tempera

A little while ago we decided to run a course in Tempera painting. This is a traditional technique used extensively in Italy during the Renaissance and, in it's classical form, is called Egg tempera as the powdered pigments are bound together with egg yolks. After about 1500 oil painting took over in Italy and these days tempera has been transformed into what we now call poster paint or Gouache.

There was a wonderful moment in Florence in 1483 when a painting (The Portinari Altarpiece - Adoration of the Shepherds) was carried with much 'pomp' into the city all the way down from the Northern European city of Bruges. It had been painted by the Flemish master Hugo van der Goes in oil paint and it was a revelation.

People queued to marvel at the extraordinary realism and detail of this spectacular altarpiece and, amongst many other things, made particular mention of the dirt visible under the fingernails of the shepherds adoring the Christ child.

 This was a real wake-up call to the painters of Florence who had always thought themselves and their techniques  to be the best in the world and so was also a real threat to the method of tempera painting they used. One artist took up the challenge.

Determined to prove that Florentines were at least as good as the Flemish oil painters, Domenico Ghirlandaio produced an 'Adoration of the Shepherds' in Florentine style and in tempera, but with more than the occasional reference to the rival Flemish painting, including dirt under the fingernails of the shepherds, one of whom is Ghirlandaio himself, with breathtaking realism, stubble and watery eyes, showing us what he can do.

Detail of Ghirlandaio's Adoration, he is the handsome man on the bottom left!

Both paintings are still in Florence, one in the Ufizzi, carefully protected and preserved amongst all the other masterworks of Italy, and Ghirlandaio's in a dark corner of a comparatively small church called Santa Trinita, with a broken light, no entrance charge, no queue and no guard. You just have to walk in and admire.

Anyway, I want to try as many traditional methods as possible, so I went to Arezzo to do a little research into tempera. I can find the eggs myself, but dry powdered pigments and gold leaf may be a little harder to come by!

I found a workshop with a wonderful old man who restores and repairs all sorts of artwork, with paintings and frames piled up against the walls and hanging from the ceiling. So, I made myself a nuisance and tried to get as much information as I could out of him, wandering around the studio, staring at his brushes, pigments, mouldings, powders, pots and tins of strange mixtures of gesso, gold leaf, silver leaf, glues, sizes, boles etc.

He told me that he would be the last of his family to continue in his business as his children had decided not to follow on his line of work.

In another life I would have jumped at the chance to become his (unpaid) apprentice. Not least because his knowledge and his recipes have been so carefully developed over 60 years and, when he goes, a lot goes
with him.

There are a lot of mysteries in those tins and jars.

But of the photos I took that day, one stands out. This one. I could look at it for hours. It is a picture of one part of one wall of his studio and it tells us so much about him, his family, his life and his career. Next week I might just have to go back to ask him a few more questions...

Comments

[Pegret]

Wouldn't it be great to interview this dear soul for a living history piece...your photos seem to have captured him and his world. An apprentice would be just perfect to continue his legacy. My friends in art conservation at Winterthur Museum would love to know this man...perhaps when I am there in several weeks we can setup a connection.....

[Theresa]

I wish I could be there and glean all I could from his experience. I also am an artist, working with gilding, tempera, plaster, etc. Hopefully he will pass on some things to you. These things cannot be lost, but must be shared for the next generation. It is imperative!

[Valerie]

What a fascinating shop and story. The sad part is, in a generation people will be again looking for that man's wisdom and skills and they will have been lost. Appreciation for real skills cycles, but it will return again. If you can't apprentice for me, perhaps you know someone who could?

[saretta]

There aren't many workshops like that left!

[Leslie]

Fascinating story - you should return to show your true interest and if something more should develop, well no harm, right?

Am considering taking your beginners course next fall, so will stay in touch.

[Michele Lee]

Sad to hear that his talents will end with him. But what a dream to have lived! And what a dream for you to have learned.

[Linda of Ice Tea For Me]

It's a shame all that gentleman's knowledge and experience will disappear with him. Love the photos.

[Antonina]

Two sad tales , the first that a masterful artist such as Ghirlanadaios Adoration that no one thinks to display in a prominent church or gallery,however it is under the watchful gaze of the Church of Santa Trinta[ Holy Trinity} father ,son and holy spirit not bad company I'd say.Maybe its meant to be seen by true appreciative s who like you found it none the less.
As for the old master and his workshop that in it self was photographed like an old dutch painting , the light coming in from the left, illuminating his wall of tools and works and secret caches of mixed paints. Lovely.
I hope you have an opportunity to go back and acquire some of his knowledge before its lost forever.

[Sophie]

That poor old bugger, bet you he packs up his shop early when he sees you coming next!

Only joking, lovely story, one I typically and sentimentally will sob over when I get home from work today. Cannot wait to see all these places :)

PS, i've linked to your website (artistinitaly) from my site...hope it brings you some more hits!

[erin :: the olive notes]

this is fascinating! you should so be that guys apprentice. I always learn really fun art facts from you that I missed in school.

...miss you guys! Hope you're doing well.

[Ciaochowlinda]

what a fabulous opportunity to learn about tempera painting.

[Anne A]

A wonderful photo, as you say, tells lots of stories.

I feel sad for him, that no one in his family is going to take over ...what a shame for eveyone around too!