Hand

In the time of the guilds in the Golden Age, painters were asked to paint their own hand to test their skill. After that, hands proved to be a stumbling block for many painters; they are difficult to paint and are often hidden or omitted in paintings.

And that’s strange, because hands can tell more than a facial expression. This book is a selection of over 300 hands painted by Bas Peeperkorn.

As a diary, he paints his own hand every day. Guided by his mood or current events, his hand tells the story of the day. One day raw and expressive in heavy strokes and bright colors, the next day soft and transparent as water.

Everyone can give their own associations and interpretations to this bombardment of images. It is an overview but also a reference work in which you can find your hand of the day.

“I watch my hands from a distance; they are dynamic and seem to have a life of their own; they can hold, point, wave, scratch, hammer, peel, pick and pet things. They are optimistic and melancholic at the same time and worry about the past and future. They also have to be washed often if they are covered in paint.”

(interview Esther Smid, Het Financieele Dagblad 24-04-2021)