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Light! The Industrial Age 1750-1900,
Art & Science, Technology & Society
A truly unique presentation of how light influenced science, art and society is on view at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from April 7 through July 29, 2001. The scientists and artists chronicled in this exhibit faced a constantly changing idea of how to define light, as new ways of expressing natural light and innovative forms of artificial light became a part of everyday life in Europe and America during the 18th century.
Vincent van Gogh
Gauguin's Chair, 1888
Oil on canvas
35 ¾ x 28 ½ in.
van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Vincent van Gogh Foundation
The highlight of the exhibition is an interactive lighting display of van Gogh's painting, Gauguin's Chair in which the painting can be viewed using four different light sources from the artist's time — natural daylight, open gas flame, incandescent gas flame, and electric arc light. Visitors can see for themselves the effects of each type of lighting source on the painting scene by switching from one to another. Whether you like to study light as science, art, nature or technology, you have the opportunity to do it all at this exhibition.
Light & Science
Scientists such as Newton, Priestly, Daguerre, Edison and Westinghouse were developing new scientific and technological devices including microscopes, candelabra, kerosene and oil lamps, gaslights, and electric lights. Certainly, Newton's research on the spectrum gave artists an explanation of the way in which color in nature works. The spectrum demonstrated that when a beam of sunlight shines through a prism, the light refracts and different colored rays emerge at different angles.
Candleholder (left), 18th century
Rushlight holder (center) 19th century
Double Cruise Grease Lamp (right), American, c. 1750
Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh
Photograph by Peter Harholdt
Light & Art
If you look at the way in which artists used light to craft their subject matter, to capture the constantly changing essence of natural light and commit it to the canvas, it is possible to see how influential their art was in creating people's expectations of light. For example, look at the art movements such as Impressionism in which light was depicted as blocks or specks of bright colors. Do you think it is possible that Louis Comfort Tiffany was influenced by Impressionism when he created his brightly colored lampshades to offset the glare of artificial, electric light?
Tiffany & Co.
Table Lamp, c. 1899-1902
Bronze and glass
26 x 21 in.
Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh
Photo ©Peter Harholdt
Before photography, not many people had the opportunity to see how light could illuminate a face for a portrait, or part of a room when it was dark. The paintings in this exhibition use light — albeit different types — to emphasize the color of a shadow and how it falls on the subject matter.
Paul Signac
Place des Lices, St.Tropez, 1893
Oil on canvas
25 ¾ x 32 3/16 in.
Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh
Artists were being faced with a variety of artificial lighting including gas, kerosene, and electricity. To capture the brilliance of the atmosphere at the Moulin Rouge night club, Toulouse-Lautrec had to brighten the colors he used because glare from the gas lights washed out the complexions of the faces and the vividness of the costumes.
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
At the Moulin Rouge, 1894-5
oil on canvas
48 1/2 x 55 1/2 inches
The Art Institute of Chicago
Light & Nature
The introduction of color to symbolize different angles and levels of light saturation is used abundantly by the Impressionists to capture nature. Many critics of the time noted what they thought was a radical use of blue to emulate the reflection of light, sky and water on buildings, objects and even faces. In Sisely's Saint-Mammes on the Banks of the Loing, Sisley liberally applies blue to all the surfaces which are reflecting the light and water. The artist's observation that "reflected daylight looks blue" is actually based on scientific fact. He was applying the knowledge that daylight is the "bluish light" of the earth's atmosphere and the color of the light that we see when clouds partially block out the sun.
Alfred Sisley (French, 1839-1899)
Saint-Mammes on the Banks of the Loing, c.1881
Use of color to depict light and shadow.
A lot of the focus in van Gogh's work is his heavy brushstroke — or the heavy amount of texture he allowed the paint to create on the canvas. Color and light were also integral to his compositions. The way in which light is reflected from the multi-layered surfaces of van Gogh's painted canvases could change the way it appeared. In fact, he noted in his letters that his paintings looked different in daylight and gaslight.
In looking at The Sower, you can see how van Gogh uses the direction of sunlight behind the farmer and the tree to emphasize how lack of natural light produces lack of color. This is the opposite problem Toulouse-Lautrec had with interior lighting which washed out the color. Also, take note of how bright van Gogh made the colors in the field where the sunlight is directed.
Vincent van Gogh
The Sower, 1888
Oil on canvas
12 ½ x 15 ¾ in.
van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Vincent van Gogh Foundation
oil on canvas, 21 1/4 x 29 in.
Photo©Peter Harholdt, 1994
Light & Society
Since the introduction of artificial light was integral to everyone's lives, it was of interest to the general public, as well as scientists and artists. It radically changed people's lives in every way from their work to their leisure time. It also was used to grab attention and emphasize a cause or a celebration. Below is an image showing the Illumination of the Eiffel Tower during the Universal Exposition, Paris 1889 by Georges Garen. It is glowing with its technological triumph during the Industrial Revolution when the machine came to symbolize progress and modernization.
Georges Garen
Illumination of the Eiffel Tower during
the Universal Exposition, Paris 1889, 1889
Colored Wood Engraving
25 1/2 x 17 3/4 in.
Musée de Orsay, Paris
The use of light also became important for entertainment — especially at night. This image of a portable theater is an example of what even the light from fireworks could do to increase people's enjoyment of life.
Portable Theater Showing Fireworks, eighteenth century
Oil on Glass
12 3/4 x 15 3/4 in.
Theater Instituut Nederland, Amsterdam
Chronicling Light
The exhibition is presented in five sections which guide the viewer through a history of changing the imagery of natural light to the introduction of many different types of artificial light. From art to science, light was universally affecting the lives of many people and their professions.
- Rays of Light — Isaac Newton's optical theories are seen not only for their scientific impact, but also for how they influenced the way in which others perceived behavior of light. This, in turn, had an effect on the type of instruments which were invented during this time. Microscopes are one example of how optics were used to advance the way we see things. Positioning the scientific discovery of optics next to the way light is depicted in painting during this time period demonstrates how closely artists and scientists followed each other's discoveries.
Microscope, owned by Linnaeus, early 18th century
14 x 8 in.
Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh
Photo ©Peter HarholdtIn this section, you will see rare books such as a 1704 edition of Newton's Optiks and a still life painting, Glass of Water and Coffeepot (c. 1760) by Jean Siméon Chardin in which the refraction of light is demonstrated through a glass of water.
- The Light of Nature — Natural light is explored by artists in this section. The introduction of Impressionism not only confounded the art world, but the public as well. By departing from the traditional methods of representing light and shadow as well as color and shading, the Impressionists confused what people understood about light. Their method of painting — en plein air or outside in natural light — was revolutionary. The natural light they saw and communicated to the canvas was always changing and picking up different colors and then casting colorful shadows in refracted and spotty pieces of color.
Vincent van Gogh
Trunks of Trees with Ivy, 1889
Oil on Canvas
28 ¾ x 36 ½ in.
van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Vincent van Gogh FoundationBy viewing works in the exhibition such as Albert Bierstadt's Light and Shadow (1862); Paul Signac's Place des Lices, St. Tropez (1893); Claude Monet's The Portal of Rouen Cathedral and the Tour D'Albane at Dawn (1893) and The Portal of Rouen Cathedral, Morning Effect (1894); and van Gogh's Trunk of Trees with Ivy (1889), you can see for yourself how natural light played a role in how these painters saw their subject matter.
- Makers of Light — The symbolic nature of light can be interpreted in many ways. Between 1750 and 1900, church, state and business enterprises made the best of what it meant to their positions vis-à-vis their ambitions. Therefore, one can see how light coming from the fires which fuel the forges of industry, or from hell fire depicted in religious scenes, or illumination from fireworks which celebrate the anniversary of a country, can be powerful symbols.
John Martin
Pandemonium, 1841
Oil on Canvas
48 1/2 x 72 1/2 in.
The FORBES Magazine Collection, New YorkTo demonstrate these ideas, the exhibition displays Joseph Wright of Derby's The Annual Girandola at the Castel Sant'Angelo (1775-76); John Martin's Pandemonium (1841); Charles-Henri Toussaint titled The Universal Exposition Paris 1900: The Palais des Illusions (1900).
- Personal Lights — The early history of artificial lighting can be traced from candleholders and oil lamps up to more advanced forms such as gas lamps and electric bulbs. This section shows paintings which provide viewers with examples of how these different forms of lighting affected people's lives. In van Gogh's Potato Eaters, the people are gathered around a table which has a kerosene lamp in the center of it. In times past, the grouping would probably be facing the light of a fireplace instead.
Vincent van Gogh
The Potato Eaters, 1885
Lithograph on Paper
10 ½ x 12 ½ in.
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Vincent van Gogh Foundation
- Public Lighting — Gas and electric lights became part of the streetscape of many cities during the late 19th century because they were inexpensive and able to brighten outdoor spaces well. Artists took note of the way in which the outdoor lighting allowed them to capture scenery in a new light — people traveling on foot or by carriage, shopkeepers at work, or people enjoying nightclubs.
Adolph von Menzel
Departure after the Party, 1860
Gouache and Watercolor with Gum Arabic on Paper
10 ½ x 13 3/16 in.
Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh
This scene is captured just outside the house where a party has been held. The artist uses the artificial lighting from inside the house and the streetlights to cast the necessary light on the people. The lighting plays a useful role in capturing the mood of the moment.
Exhibition Details
Light! The Industrial Age 1750-1900, Art & Science, Technology & Society is showing at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from April 7 through July 29, 2001.
This is the only venue in the United States this exhibition is being shown. The show is a joint effort between the Carnegie Museum of Art and the van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Holland where it was on view before the Pittsburgh venue.
An exhibition catalogue is available in hard or soft cover at the Carnegie Museum of Art Store.
To visit the exhibition click here for information about operating hours and facilities at the Carnegie Museum of Art.
If you want to learn more by using the Web, try Light! an online, interactive exhibit. Link to it by clicking here.
Related Links
van Gogh Museum
Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
The museum features the work of Vincent van Gogh, as well as other artists and the history of the museum collection. The galleries present van Gogh's work in five chronological periods, each representing a different phase of his life and work.
Musée Marmottan Monet
(Marmottan Monet Museum)
Paris, Ile de France, France
Private collection of 19th century industrialist Jules Marmottan and his son Paul. After the death of Paul Marmottan, the collection was left to Académie des Beaux-Arts. Among the paintings are numerous works by Monet and other impressionists.
Fakenham Museum of Gas and Local History
Fakenham, Norfolk, England
The last remaining complete (non-operational) gasworks in England and Wales. Many ancillary and local history exhibits.
Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art
Winter Park, Florida, USA
The museum features the most comprehensive collection of the works of Louis Comfort Tiffany found anywhere, a major collection of American art pottery and representative collections of late-19th and early-20th century American paintings, graphics and the decorative arts.
Light Factory
Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
Expanding the traditional model of the art museum, the Light Factory functions as a dynamic, non-collecting laboratory for the education and presentation of photographic art and current issues.
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