Tempera is a fast-drying painting technique using a colored pigment mixed with a water-soluble binder, most traditionally egg yolk, though other proteins and gums have also been used. Unlike oil paint, which was widely adopted from the fifteenth century onward, tempera dries almost immediately upon application, forcing a technique of careful, deliberate cross-hatched or stippled brushstrokes rather than blended wet-on-wet mixing. It was the dominant painting medium in the Mediterranean and Europe from antiquity through the early Renaissance, used on panel and for manuscript illumination, and remains the traditional medium for Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine icon painting today. Its luminous, matte surface and durability, tempera paintings resist darkening and cracking far better than oil, have kept it in continuous use for religious icon painting and by some contemporary artists seeking its distinctive precision.
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Associated With
Tempera succeeded encaustic as the dominant panel painting technique in the medieval and early Renaissance West.
Giotto, Artists Giotto worked primarily in tempera on panel and in fresco.
Primavera was painted in tempera on panel.
Botticelli painted The Birth of Venus and Primavera in tempera.
The Birth of Venus was painted in tempera on canvas.
Sources
Wikipedia
Wikimedia FoundationTempera, Wikipedia summary leadQuote, Tempera, Wikipedia summary lead
Tempera is a permanent, fast-drying painting medium consisting of pigments mixed with a water-soluble binder medium, usually glutinous material such as egg yolk. There are several types of tempera paint, but the type containing egg yolk is called egg tempera. Tempera paint made from milk protein is called casein paint.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does painting in tempera differ from painting in oil?
Tempera dries almost immediately, forcing hatched or stippled strokes, while oil paint dries slowly enough to allow blended wet-on-wet mixing.
Tempera is a fast-drying painting technique using a colored pigment mixed with a water-soluble binder, most traditionally egg yolk, though other proteins and gums have also been used. Unlike oil paint, which was widely adopted from the fifteenth century onward, tempera dries almost immediately upon application, forcing a technique of careful, deliberate cross-hatched or stippled brushstrokes rather than blended wet-on-wet mixing. It was the dominant painting medium in the Mediterranean and Europe from antiquity through the early Renaissance, used on panel and for manuscript illumination, and remains the traditional medium for Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine icon painting today.
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