An art museum should not be admired for its grandeur size, or even by how magnificent it looks from within, it should be praised on how well it displays art the way the artist intended. The greatest works of art from around the world have many more details than the human eye can physically comprehend. Human beings are given their five senses in order to enjoy the many aspects of life more deeply. One of greatest gifts humanity has produced is art. It is a common misconception that paintings are meant to be only be enjoyed through the sense of sight. But this is simply a fallacy that has been reinforced over time through the way humans have been presented art. Some of the world’s most famous paintings are not given their well-deserved attention, as they are put up against a bland white wall along with countless other pieces. While there might be some intention to the order of the exhibit, it goes right over the average tourists’ head. The goal behind every exhibit should be to display the paintings as the artists intended for them to be seen, and to enhance every detail within the work to augment our ability to experience them with all five of our senses. Post-impressionist art has the unique ability to highlight and bring a livelier attitude to such mundane objects, and these amazing works should be able to be viewed in a display with the same grandeur and appreciation.
There needs to be much-needed adjustments in the way art museums choose to display artwork, so important details are not overlooked. The main principle behind this proposed exhibit would be to create a pure sensory immersion amongst a group of several post-impressionist art pieces. While some people may only see these paintings from afar, this exhibit would surround you in the piece, and force the viewer to get closer in order to stimulate all five of their senses in the process. This would be done by giving each piece its own room and filling that room with the sensory details depicted in the painting. For example, a heater to emulate sunshine on the skin, apple slices in a bowl for tasting, flowers attached to the wall to touch and smell, children’s laughter and conversation playing through speakers, and of course the painting itself displayed in the middle of the room to allow for close observation. The goal is to be able to close the eyes and fully be immersed in the painting itself. This type of immersion would be a radical departure from typical viewing, as it would be precisely designed to give the single best experience for viewers to experience a painting. Though we may not actually be able to feel or hear the objects and scenes depicted in a painting, artists, especially those from the post-impressionism era, invite us to use a variation of our senses when we explore a work of their art. Encouraging us to imagine the smells, textures, sounds, sights, and even tastes of what is depicted in their piece. This unique exhibition would feature some of the most famous pieces of art from the post-impressionism period of art, and they all depict scenes perfect for enjoyment through our five senses.
To begin, Vincent Van Gogh’s paintings of sunflowers are not only among his most famous, but they would also be perfect pieces to headline a sensory immersion art exhibit. “Although simple, they all have significant detailing, and give off a realistic, yet exaggerated feel with the presence of a warped vase and uneven horizon line (Fig. 1).” These works are particularly renowned because he created five large canvases, of the same subject matter and only using 3 shades of yellow paint. This feat was very unprecedented during this time period because post-impressionist artists tended to use lots of vibrant and exaggerated color in their works. By doing this, Van Gogh demonstrated that it was possible to create a work of art with minimal variations of a single color, and without losing any sense of creativity. This particular piece has a soft yellow background (Fig. 1), so the room of the exhibit would be painted the same color and have the same texture to the strokes, so visitors could feel the roughness of the painting. Because Van Gogh was an artist from the post-impressionist era, his strokes of the brush are very defined, and the effect that this has on the viewer is also a key principle of the era. The room would also have the scent of sunflowers being wafted into the room, as well as sunflowers hung up on the walls to provide easy feeling and smelling of the flowers themselves. Van Gogh’s Sunflowers is a beautiful painting that will forever go down as one of his most famous, and It deserves to be displayed with great detail, so that the quaint elements within the painting do not go unnoticed. This painting is perfect for this display because of its simplistic nature yet contains such an extravagant and delightful subject matter (Fig. 1). A sunflower is so common in society that all of its sensory details, its aroma and the texture of the petals, is recognizable to anyone. This is exactly the narrative the exhibit seeks to form, a viewing experience that creates a fine line between actuality and the painting itself.
Continuing with the theme, Georges Seurat’s painting, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte is nothing short of remarkable. “His attention to detail, which resembles photographic precision, as he tackles the issues of vivid colors, shadow, light, form, and shape, all utilizing the technique of pointillism (Fig. 2).” “At first glance, viewers are presented a pleasant scene of many people enjoying their time at a quaint park next to a bustling river (Fig. 2).” The colors in this painting are very easy on the eyes and help to make everything flow together. Because of its significant detail of such an expansive scene, this masterpiece deserves to be featured in this sensory immersion museum exhibit. Due to its size, the painting will be displayed front and center of the room, enabling visitors to get really close, to appreciate Seurat’s great artistic ability, seeing each and every dot. Furthermore, the room would be painted using the technique of pointillism as well, to create parallels to the painting. Playing on speakers, would be the sounds of conversation and children’s laughter, birds chirping in the distance, dogs barking, and the sound of wind whistling through the trees, so that one may close their eyes and be transported into the picture. The room would smell like the distinct smell of grass and lake water. Contrary to Van Gogh’s simplistic Sunflowers, this image is incredibly complicated. However, it shares the same familiarity as a sunflower, and desperately seeks to evoke someone's memories of their time in the park. This painting also stands to benefit even more from this exhibit than the sunflower, as the closer you get, the more appreciation you have for the artist, their emotions, and their craft, all of which were the most important aspects to post-impressionism painters. Like all the great works of his time period, La Grande Jatte continues to captivate and charm those who spend the time to appreciate each detail.
Next, in Paul Cézanne’s piece, The Basket of Apples, he impresses many with his ability to capture so much detail, and truly express himself in such a simple depiction of an everyday subject matter, making this a beautiful addition to the exhibit. Cézanne was known for his belief that art should parallel nature, not imitate it. He was convinced that the artist should never try to recreate objects in their entirety, but instead, create their own reality. This belief is also echoed in the countless other examples of post-impressionist art. “The Basket of Apples is a rather simple still life painting that displays a table adorning a picnic blanket casually thrown down, on top of the blanket is a spilling basket of red apples, a bottle of wine, and a plate with food on it (Fig. 3).” “All of these items can be seen on a daily basis yet they have an altered sense of realism to them making them look artificial (Fig. 3).” “Also, The Basket of Apples contains his signature tilted tables, known to be an impossible rectangle, with no right angles, which was a feature he was celebrated for, as it was something so unique to him (Fig. 3).” In the exhibit, this unrealistic table would be recreated using tangible materials and be placed alongside the piece. On top of the table, the recreation of the still life would also be present, so easier comparison would be possible to those visiting. The people could smell the scene, with hints of the wood table and the aroma of the wine bottle. They could also taste the scene, as while viewing, they could take a bite of the sweet apples. “This painting of a simple still life has immense depth and energy thanks to Cézanne’s use of solid brushstrokes and glowing colors (Fig. 3)”. This would be emulated in the display room to amplify its importance, as the room would be painted in the same pale blue as in the painting. This piece in particular fits in with the others, as The Basket of Apples combines the stylistic choices that make the two previous works so exceptional. It possesses the simplicity of the Sunflowers, but also the depth of La Grande Jatte. This is what makes it such a fantastic addition to the growing story of this exhibit, as it further develops and emphasizes the talent of the artist, the wonder of the post-impressionists, and the ability of an environment to enhance a viewing experience. For example, “Cézanne’s use of shadow in the piece is simply magnificent, to the point where the best way to display how perfect it is would be to show them how the shadows between the apples cascade and play off one another in person (Fig. 3)”. Furthermore, this is the connection the exhibit is trying to reveal, as the emotions of the painter are being made clear, and the splendor of post-impressionism can be elevated to ever higher levels.
Lastly, in the painting, At the Moulin Rouge, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s honoring of the lively Parisian nightlife toward the end of the nineteenth century is something that deserves more attention, and to be enhanced by an exhibit equally as dynamic. “This composition is noted for its daring techniques, staged cropping, bold color usage, all of which are skills that are celebrated as part of the post-impressionist time period (Fig. 4).” This painting would be another piece to be displayed in the sensory immersion exhibit because emulating Parisian nightlife at The Moulin Rouge would be such an ambitious and exciting display. “Toulouse-Lautrec perfectly captures the energy of the night, by his use of observation, and the strategic placement of partygoers, glasses, and alcohol (Fig. 4).” this feature of the work would be delicately implemented into the exhibit, as the room would have the exact interior of the Moulin Rouge that is depicted in the painting. Old Parisian music and loud conversations of partygoers, and glasses clinking would be playing over a speaker. The smell of smoke and alcohol would be wafted into the room. The same wood table would cut through the room just as it famously does in the painting with his use of the wooden table to crop the painting. Toulouse-Lautrec was known to be the “photographer” of his time because of his ability to depict his own memories through paintings, and this work is an example of this. “The people in the painting and their expressions exemplify a very happy tone, and Toulouse-Lautrec uses his artistry skills to create a sense of depth and movement that helps with this even more, emphasized by the imagery of dancing in the background (Fig. 4).” Although he used significant detail, many of the objects in the picture are oversimplified, like the chairs and their unrealistic curves. “The scene depicted is somehow detailed, hectic, expressive, and extremely profound, all at once (Fig. 4).” It allows so much room for sensory immersion as it can mimic the tone of this painting so well. This is why this piece serves as the perfect final chapter to this tale about post-impressionism. Toulouse-Lautrec’s ability to capture a point in time should be honored by recreating and allowing visitors the ability to use all of their senses to appreciate his work, and to not only view his memory, but to relive it alongside him, just as he wished everyone could.
Post-impressionism, as a movement intended to focus on the emotion of the painter, saturated colors, and heavy application of paint. This very abstract and ambitious paintings were all highly personal to the artist themselves, as they attempted to break free of the limitations of the other art movements of the time. This is why the paintings of this nature and period are perfect for an exhibit such as this. The overt display of their emotional state leads not only each painting to be widely unique, but situation and environment that can be displayed alongside it can be just as distinctive. As can be seen by the common viewer, these artists have little regard for realism in their depiction of real-life scenes and objects, further opening more doors for the elaboration by not only the artist, but by the exhibit to also distort and emphasize certain aspects of the painting. Also, purely unique to this era as well, the heavy brushstrokes and ignorance for detail lead to a very noisy painting, where lines are hazy and details fade, and this also conveys the chaos in some of the simplest paintings, as even the blandest of an image can be reimagined in a new way. This is the revolution art needed then, and the innovation it dearly requires now, as a way to bring excitement, wonder, and awe back to canvases that have aged for centuries. Each of these paintings is of a trivial scene, yet the textured painting and blurred depiction invite the viewer to edge ever closer towards the painting, and this is where the perfect environment can be made. This is where an exhibit can create total immersion as the viewer’s guard is down, expectations broken, and where they themselves are the most impressionable.