
He Made Masterpieces with Manure: Traces of Vermeer - Vigier
https://literaryreview.co.uk/he-made-masterpieces-with-manure
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pvaldes
> measures pigments into mussel shells

It is worth commenting that we aren't talking about the mussel appreciated in
kitchens that everybody knows today. Those are shells from a different and
freshwater species called 'painter's palette'. A dull brown, medium sized
shell with a glossy and pure white inner face. Being common and easily
available in most european rivers was a cheap and perfect solution for mixing
oil colors in the, plastics-free, XVII siecle.

It is decreasing currently and even critically endangered in some european
countries, but still remains relatively common in Holland. Can be found from
Iberia to Russia and also in UK.

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the-dude
Not in the article, but I really enjoyed "Tim's Vermeer".

[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3089388/](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3089388/)

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mauritzio
Well imho Vermeer was a real painter not a human printer, maybe that is why
Tim is not mentioned in the article ;)

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reysc
I feel that Vermeer and Tim are pretty much the same, although after watching
that film Tim seems more romantic and poetic about picture making than Vermeer
would have been given the time he was living in...

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mauritzio
I feel you are right. Tim is a romantic typewriter given the time he is living
in and Vermeer a conceptual poet :o)

