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Vincent Van Gogh--“The Beach of Scheveningen,” 1882 (Courtesy of the Minnesota Marine Art Museum)

Five new paintings were unveiled at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona, Minn., April 11. A VIP unveiling reception was held at the museum Sunday as board members, community art enthusiasts, and even several employees of the MMAM saw the pieces for the first time. The most prominent painting in the new collection includes one of Vincent van Gogh's first oil paintings, "The Beach of Scheveningen." Jon Swanson, curator of collections and exhibits at the MMAM, described the scene as community members witnessed the piece's uncovering Sunday night.

"Everyone just couldn't believe it," he said. "There was a mad rush to see it up close."

An initial increase in visitors is expected at the MMAM as the additions to the collection are open for public viewing Tuesday, April 13.

"We do expect to see people who have never been here before," he said. "They'll get to experience something that they'd normally have to go to the coasts or Chicago to see; but we have it here, safe and sound."

Although the initial excitement may blossom from the new paintings, Swanson believes the five pieces add to the already staggering collection on display at the museum in Winona, Minn.

"All of these pieces are for the people of Winona to really take ownership of," Swanson said. "People in our community should think of [the museum] as their living room--when they have relatives or friends visiting, they should come in and show it off; share it with others."

All five paintings are on long-term loan from the Burrichter/Kierlin Marine Art Collection to be displayed in the museum’s Impressionist and Hudson River School Gallery, and include:

Thomas Moran--“Near Southampton,” 1891

Frederic Edwin Church--“Autumn,” 1853

Winslow Homer--“Winding Line,” 1874

John Singer Sargent--"Landscape with Trees, near Calcot on River Thames,” c.1888

Vincent Van Gogh--“The Beach of Scheveningen,” 1882

For more detailed descriptions and stories behind each painting, see below:

Vincent Van Gogh--“The Beach of Scheveningen,” 1882

One of the most intriguing elements of this particular piece is the recorded feelings and insights of van Gogh himself regarding one of his first oil paintings of his career. According to Swanson, van Gogh's brother Theo was an art dealer and financial supporter of his brother's artwork. Vincent would send Theo regular updates on pieces he was working on, all letters of which Theo kept and are now used by art historians to learn more about the famous painter.

Dr. F.W.G. Leeman, art historian and former director of the van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam wrote in a June 3, 2009 report: "'I am sure people could not tell that it belongs to my first painted studies,' Vincent proudly wrote from The Hague on 14 August 1882 in a letter to his brother Theo, two days afer he had finished the painting. He underlined his words to demonstrate his satisfaction and we cannot help but agree with the artist. The painting was the result of a carefully planned venture into oil painting, almost a new medium to him."*

"It's great to have a primary source of the work," said Swanson. "We can get inside his head. Here you have an artist talking directly about the painting as he was working on it. It makes art historians' research much easier because it is almost like interviewing a dead artist."

Early in his career, van Gogh focused much attention on seascapes in the Netherlands, as witnessed in "The Beach of Scheveningen." As Swanson pointed out, traditional Dutch single-mast ships are displayed in the painting. Women on the lefthand side of the painting are also portrayed wearing typical head covers of the era and region.

Although the piece is one of van Gogh's earliest oil paintings, Swanson said the technique of the famous artist can already be seen within the painting.

"You're already seeing him attacking the paint," he said. "He's aggressively grappling with the new medium."

*To view Leeman's entire report, download PDF below.

Thomas Moran--“Near Southampton,” 1891

Moran was an Englishman who painted in America, and this piece is the first of this artist for the MMAM. Thomas Moran's brother Edward has a painting on display at the museum, as Edward was most well known for his marine artwork. Although Thomas is best known for his scenes of the American West, the hallmark of the MMAM pieces can be seen in the far horizon line of the painting.

"You can briefly see the body of water with the small sailboat," said Swanson, of the main criterion of the the Burrichter/Kierlin Marine Art Collection. "It's in there."

Frederic Edwin Church--“Autumn,” 1853

Another famous marine artist of the 19th century Thomas Cole had his hands in Church's work from the very beginning. Before Church became a prolific and popular artist in his era, he was the only pupil of Cole, learning under his Hudson River School tutelage. Swanson said he has been a fan of Church's work for over 20 years, and is pleased to carry one of his pieces as part of the museum's collection, now hanging side by side with Cole's "View of Boston."

"It's got such amazing detail and color and depth," he said. "The individual leaves and textures; he brought it all together to make perfect sense."

Winslow Homer--“Winding Line,” 1874

Although the MMAM already boasts two of Homer's watercolor paintings, "Winding Line" is the first oil painting created by the artist on display at the museum. Through his haunting brush strokes, Homer honors the age-old tradition of a life at sea by focusing on the person, rather than the ship.

"It's rare for us to have a really large figure in one of our paintings," Swanson said. "Most of the time you see ships, raging seas, and other objects as the main entity filling the frame."

Swanson said Homer used this particular man as a model for several other paintings in his collection of work.

John Singer Sargent--"Landscape with Trees, near Calcot on River Thames,” c.1888

Sargent was known to dabble in many different styles and techniques of painting during his career. As a friend and colleague of Monet, the two artists would often trade paintings and act as mutual influences over each other's work.

The painting of the River Thames outside London is more of a study than a finished piece, according to Swanson.

"It seems to be a quick study of a place he wanted to sit down and sketch out," he said.

By looking at the brush strokes and how he put the piece together, Swanson said Sargent was experimenting and honing his skills in the Impressionistic style while working on this painting.

To learn more about the Minnesota Marine Art Museum or to view visiting hours, go to www.minnesotamarineart.org.