tempera

Tempera is a painting medium in which dry pigment is mixed with a water-soluble binder, most commonly egg yolk. The resulting paint dries quickly to a long-lasting, matte film on a rigid support, typically a wooden panel prepared with gesso. Although egg yolk is the classic binder, other binders such as casein or gum arabic have been used in tempera-like paints, but egg tempera remains the standard reference.

Historically, tempera was the principal method of panel painting in medieval Europe and the early Renaissance, before oil painting became dominant. Artists built up color with numerous fine, quickly set brushstrokes and thin glaze layers. Its rapid drying makes broad blending difficult, but it allows precise detail and crisp edges.

Common supports include wood panels coated with gesso to improve adhesion and luminosity. Tempera films are known for their clarity of color and their capacity to retain fine line and detail. If improperly prepared or stored, tempera layers can become brittle; the paint itself remains water-soluble until fully dry, and retouching after drying is challenging.

In contemporary practice, tempera persists among traditionalists and artists seeking a restrained, luminous effect. Egg tempera is sometimes used in combination with other media, and modern artists may experiment with tempera grassa, a hybrid that adds a small amount of oil to improve flexibility. Overall, tempera occupies an important place in art history for its precision, brightness, and rapid, controllable drying.