes of primary colors to generate secondary colors. The points compose forms that are visible to the viewer only from a distance where the eye blends the points to create forms or objects.
The paintings are on loan from an anonymous private collection.
“We are thrilled to present the public with the rare opportunity to view these two
masterpieces,” said David Turner, museum director. “Bringing such artwork to Eugene is just one of the ways we can thank the community for helping to build the new museum, which can now accommodate such treasures through loans from museums and collectors around the world.”
The art museum reopened its doors about a year ago after a $14.2 million renovation and expansion project that added 38,154 square feet of space.
“This is a special opportunity for people on campus and in the community,” museum spokeswoman Katie Sproles said. “These are the things we are able to do now with the expansion and modernization of the museum. People can expect to see more loans such as this in the future.”
Both paintings represent “pointillism,” a post-impressionist style founded by Georges Seurat, an artist with whom van Gogh and Cross painted in France. Pointillism is a form that uses tiny dots or short brush strokes of primary colors to generate secondary colors. The points compose forms that are visible to the viewer only from a distance where the eye blends the points to create forms or objects.
Two events will allow students and community members to learn more about the paintings. The first is a lecture by Andrew Schulz, associate professor of art history, at 6 p.m. on Jan. 25.
“I will be lecturing on the development of landscape painting in France of the time,” Schulz said. “I will be using the two works as lenses into the transition from impressionism to early 20th-century art.”
Local painter Jerry Ross will lead a gallery talk – an informal discussion in the gallery – at 2 p.m. on Jan. 28. Both programs are free and open to the public.
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