The Emperor’s Dream

This inspiring place Lepcis Magna in Libya has spurred Bierenbroodspot to make her largest painting ever: “The Emperors Dream” is 2 meters high and 3.5 meters long! The monumental work exudes the atmosphere of this ancient city: sparkling red porphyry columns, whimsically drawn marble slabs, bronze-colored destroyed fragments, pediments, capitals. Huge brick-built walls tower above deep lakes and are reflected in an exceptional palette of brown-purple, indigo blue, Naples yellow and burnt sienna. With the tempera paint technique, Bierenbroodspot manages to bring the beautiful frescoes of antique spectacles to life in her work. “The Emperors Dream” is unmoved, geometrically precise and with a restrained grandeur. Mathematical lines have free rein. Yet the painting also strikes you deep inside; the great emotional charge makes you long to step inside. The shining light is lemon yellow, the new yellow in Bierenbroodspot’s palette. The color can be found in all her new Libyan work, like a glittering underpainting.