Saint Bernard of Clairvaux Recreation

Tempera paint, gold leafing on wood,2018

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Saint Bernard of Clairvaux was a recreation painting I'd done as an art history final project,Originally painted for a church by Fra Filippo Lippi done in old tempera paint and standing 19in X 5in on a wood panel with a gold inlay. 

when I recreated this painting I copied both the size and medium,I'd also used gold leafing in substitute for the gold inlay.

This piece is also mounted on a board that was build up having sides and a hollow centre, replicating the original in every way. 

 

This was a very hard project but the outcome is completely worth it, not only having scored a high mark on the project but I'd learnt a lot about the production of pieces like this as well as history behind the paints and materials that where used to create it. 

 

Historically Tempura paint was used in the 1500 before the invention of oil paints or acrylic. It dried quickly and was very thin in terms of coats. It was made using mostly pigments and egg yolks. Which even though the recipe has changed slightly its considered a children's paint now, since its safe to eat and quick to clean. For this piece specifically I used Crayola brand tempura, which I thought was a little funny given the subject and context in which I was painting but it was the easiest versions of the paint I could get.