Mystical Landscapes: From Vincent van Gogh to Emily Carr. Ed. by Katharine Lochman with Roald Nasgaard & Bogomila Welsch-Ovcharov. New York: DelMonico Books, 2016.

There has been a regrettable tendency to falsely and naively assume the right wing of the Enlightenment project (with its excessive focus on the empirical, rationalistic, scientistic and secular ideology) defines the modern ethos. Such an approach negates the ongoing interest in spirituality, religion and a contemplative way of knowing and being that have played a significant role in the romantic and humanist commitments of the Enlightenment. The sheer beauty and bounty of Mystical Landscapes: From Vincent van Gogh to Emily Carr is the way this visual and literary text amply illustrates how many of the finest artists of the 19^th and 20^th centuries expressed their spiritual longings on canvass as they drew inspiration and deeper insights from the vast landscape of Nature.

The animated and deeply committed vision of Katharine Lochnan (Senior Curator, International Exhibitions, Art Gallery of Ontario) and Stephen Jost (Michael and Sonja Koerner Director, and CEO Art Gallery of Ontario) and Guy Cogeval (President of Musee d’Orsay and Musee de L’Orangerie) must be acknowledged for their intricate and meticulous labour in drawing together such a rich tapestry of historic art that links spirituality and nature. Needless to say, there are a variety of ways of approaching mystical landscapes and the varied painting in the tome and comprehensive essays illustrate the ways both mysticism and landscape can be understood in a wide spectrum. But, there can be no doubt the underlying thesis is clearly proven: there was much more afoot and awake for those who had the senses to see in the 19^th and 20^th centuries than merely hard and empirical science. The artistic and literary mystics and romantics refused to be caged by a narrow and one dimensional approach to life and their paintings make such a countercultural stance obvious. 

The intricate and delicate interplay in this packed tome between multiple essays and classical paintings drawn, mostly, from the European and North American context make for a comprehensive read and visual tour. The fact that Evelyn Underhill is often cited as a guiding visionary of the mystical grounds Mystical Landscapes in a solid and sustained manner. The equally important fact that the paintings included in the text were housed at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) from late autumn 2016 into the early months of 2017 make this collection an unusual and rare coup of sorts for the AGO.