The Flemish Technique: Painting Breughel's 'Tower of Babel' in Mixed Egg Tempera & Oil Paint
Paintings by Peter Bruegel the Elder, Jan van Eyck, Raphael, Titian, and Bellini display a vibrancy of color and tone that has persisted for hundreds of years, continuing to captivate audiences today.
In this course, we will explore the techniques employed by these Flemish and Italian masters of the 15th and 16th centuries to achieve such remarkable effects. Specifically, we will focus on the mixed method of egg tempera and oil paint.
This technique combines the strengths of both egg and oil mediums, resulting in greater radiance and richness in the oil colors, enhanced by the luminosity of the tempera base. Peter Bruegel excelled in this method, and its advantages are evident in his paintings—not only in his rich use of color but also in the intricate details that this technique allows.
During this course, students will be instructed in how to make their egg tempera paint which will be used for painting. The tutor will demonstrate mixing pigment with oil to make oil paint, but for the purposes of this course students will need ready oil paint. Additionally, a historical glazing medium, dating back to the 16th century, will be provided for use in the workshop.
Focusing on Bruegel’s painting "The Tower of Babel," students will gain further hands-on experience by painting a copy of a detailed section of this work. Please note that for the purposes of this course, the focus will be on process rather than creating a full painting.
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Paintings by Peter Bruegel the Elder, Jan van Eyck, Raphael, Titian, and Bellini display a vibrancy of color and tone that has persisted for hundreds of years, continuing to captivate audiences today.
In this course, we will explore the techniques employed by these Flemish and Italian masters of the 15th and 16th centuries to achieve such remarkable effects. Specifically, we will focus on the mixed method of egg tempera and oil paint.
This technique combines the strengths of both egg and oil mediums, resulting in greater radiance and richness in the oil colors, enhanced by the luminosity of the tempera base. Peter Bruegel excelled in this method, and its advantages are evident in his paintings—not only in his rich use of color but also in the intricate details that this technique allows.
During this course, students will be instructed in how to make their egg tempera paint which will be used for painting. The tutor will demonstrate mixing pigment with oil to make oil paint, but for the purposes of this course students will need ready oil paint. Additionally, a historical glazing medium, dating back to the 16th century, will be provided for use in the workshop.
Focusing on Bruegel’s painting "The Tower of Babel," students will gain further hands-on experience by painting a copy of a detailed section of this work. Please note that for the purposes of this course, the focus will be on process rather than creating a full painting.
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