# Painting the rainbow

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/stories-in-colour-7344920/painting-the-rainbow
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/stories-in-colour-7344920/painting-the-rainbow.md
Podcast: [Stories in Colour](https://stenobird.com/podcast/stories-in-colour-7344920)
Published: 2025-07-08T23:15:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/podcast
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/1b8de1f8-d5c9-422e-b14d-75decd2b0356.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/stories-in-colour-7344920/episodes/painting-the-rainbow
Duration seconds: 3832

## Resource

What exactly is a rainbow and how is it formed? Why does it have seven colours? And what have rainbows symbolised in mythologies and art? Join colour expert Dr Alexandra Loske, National Gallery Principal Scientist Joseph Padfield and National Gallery host Beks Leary as they cover rainbows from Noah’s Ark to Olafur Eliasson, and Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon to Georges Seurat’s ‘The Rainbow’ study. Alexandra is a colour expert, art historian and museum curator. Her exhibition 'Colour: A Chromatic Promenade through the Royal Pavilion' is on display at The Royal Pavilion in Brighton until October 2025. She is also author of 'The Artist's Palette' and 'Colour: A Visual History'. Joseph is a Principal Scientist at the National Gallery. He brings a wealth of expertise across multiple domains, including data management, digital infrastructure, conservation documentation, digital imaging, web development, preventive conservation, museum lighting, colour science, and the technical examination of paintings. ----- Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XjaFKMexByg You can email us with any questions via podcast@nationalgallery.org.uk Find out more about the podcast on our website: www.nationalgallery.org.uk/podcast ----- To take our short survey about the podcast please visit: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/podcast ----- Paintings mentioned: Angelica Kauffman RA, ‘Colouring’, 1778-80. Royal Academy of Arts, London © Photo: Royal Academy of Arts, London. Photographer: John Hammond https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/art-artists/work-of-art/colour Jan Van Eyck, ‘The Annunciation’, about 1434/1436. National Gallery of Art, Washington https://www.nga.gov/artworks/46-annunciation Bartolomé Bermejo, ‘Saint Michael triumphant over the Devil with the Donor Antoni Joan’,…

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