Dudokdegroot is proud to present Penumbra, a solo exhibition featuring a new series of paintings by Marjolein Rothman. In her debut presentation at the gallery, Rothman sheds new light on the classical chiaroscuro technique.
Derived from Modern Latin, the term penumbra refers to the shadow cast during an eclipse or when an object is only partially obscured. More broadly, it signifi es a liminal space between light and darkness—an area neither fully illuminated nor completely veiled. It is precisely this ambiguity that is explored here.
Renowned for its dramatic eff ect in 17th-century Dutch painting, the chiaroscuro technique heightens form, texture, and atmosphere by guiding the viewer’s eye to highlighted elements within the composition. Rothman reimagines this approach, introducing movement not only through motif but also through gesture. Emerging from a dark background, her brush strokes form leaves that intertwine and overlap, catching the light and transforming subtle suggestions of motion into a vivid painterly presence. The perception continuously shifts between the physicality of painting and the unfolding image.
This painterly approach stems from Rothman’s experience with analogue photography. Like a photograph that freezes a fl eeting moment through light and exposure, her paintings encapsulate an event. Each piece is completed in a single session, with fl uid brushstrokes that reveal the act of painting itself—transforming process into performance and preserving the moment an image comes into being.
Light and darkness do not exist in isolation; each defi nes and shapes the other. Rather than a meditation on gloom, Rothman’s work underscores the dynamic tension between opposing forces, revealing their essential interdependence. Here, light is a vital presence, a force that fi nds meaning only in contrast. With Penumbra, Rothman invites viewers to contemplate this delicate equilibrium.