From a young age, we’ve been instructed not to touch expensive or priceless objects, especially those found in museums. Any painting created by the brilliant Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh—whose works have sold for hundreds of millions—would most certainly have a category all its own on the lengthy list of items not to touch. That is, until now.
Verus Art, a Canadian company, has developed a revolutionary 3-D scanning and printing process that allows for the highest precision in re-creating renowned works of art. The company recently signed its first museum collaboration, an agreement with the National Gallery of Canada, which is home to more than 65,000 works of art. The first painting to be reimagined will be Van Gogh’s 1889 masterpiece Iris. The next will be Claude Monet’s La Mer Agitée.
The goal is to allow the public to fully experience, and learn from, some of the most significant works of art throughout history. “The team at the National Gallery of Canada is so passionate about their collection and opportunities to engage with the public, it was imperative they become the first Verus Art museum partner,” said Paul Noble in a statement, vice president of business development at Larson-Juhl, the custom framing company working in collaboration with Verus Art. “We are excited about the future as we believe Verus Art will help people live with art in a more significant way. As an example, the visually impaired will now be able to see, through touch, the actual brushwork of the great masters.”
The team at Verus Art begins by carefully scanning the chosen artwork. In Vancouver, specialists review the digital copy to ensure the reproduction accurately represents color, texture, and brushstrokes. Then, in Holland, another group from Verus Art prints hundreds of layers of the painting to create a 3-D replica that is shockingly similar to the original work. In the end, the revolutionary brushworks in Van Gogh’s masterpieces, for example, can be touched and understood by museumgoers and consumers alike.
Verus Art also offers framed re-creations on its website, verusart.com. Depending on the artwork and size, prices range from $1,000 to $8,000.
