Geschilderd plafond in Noordeinde 140 te Den Haag 1912

This photo shows a painted ceiling in Noordeinde, The Hague; it was made anonymously. Look at the monochromatic colors, swirling with pale browns and creams. I wonder how the painter started this work. Did they sketch out the composition first, or just dive right in with the brush? I imagine them standing on scaffolding, stretching their arm upwards for hours. Were they commissioned, or did they simply take it upon themselves to paint the ceiling? It’s hard to tell whether the paint is thick or thin from the image. I bet, up close, you could see the brushstrokes, the way the painter layered the colors to create depth and movement. The painting reminds me a little of Tiepolo’s frescos, but with a more muted palette. It’s funny how artists from different times and places can still be in conversation with each other. Painting is such an embodied expression; it is always open to multiple interpretations, and that’s what makes it so exciting.