Master strokes

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The painting that took the art world by storm just the past week sits on the wall, nonchalant and dismissive of its new-found inaccessibility. Gazing at the authentic print of ‘The Scream’, a 1921 work by Norwegian painter Edvard Munch, sold for $120 million at the Sotheby’s in New York in early May, was somehow, unsettling.Yet, in the company of other classics, as Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and VanGogh’s Sunflowers, the painting certainly seemed to belong. The print shows one of the most vibrant of the five original versions, all of which depict a forlorn figure with an expression of horror ingrained on its face.The reproductions of master works on display at Gallery the Creant, Sasthamangalam, are sourced from a US-based company which owns the rights to produce prints of some of the most famed art works. There are two accepted ways of reproducing classics - with machines and by hand painting. The ones exhibited are machine-made reproductions and claim high levels of quality and authenticity.A collection of around 30 paintings are exhibited though the show is named after the post-impressionist master VanGogh. Of the lot, around a dozen are VanGogh, including some of the most celebrated ones like Almond Blossom, Garden of Irises, Starry Night, Cafe Terrace at Night and so on. The version of ‘Starry Night’ on display depicts a part of the original painting done in 1888 and showing a star-lit sky seen from the window of the asylum where VanGogh spent the winter recuperating from a nervous breakdown.Works by Austrian Symbolist painter Gustav Klimt, including his magnum opus, The Kiss,  Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, which gained unprecedented popularity through its appearance in Dan Brown’s phenomenal best seller Da Vinci Code, are among those exhibited.The gallery, which has put up works by contemporary artists in the past, is holding an exhibition of master painters for the first time. Jayamohan M, a software professional and one of the stake holders of the gallery promoted by a group of art enthusiasts, says that the unique exhibition is being organised with the aim of directing public interest towards art exhibitions.But for the scarce art lovers and students of fine arts, the larger chunk of the public is yet to connect with contemporary art. The main objective of collecting and exhibiting renowned art works is to connect with the public and to inculcate a culture of art appreciation, he said.If the sales chart is anything to go by, the classic rules the common man’s sensibilities. Prints of Picasso’s Petite Flower, VanGogh’s Sunflower and Cafe Terrace have flown off the shelf. Surprisingly, ‘The Scream’ has stayed put on the walls, perhaps for intimidating the collectors with the record-breaking price it fetched at the auction.The exhibition will conclude on May 30. Time: 11 am to 7 pm.