Day Bed c. 1953

This watercolor, by B. Holst-Grubbe, depicts a day bed. Note the color green that dominates the scene. It's not just a color; it’s a symbol, a carrier of cultural memory. Consider how green has been used over centuries. In ancient Rome, it was associated with Venus, the goddess of love and fertility, a symbol of vitality. Yet, the color also appears in medieval art to represent the more sinister side of life, often linked with witchcraft and the devil. In the 19th century, as seen here, green interiors became fashionable, reflecting a fascination with nature and a longing for tranquility amid the industrial revolution. This yearning for pastoral calm is no accident. It’s a collective response, an emotional echo resonating from our subconscious desires for peace and renewal. The artist unconsciously invokes the calming sensation of nature with the color. The color green has been resurrected time and again, each time slightly altered by the shifting winds of history and human emotion, carrying with it echoes of the past.