Egg Tempera Different types of tempera paint have been used since ancient Egypt. Renaissance artists made all of their own tools and materials, including paint, so much of what took place was like a science lab. Apprentices took on much of the work of preparing the materials and tools. In exchange for their labor, the apprentices learned the techniques of painting from the master painter. Most pigments were minerals, which were purchased in their unrefined state, to be ground by the apprentices under the master’s supervision in his workshop. The powdered pigments were suspended in beaten egg yolk and applied to the prepared wooden panel with a tiny brush in small strokes. They were prepared according to a specific recipe. In addition, tempera paint could not be stored. Each color had to be mixed when it was needed. If the apprentice mixed too little, this meant disaster because mixing more would risk not matching the first batch. If the apprentice mixed too much, then there would be waste. Artists had their own recipes and sources but around 1390, Cennino Cennini published a book called The Craftsman’s Handbook. In this guide, he instructed painters in the early 15th century on the rules of using the medium. Cennini explained that when painting faces of young people, artists should use the yolk of the egg of a city hen because they have lighter yolks than those of country hens. Unlike oil, egg is sticky, does not flow, and dries instantly, so the strokes could be overlapped or cross‐hatched without their mixing. In addition, artists had to paint small areas at a time. Brushes were made of animal hair, applying the colors one by one. The colors were valued for their brilliance, clarity, and purity. The pure color was applied for the darks and white was added for the midtones and highlights. To begin, wooden panels had to be prepared to mix the paint on. These panels were dried and sanded smooth, and then covered with a liquid gesso. This gesso was made from gypsum (a white chalk pounded into powder) mixed with a glue made from animal skins. After applying the gesso, the panels were burnished until smooth. Some artists first added gold leaf to their wooden panels for their backgrounds and other elements, like halos. This gold was laid down over a reddish clay called bole in thin and fragile sheets and then burnished. For tooled haloes and borders, patterned punches were pressed into the gold, taking care not to tear it. Artists made the gold leaf from gold coins that had been hammered into thin sheets. In addition, sometimes artists sketched out their areas that they wanted to paint using charcoal made from burnt willow twigs. If the artist wanted a more permanent pattern drawn out before painting, he could use ink. Egg tempera was gradually replaced by oil as the medium of choice in Italy in the second half of the 15th century. (Oil had been in use in the North throughout the 15th century.) With oil, larger brushes could be used, and execution became bolder and paintings larger. James A. Michener Art Museum www.learn.michenerartmuseum.org • www.michenerartmuseum.org C
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