YELLOW SUNSHINE
WHO CAN DEFINE THE COLOR OF SUNSHINE? IS IT THE COLOR OF LIGHT IN MID-DAY IN SUMMER?
ARTISTS HAVE STRIVED TO CAPTURE AND PRESERVE GLOWING YELLOW SINCE THE FIRST CAVE PAINTNGS. YELLOW OCHRE EARTH IS THE MOST AVAILABLE YELLOW PIGMENT AND GIVES A GREAT MELLOW YELLOW.
BUT ARTISTS WANT MORE! THEY WANT PAINT THAT GLOWS!
IN THE 17TH CENTURY NORTHERN ARTISTS REPRESENTED CITRUS AS A STORE OF MEDITERRANEAN SUNSHINE FOR THE HOME. WILLEM KALF WAS CONSIDERED THE MASTER OF THIS. HIS YELLOWS STILL GLOW LIKE SUNSHIINE 350 YEARS LATER.
VAN DYCK EQUATES HIMSELF WITH A SUNFLOWER IN HIS SELF PORTRAIT OF 1633. THEN ANDY WARHOL COPIES HIM 350 YEARS LATER
MEDITERRANEAN SUN
FRAGONARD WAS THE GREAT PAINTER OF YELLOW IN THE 18TH CENTURY: HE EVEN HAD A YELLOW NAMED AFTER HIM. BORN IN GRASSE, THE HOME OF PERFUMERY, HE MOVED TO PARIS AND WON THE PRIX DE ROME. HE THEN SPENT 6 YEARS FORMATIVE YEARS IN ITALY. HIS PAINTINGS HAVE A UNIQUE FACILITY AND LIGHTNESS OF TOUCH: A SUNNY MEDITERRANEAN JOIE DE VIVRE.
in fashion MEDITERRANEANS like @jacquemus STILL BRING SUNSHINE YELLOW TO THE WORLD