What is tempera?

Tempera is a type of binder used to fix pigment to a surface, consisting, traditionally, of egg yolk mixed with water. Interestingly, despite its bright yellow colour, the yolk has no effect on the pigment.

The use of egg tempera as a binder had its origins in Byzantine icon painting and remained the primary painting medium for 1000 years, until around the end of the 1400’s when oil binders took precedent. The earliest reliably identified paintings in egg tempera are mummy portraits from around the 4^th century AD, examples of these can be found in both the British and Petrie Museums of London. The portrait shown on this page is currently on display in the British Museum.

Properties of tempera

As a binding medium tempera dries RAPIDY. Because of this it is normally applied in thin, semi-opaque or transparent layers. In some of the paintings exhibited here you will notices a technique called hatching, a build up of small hatched brush strokes, either parallel or crossed.

Tempera in the Renaissance

The period between the 14^th and 15^th centuries was one of transition in Italy. Artists began to shift from working in egg tempera to oil. Though in general, the practice in Florence seems to have remained fairly traditional throughout the 15^th century as Florentine artists and, by extension their patrons, favoured tempera over oil. Presumably this was a deliberate choice, as by the end of the 1400’s tempera and oil were in coexistance in Italy. What was it that the artist or patron preferred in tempera? It could be possible that patrons were aware of the difficulty of rendering realistic figures in the medium, and were happy to pay a premium for the skill of the artist. Bear this in mind as you go through the exhibition.

Make your own egg tempera binder

Crack open an egg and pass the yolk between the two parts of the shell, removing as much of the white as possible.
Pass the yolk between your hands, drying your hand between each pass.
When the yolk feels dry, pinch it gently between a finger and thumb.
Pierce the yolk and let the liquid run into a cup, then discard the membrane.
Mix the yolk with some water (not much!) to thin it out.
Now you have a binding medium ready to be mixed with some pigment!

Click the link above to watch a video outlining the history of tempera painting, its uses and how it was made.