tempera
Low (Technical/Art)Formal/Technical (Art History, Fine Arts)
Definition
Meaning
A painting technique using pigment mixed with a water-soluble binder, typically egg yolk, known for its fast-drying, matte finish.
Primarily refers to the artistic medium and paintings created with it; can also refer to the paint itself or the specific egg-based binder.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The term is mostly restricted to discussions of art history, conservation, and traditional painting techniques. It is not used for modern household paints. Often contrasted with 'oil paint' and 'fresco'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. Pronunciation differs slightly.
Connotations
Both varieties associate it with classical, Renaissance, or traditional art techniques.
Frequency
Equally low frequency in both dialects, confined to artistic contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Artist] painted [subject] in tempera.The [painting] is executed in tempera.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None specific to 'tempera' as a standalone term.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used in art history, conservation science, and fine art practice descriptions.
Everyday
Rarely used outside of specific art discussions or primary school contexts (where 'poster paint' is often mistakenly called tempera).
Technical
Precise term for a specific painting medium with a water-miscible, emulsified binder (often egg).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The conservator will tempera the damaged area using a period-specific recipe.
American English
- She learned to tempera in the traditional Italian manner.
adverb
British English
- The portrait was painted tempera, not in oils.
American English
- The mural was executed tempera, following 14th-century practice.
adjective
British English
- The tempera medium requires careful preparation.
- It's a fine tempera piece from the Sienese school.
American English
- The tempera workshop focused on gesso panel preparation.
- His tempera technique is remarkably precise.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The children used bright paints in art class. (Context: often incorrectly called 'tempera' in schools.)
- Some very old paintings are made with egg tempera, not oil.
- The luminosity of tempera comes from the white gesso ground layered beneath the paint.
- Cennino Cennini's 'Il Libro dell'Arte' provides a seminal treatise on the nuanced techniques of tempera painting.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
TEMPERA: Think of the TEMPER of an egg (its yolk) used to bind PERmanent colours.
Conceptual Metaphor
TEMPERA IS A PRECISE RECIPE (focus on formulaic mixing and traditional method).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Not to be confused with 'температура' (temperature). The Russian cognate is also 'темпера'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'tempera' to refer to any water-based paint (e.g., poster paint, acrylic).
- Pronouncing it as /temˈpɛrə/ (tem-PAIR-uh).
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary binding agent in traditional tempera paint?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While both are water-based, true tempera uses an egg or other emulsion binder and is for professional art. 'Poster paint' or 'school tempera' is a cheaper, modern gouache-like paint.
Not directly while wet. Traditionally, tempera underpainting was sometimes used under oil glazes (a technique called 'mixed method'), but the layers must dry completely.
Tempera dries very quickly, making blending difficult. It is also less flexible when dry and more suited to precise, linear work on rigid panels, unlike oils which allow for wet-in-wet blending on canvas.
Yes, when prepared and applied correctly on a stable surface (like a gessoed panel), tempera paintings are extremely durable and retain their colour vibrancy for centuries, as seen in many Medieval and Renaissance works.