Elena Rossi
During the Renaissance, artists used natural materials to create their paints, including mineral and plant pigments blended with oil as a binder. This allowed artists to achieve more depth and
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Base | Chalk |
| Binder | Oil |
| Pigments | Minerals (e.g. azurite, malachite, Naples yellow, smalt, carmine lake, vermilion, realgar, ultramarine, indigo, verdigris, green earth, orpiment, lead-tin yellow), Plants (e.g. saffron, Brazil wood), Earths (ochre), Metals (gold, silver, tin) |
| Brushes | Pig/hog hair, squirrel/fox hair |
| Techniques | Fresco, tempera, oil |
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What You'll Learn
Natural pigments from minerals, plants, earth, and ochre
During the Renaissance period, artists used natural pigments from minerals, plants, earth, and ochre to create their paints. These pigments were excavated from the earth and then shaped into sticks with knives, ready to be used for drawing. The palette of the Renaissance period mirrored that of the Medieval Age, with some exceptions, including Naples yellow, smalt, and carmine lake (cochineal).
Minerals played a crucial role in creating pigments for Renaissance paintings. Red chalks, made from mineral pigments, were particularly popular from around 1500 to 1900. They were favoured by renowned artists such as da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael. Other mineral pigments used during this period included azurite, ultramarine, and indigo for blues, and verdigris, green earth, and malachite for greens.
Plants also contributed to the pigments used during the Renaissance. For example, the colour carmine lake was derived from cochineal, a dye produced by insects that live on cactus plants.
Earth pigments, including umber, provided the brown hues used during the Renaissance. For whites, artists used lead white, gypsum, and lime white, while blacks were achieved with carbon black and bone black.
Ochre, a natural clay pigment, was also commonly used during the Renaissance. It comes in various colours, including red ochre, which was preferred by artists like Rembrandt. He often used red ochre heightened with red lake instead of vermilion, creating rich and vibrant hues in his paintings.
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Linseed oil and walnut oil as binders
Linseed oil, derived from the flax plant, became widely used as a painting binder in the fifteenth century, particularly in Italy and the Netherlands. This period marked the Renaissance, when artists were keen to explore new techniques and materials to enhance their work. Linseed oil allowed painters to create more vibrant and flexible paint layers, leading to the development of oil painting as a prominent medium. It is susceptible to polymerization reactions upon exposure to oxygen in the air, which results in the rigidification of the material. Due to this, linseed oil-based products are stored in airtight containers to prevent premature drying.
Linseed oil was also used as a wood finish, a sealant for glass windows, and in the manufacture of linoleum. However, its use has declined in recent decades with the increased availability of synthetic alkyd resins, which resist yellowing.
Walnut oil was also used by painters during the Renaissance, with some artists preferring it over linseed oil, including Leonardo da Vinci, Albrecht Dürer, and Giorgio Vasari. Da Vinci preferred walnut oil because it dries throughout the layer, rather than drying with a skin on the surface. Vasari claimed that walnut oil was superior to linseed oil as it causes less yellowing over time. Walnut oil also dries faster than linseed oil, and artists could layer methodically on a painting over a period of years. However, walnut oil does not store well and tends to go rancid, so it needs to be stored properly, such as in a refrigerator when not in use.
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Metal leaf for prestige pieces
Metal leaf was used in Renaissance paintings to create a metallic effect, often for prestige pieces commissioned by wealthy clients or important churches. Gold, silver, and tin leaf were commonly used, applied to a smooth layer of ground chalk and a layer of greasy brown clay. This technique required great skill and experience to achieve a smooth, wrinkle-free surface. The metal leaf could then be polished using a tooth or small smooth stone, and patterns could be created by punching or painting and then scraping away the paint to reveal the metal underneath.
The use of metal leaf in Renaissance art was influenced by classical and early Christian traditions, where gold and silver were highly valued. For example, in the Middle Ages and early Renaissance, gold and silver were used in freestanding icons, altarpieces, and illuminated manuscripts, often appearing in haloes, clothing, backgrounds, and intricate wooden frames. This continued a tradition of metalwork in sacred and royal contexts, where precious and semiprecious materials added prestige to an object.
Gold and silver leaf were also used in combination with other materials and techniques such as enamel, gems, and pearls to create mixed-media artworks. Metal objects, such as incense burners and pendants, were also decorated with gold and silver to increase their prestige value. During the Renaissance, the pastiglia technique was used to create raised designs in gilding by building up layers of gesso, the glue used to attach gold leaf to panels and pages.
While metal leaf was commonly used in Renaissance art, the development of oil paints also allowed artists to reproduce metallic effects without the need for actual metal leaf. Oil paints offered rich colours and could be applied to a variety of surfaces, making them versatile and desirable for artists and patrons alike. However, metal leaf continued to be used in certain contexts, especially for prestige pieces where the use of precious materials was expected and valued.
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Transition from egg tempera to oil paints
During the Renaissance, artists used natural chalks made from mineral pigments for drawing. The Renaissance palette was similar to the Medieval palette, with the addition of Naples yellow, smalt, and carmine lake (cochineal).
Renaissance artists primarily used egg tempera for painting. Tempera is a permanent, fast-drying painting medium consisting of pigments mixed with a water-soluble binder, usually egg yolk. Egg tempera was celebrated for its vibrant colour retention and durability. However, it could not be used on canvas as it required a stiff board, and it was not flexible, which meant that painting on canvas would cause cracks and chips in the paint.
Around 1500, oil paint replaced egg tempera in Italy. Oil paints were known during the Medieval period and the Renaissance, but they gained prominence in the Renaissance. The transition from egg tempera to oil paint was gradual, and during this period, artists experimented with both mediums. For example, Giovanni Bellini's works were executed with a combination of egg and oil, either as tempera grassa (an emulsion of egg yolk and a drying oil) or as separate layers. Antonello da Messina was probably one of the first Italians to fully employ oil paint in his works.
The use of oil paint offered several advantages over egg tempera. Oil paint dries slowly through oxidation, whereas egg tempera dries quickly as the water content evaporates. This made oil paint more flexible and suitable for painting on canvas. Oil paint also offered richer and more transparent effects, allowing artists to achieve smoother transitions of colours. Additionally, the addition of egg yolk to oil paint enhanced brushability, allowed for intricate impasto effects, and improved resistance to environmental conditions.
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Lead white, azurite, and carmine lake pigments
During the Renaissance period, painters used a variety of materials to create their pigments, including minerals, insects, and other natural substances. Among these, lead white, azurite, and carmine lake pigments were commonly used and highly valued for their unique properties and the effects they created.
Lead white, a mineral pigment, was widely used during the Renaissance, especially by artists like Rembrandt for creating flesh tones, white cuffs, collars, and highlights in his paintings. It was made by combining lead with vinegar or other substances like cobalt or copper and then exposing it to air to oxidize. This process created a toxic substance with a bright white colour that was used extensively in paintings.
Azurite, a deep blue pigment, was another important colour during the Renaissance. It is a basic copper carbonate that often occurs naturally in the form of mineral stones. These stones were ground into a fine powder to create the pigment. Azurite was particularly favoured by Rembrandt, who used it in his early work, taking advantage of its drying properties due to the presence of copper.
Carmine lake pigments, on the other hand, were derived from insects. There are two varieties: cochineal lake, made from the cochineal beetle native to the New World, and kermes lake, derived from a species of European oak-dwelling cochineal insect. These insects produced a powerful scarlet dye when mixed with a binding medium, resulting in a vibrant and permanent colour. Carmine lake was used by artists such as Tintoretto to achieve dramatic colour effects in their paintings.
These three pigments played a significant role in shaping the artistic style and techniques of the Renaissance. They offered a range of colours and effects that artists skillfully utilised to create their masterpieces, contributing to the rich artistic legacy of that era.
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Frequently asked questions
Paints during the Renaissance were made from natural materials, including mineral and plant pigments blended with oil as a binder. Minerals used included azurite, malachite, and ochre, while plants used included saffron and Brazil wood.
The use of oil paints allowed artists to have more time to blend colours and create softer, smoother tones. Oil paints also dried more slowly, giving artists more time to paint fine details. This gave rise to the art style of realism.
Gold, silver, and tin leaf were used in pieces made for wealthy clients or important churches. A smooth layer of ground chalk and a layer of greasy brown clay were applied to the base panel, over which super-thin pieces of beaten precious metals were applied.
Browns were obtained from umber, whites from lead white, gypsum, and lime white, and blacks from carbon black and bone black. The reds were vermilion and madder lake, while the blues were azurite, ultramarine, and indigo.
Brushes were either made by the artist or bought ready-made in various sizes. There were two categories of hair brushes: pig/hog or squirrel/fox.
