XRF of Vincent van Gogh's Irises (detail), 1889, Vincent van Gogh. Oil on canvas. Getty Museum
Ultra-Violet: New Light on Van Gogh’s Irises
GETTY CENTER
Upcoming, October 1, 2024 - January 19, 2025
West Pavilion, Plaza Level
Free
Get free tickets to the Getty Center
Get free tickets to the Getty Center
Examine Getty’s much-loved painting, Irises by Vincent Van Gogh, from the perspective of modern conservation science. This exhibition shows how the artist’s understanding of light and color informed his painting practice, and how conservators and scientists working together can harness the power of light with analytical tools that uncover the artist’s materials and working methods. Lastly, the exhibition reveals how light has irrevocably changed some of the colors in Irises. A painting we thought we knew so well has suddenly become quite unfamiliar.