I have long been obsessed by the medieval paintings of the Renaissance – and of the Netherlands in particular. In their early experiments with using oil (rather than egg) to bind the pigments in their colours, these artists were able to achieve a depth and lustrousness in their paintings that perfectly captured the different climatic conditions of Northern Europe, with its cooler light and more intense shadows – especially with indoor scenes. This strongly contrasted with the sun-drenched and bleached-out colours of the Italian painters much further south. Also, they were learning about perspective – but, endearingly, couldn’t always get it right!
In my affectionate homage to the period, the seemingly traditional scene is further complemented by a hand-made frame – which at once forms a window into a private interior, but then leads through its own painted echo to the wider view beyond. The events portrayed are mischievously ambiguous, leaving the viewer free to create an individual narrative.
High quality signed limited edition giclee prints of these two paintings are available, printed on heavy Photospeed 310g A2 size paper. Image size is 320 by (approx) 520mm, which is the same size as the original painting. This leaves a plain white border of approx 5cm all round.
Prints £120 each, plus P&P.