Art History

Egg Tempera is a very old medium, predating oil and before the Renaissance was the primary painting medium of western painters. During the 1400-1500s most artists moved to oil which is an infinitely more blend-able medium, and the mysteries of egg tempera were mostly lost. Icon painters persisted with it's use but it was unpopular until the late 1800s when two women discovered the writings of Cennini and established the society of Egg Tempera Painters. Misconceptions of Egg Tempera abound, but the possibilities of this medium are far different than oil, acrylic and watercolor.

Please choose 5 artists/works below to image search and get a sense of the range of this medium

Duccio

Baldovinetti Portrait of a Lady in Yellow

Ghirlandaio Portrait of a Young Woman

Lorenzetti

Wilton diptych

Piero Della Francesca The Baptism of Christ

Sandro Botticelli The Birth of Venus

Paul Cadmas

George Tooker

Robert Vickery

Doug Safranek

Koo Schadler

Fred Wessel

Andrew Wyeth

Please watch in class on Wednesday: Be ready to talk about 3 qualities of Egg Tempera paint in class Friday!

(Modern portrait in real time)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQZIDrmKGLU

Mastercopy/Masterstudy after Botticelli

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQFvLrcabPM

Blending facial tones:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R9GTVU6jk0

Techniques we will learn:

How to sponge

How to transfer your drawing

How to create a mask

How to glaze and scumble