The Sun Is Not Yellow, It Is A Chicken

The Sun Is Not Yellow, It Is A Chicken

In summer of 2021 I began to wonder what the world of colors used to look like back in the days.
Before synthetics. What colors did the Old Masters like Rembrandt, Van Gogh and Vermeer have on their palettes?

I discovered that colors came from pigments, materials. Actual chunks of this world. I got in touch with writers, artists, paint-makers and pigment hunters from all over the world, to build a collection of historic pigments.

In egg tempera, an ancient technique, I applied these pigments and let my feelings guide the brush. The idea was to place each color at the centre of attention. I was there merely to assist them, one egg at the time. This was their time to shine (again).

The exhibition took place accordingly, in an historic building from 1885 in Amsterdam. Underneath each artwork visitors could scan a QR-code to enjoy an audio tour with ten stories. One about each color. A small book was also published with original swatches of the actual pigments used in the show.

These wonderful pictures are taken by Allard Bovenberg.

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