Festoon

A bunch of fruit and flowers is tied to a bronze ring with a bright blue ribbon. This festoonFestoon'Festoen' is an art-historical term for a carved or painted garland of flowers, leaves or fruit. The word probably comes from the Latin 'festus' (= feast). Festoons appear as decorative motifs in buildings, interiors, on furniture wall paintings and prints. This classical ornamental element, also known as a 'guirlande', was often employed in the art of the Renaissance and Baroque. is suspended in a dark recess beautifully setting off the fruit's fresh colours. Only the lemon in the middle looks less than freshOrpimentThe yellow pigment, orpiment, is short-lived, eventually disappearing when exposed to daylight. In the end, all that remains is a delicate, powdery surface while the bright-yellow colour is lost. Orpiment is therefore not suitable for painting large surfaces. It is a pigment that should only be used to finish a painting's highlights.. De Heem has painted various types of fruit in apparent random order, from exotic citrus and pomegranate to cherries, blackberries and plums. The painting has a fresh feel, thanks to the dewdrops rolling off the leaves. Insects creep across the festoon and fly around. They are so tangible that they seem more alive than painted and to have settled on the canvas. Some greens fadeBrown pinkBrown pink is a yellow pigment based on buckthorn or Avignon berries. In the Low Countries it was used from the 16th century in miniatures and oil paintings. The pigment tends to fade under direct sunlight. As a result, the greens in which the pigments occurs tend to turn to blue. easily with the yellow disappearing and leaving a bluish residue.