Yellow

Does yellow remind you of the sun’s warmth? In the East, it represents peace and knowledge. In the West, it is a symbol of value and beauty. And of course, it probably makes you think of a smiling emoji!

Yellow might remind you of the sun’s warmth. It represents peace and knowledge. It is a symbol of beauty. And it might even make you think of a smiling emoji!

Norwegian artist Edvard Munch knew how to appreciate the sun. Almost half of Norway is within the Arctic Circle, where the sun doesn’t rise above the horizon all winter. So Norwegians celebrate the summer months, when the sun shines late into the night. Using warm yellow, Munch paints bright, soothing rays racing across the landscape in his 1910-13 The Sun.

Edvard Munch appreciated the sun. He was from Norway, which is very far north. During winter, there’s hardly any sunlight. But in summer, the sun shines late into the night. Munch celebrates summer in his 1910-13 work The Sun. He uses warm yellow to paint bright rays shining across the landscape.

Look carefully at the illuminated manuscript page above. It shines as if painted with gold. But there isn’t a speck of gold in the image! The pigment orpiment (OR-puh-muhnt) gives brilliance to this page and others like it in the Book of Kells. The Celtic book, completed around the year 800, includes the New Testament’s four Gospels. Orpiment, used throughout, is stunning in its beauty—and its deadliness. The yellow pigment is made with sulfide of arsenic, which glitters in its natural form.

The image above is from a medieval book. It shines like gold—but there isn’t a speck of gold in it! Instead, it gets its sparkle from the pigment orpiment (OR-puh-muhnt).

This page is one of many in the Book of Kells. The Celtic religious book was completed around the year 800. The orpiment used to decorate it is beautiful—but also deadly. The yellow pigment is made with arsenic, which is poisonous if consumed.

Saffron is a pigment used in art as well as a spice. The author of a 1728 book describes saffron tea saying, “ ’tis good for the Head, revives the Spirits, expels Drowsiness and makes the Heart merry.”

Saffron brings joy into fine art as well. To create the 1957 work above, Mark Rothko layers pigments. The painting, called Saffron, seems to vibrate as the colors interact, floating in parallel planes. The same year he completed Saffron, Rothko spent several months in New Orleans. “We have been fortunate enough with the weather,” he wrote of his visit, describing “days of early summer, sun, warmth.” Do you see the influence of the warm Southern light in this composition?

Saffron is a spice used in rice and other dishes. Its rich yellow color also makes it a natural pigment. The author of a 1728 book writes that saffron tea “revives the Spirits . . . and makes the Heart merry.” The color brings joy into art too!

The 1957 work above is called Saffron. Artist Mark Rothko layers yellow pigments into shapes that seem to vibrate. Rothko spent time in New Orleans around the time he completed Saffron. He wrote of his visit, describing sunny days. Does his painting remind you of warm light?

For centuries, artists had to make their own paint. Medieval artists stored their paints inside pig bladders that were cut into squares and tied with a string. The process was messy, time-consuming, and labor-intensive.

Then in the 17th century, people called colormen began selling premade paints. This saved artists time, so they could focus on making art.

Vincent van Gogh was so thankful for his colorman that the artist made three portraits of him, including the one above. In this 1887 example, Van Gogh celebrates the variety of colors, especially the saturated golden yellow, Julien “Père” Tanguy sold.

Artists once had to make their own paint. Medieval artists stored the paint in bags made of pig bladders. It was messy and difficult. But they had no other options. In the 17th century, people called colormen began selling premade paints. This allowed artists to focus on making art.

Vincent van Gogh was thankful for his colorman. He made three portraits of him. In the example above, Van Gogh celebrates the bright yellow his colorman sold.