The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam has launched a new exhibition titled "Yellow: Beyond Van Gogh’s Colour," running until May 17. The show explores Vincent van Gogh’s profound obsession with the color yellow, featuring eight of his works alongside pieces by contemporaries like Paul Gauguin and Aubrey Beardsley. It highlights Van Gogh's technical use of chrome yellow pigments to capture the "high yellow note" of the Provencal sun and the symbolic association of the color with modernity and life-giving energy.
This exhibition is significant for its focused examination of color theory and material history within 19th-century art. By showcasing how yellow became a hallmark of the avant-garde—from the covers of contemporary French novels to Gauguin's Volpini suite—the museum contextualizes Van Gogh’s personal aesthetic choices within a broader cultural movement. Additionally, the exhibition addresses the conservation challenges of chrome yellow, which darkens over time, offering visitors insight into how these iconic masterpieces have physically changed since their creation.