I’m a bit of an all-out art nerd. When I went back to university to complete my degree (still a work in progress), the electives that brought me the most joy were my art history courses. I devoured my text books, relished in visits to local art galleries and museums, and aced every paper and exam in those classes.
During my trip to Paris, I begged my husband to take me to the Louvre. I was so excited that…*gasp*…I turned down an afternoon at Chanel’s Rue de Cambon store in order to visit this world landmark. My dreams came true as I stood in front of the surreal Winged Victory of Samothrace sculpture – one of the world’s oldest and most celebrated pieces. Created circa 2nd century BC, it is one of a small number of fine Hellenistic statues surviving the ravages of time. I was so overcome as I stood in front of her that tears rolled down my eyes.
My husband and I wandered the grand halls of the Louvre, taking in the beautiful light captured by Caravaggio, da Vinci’s thoughtful Mona Lisa, the Vermeers, the Raphaels, and more. I wish I had many more days in Paris to do the Louvre justice.
My mother-in-law knows of my love of art and gifted me with a membership to the National Art Gallery of Canada. Membership in hand, I go to the gallery as often as I can. In fact, when the National Gallery reached out to me to preview the Verus Art Exhibit, I cleared my schedule.
Upon my arrival at the Gallery’s Great Hall, I was surprised to see some of their priceless pieces set up for viewing. Within arm’s reach were pieces by Van Gogh, Monet and Canada’s very own Tom Thomson. I rushed up to them, nose about an inch from these works of art and took in the colours and texture. That’s when I learned that each piece was a top notch recreation made by Verus Art, a company specializing in 3D technological recreations of any piece of art you wish. Verus Art’s collaboration with the National Art Gallery of Canada was stunning, and we were impressed to learn that a percentage of proceeds earned from sales of these pieces will be used by the Gallery to fund education and outreach programs.
I stared in disbelief when I realized that “Hey! Maybe I can finally own a lifelike Caravaggio!” Decorating our own home with original art has been “difficult” at best. I’m not a millionaire and original pieces cost a mint. I usually buy fine photography or artwork by unknown artists as it is the only way we can afford them. The beauty of Verus Art is that it makes owning a painting that is so close to the original an attainable goal. The pieces Verus Art creates are so good, they are really “recreations, not reproductions”. Through their innovative digital imaging and elevated color printing technology, Verus Art manages to accurately reproduce colours and relief of any artist’s brushstrokes.
Now, don’t get me wrong. You’ll still need a bit of a budget to acquire a Verus Art piece, but at least you won’t have to sell your home to attend a Sotheby’s auction for a piece of fine art! Several of their pieces can be purchased for $650.00 CAD and up.
Are you looking to turn your bare walls into gallery-like perfection? Visit the Verus Art online store to peruse their recreated masterpieces. Verus Art can be found on Twitter, Youtube, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Dominique is a Canadian-based fashion and beauty influencer with a strong voice in Ottawa’s black community. Since launching her blog Style Domination in 2015, she has amassed a global fanbase. Dominique shares her life through beautiful imagery and compelling story-telling that speaks to her fans on a personal level. She’s been featured in The Guardian, Flare, The Kit and Cityline. She also hosts events for Dress for Success, the Gem Conference, and has been named a United Way Person 2 Know for the past three years.
