Art Talk: Egg Tempera

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(Edited)

For this post of Art Talk I am discussing the medium of painting-- Egg Tempera-- which was widely used in Renaissance art which I have been highlighting this month.

Giotto's Madonna and Child is a beautiful example of tempera on wood.



Giotto
Madonna and Child, 1320
Tempera on poplar panel


Colored pigments + egg yolk + water (or another liquid agent) =Egg Tempera

In some ways, egg tempera shares more commonalities with pastels or colored pencils than with acrylics, oils, or watercolor paints. Because it does not lend itself well to blending or color mixing, egg tempera relies on cross-hatching and overlays of glazing to achieve dimensionality. Pigments through the ages- Egg Tempera



Sandro Botticelli
Giuliano de' Medici, 1478/1480
Tempera on panel


The tempera style of painting was used from Early Egyptian to the Renaissance. Sometime in the mid 1400s oil painting became the more popular and preferred style of painting.

Tempera dries matt (dull) and opaque and oil dries hard and transparent.


I just discovered that one of my favorite paintings- Ginevra de' Benci was painted by Leonardo da Vinci in 1474/1478 in both tempera and oil.

It is a two sided painting. Can you tell which is done in tempera and which is done in oil?


Posts for the Italian Renaissance series for March 2020
March 5th Art Talk: NGA Italian Renaissance Tour
March 11th Art Talk: Raphael
March 17th Art Talk: Venus
March 25th Art Talk: Egg Tempera

Sources:
Tempera
Pigments through the ages- Egg Tempera
History World- OIL AND TEMPERA

Art Talk Series Highlights

2020
Art Talk: Recycled Plastic Art Movement
Art Talk: Gates of Paradise
Art Talk: NGA Italian Renaissance Tour
Art Talk: Raphael



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30 comments
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I know an artist that still paints this way they can talk for hours about the right mixture of egg lol.

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Thanks for your comment. I did see in my research that there are still people that use it. Very cool that you know someone that uses it.

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My dad actually worked in egg tempera! It was fascinating to watch him mixing pigments.

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Really that is so cool. If I painted more I would be interested to experiment in it. I think I need to get the basics down first. Do you have pictures of any of your dad's paintings? My dad was an oil painter and I remember the linseed oil smell. :)

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If you go to glenbellamy.com you can see some of his work. He was a landscape painter. He passed away late last year. We displayed several of his paintings at the funeral service.

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Oh my Laura those are so great. It is so cool that they are egg tempera too. I've had a couple of guest bloggers. Would you do a post on your dad's art? That would be so great. A post about him and his art and maybe how that influenced you?

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Oh wow. Yes, I would be honored. What kind of information would you like?

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It would be really great to talk about Egg Tempera since that was the recent post and show a modern day painter that did it in your dad. Maybe memories of watching him mix the paint or what it smelled like. You could even do a spot light the paintings. What ever you think is best. It is so neat that both our dad's were painters. You could send me an email with the info and pictures to [email protected]. Thanks it will be so great to have you as a guest blogger!!

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Will do! Give me a few days, and I'll have something to you.

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Perfect. Thanks!

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Hi Laura, if you are close to being ready with the post I would love to post it in March. To go with the March Renaissance theme

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DRAT, I missed the March deadline! I'm so sorry! I've been waiting for my days off work, but I plan on getting you that post today!

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That would be great. This week is great. Then I will start the impressionism set next week.

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Okay, I just sent you the post, including images of his paintings! Thanks for your patience.

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Oh I also noticed that he lived in Greensbro, North Carolina. Have you read the Ender's Game series? I totally think of it when I hear about Greensbro.

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Yes, I have read the Ender series. Orson Scott Card is my uncle and my mother worked for him until she passed away.

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Wow really that is so cool! After I said that I decided that I am going to read the series again. I actually like Bean's story when they come back and strategize on earth.

We have a lot in common in that both of our parents have died and your dad recently like our mother. Bless you.

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I heard about your mom's passing, I was so sorry to learn about that. Losing a parent is just never easy.

Ender's Game is actually one of my all-time favorite books. I think the Shadow series is better written overall, but Ender's Game is a special favorite.

Let me know what sort of post you'd like, and when you'd like it, and how I can get it to you, etc. LOL Keep your chin up in this trying time!

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Me too. You can ask my siblings. They know how much I love Ender's game. I have read it 11 times, about to be 12. There is a group of books I love and the people feel like friends and the place is so familar that I read them over and over. Ender's Game, Ender's Shadow, Harry Potter, Witch of Blackbird Pond, A Single Shard and Coming Home.

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Oh my gosh, I'm the same way! There are some books that I re-read nearly every year. Ender's Game is one of them, as well as the entire Harry Potter series. Also a childhood favorite called The Ordinary Princess and a little-known book called The Blue Castle by LM Montgomery, the author of Anne of Green Gables.

Some books are just worth consistent repeated readings.

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I will have to read the Ordinary Princess and I do like the Blue Castle. I haven't read it for awhile. Yay two more books for my list.

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Oh wow, I have NEVER met anyone that has actually read The Blue Castle prior to me mentioning it LOL!

The Ordinary Princess is by Mary Margaret (or M.M.) Kaye. Enjoy!

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Yes I've read it three times. I was also looking at my personal library stats. Have you read A town like Alice? It is another really good one that I am going to have to read again.

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I haven't. I will put it on my Goodreads list! Always looking for more to read.

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That's pretty cool!

I recently visited a museum in Hyderabad India with such paintings and saw some people in a shop mixing ingredients.

Love how we can choose to do whatever we love!

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That is very cool I would like to see the paint made or even sometime do it myself.

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