The Rebellious Curator

(posted on 13 Jun 2022)

These are a few rainbows I'm experimenting with in watercolour as a study for a larger painting in oil. They are about 3x5 inches on w/c paper. I'm finding rainbows extremely challenging and one of the hardest things I have ever tried to paint.

I'm interested in rainbows for a few reasons. 1) I find them to be one of the most beautiful things in nature. When I researched the science, I was amazed by the complexity of the many different kinds of rainbows and how light and atmosphere works. 2) They are a challenge to paint, and I want to figure out how to pull it off in an interesting way.

3) I'm interested in the question of cultural and religious appropriation of the rainbow, and the original rainbow flag.

I did some research on the orgins of the rainbow flag and I found it ties to the German Peasant Wars of the 16c. These wars took place in the Alsace Region near Germany (where my ancestorial roots are from). I was surprized to learn that a flag with a rainbow was used as a banner by the peasants who fought against the Feudal System during the 1500's Holy Roman Empire. This flag shows a colourful rainbow intended to refer to the covenant God made between Noah and Himself(Genesis 9:1-17). Below the rainbow there is a line in Latin text which reads: "Verbum domini maneat in etternum." which means "The word of the Lord stays eternally." Signaling the eternal validity of God's covenant between Man and God. Underneath the line in Latin, there are two lines in German text: "Die ist das zeichen des ewigen bundes gotes." which means that the rainbow is the sign of the eternal covenant of God.

"Then God said, I am giving you a sign of my covenant with you, and with all living creatures. For all generations to come. I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is a sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth. When I send clouds over the earth, the rainbow will appear in the clouds, and I will remember my covenant with you and with all living creatures. Never again will floodwaters destroy all the life. When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth." - Genesis 9:12-16