EGGS–NOT WHAT THEY'RE CRACKED UP TO BE

For hundreds of years before Rogier van der Weyden painted this picture, artists mixed their own paints by adding powdered PIGMENTS (made from grinding colored earth, mineral rocks, and even the shell of certain insects) to egg yolks. The egg material is called a MEDIUM. This kind of paint is called TEMPERA and it can be quite thick.

In the early 1400s artists came up with the idea of replacing the egg yolks with oil. The result, OIL PAINT, is much thinner. More light can shine through the medium, making each pigment color stand out beautifully. Oil paint dried more slowly than tempera, so the artist was able to paint smooth, less choppy brushstrokes. With oil paints, Rogier van der Weyden was able to show the richness of the princess' gold-embroidered robe, the shine of Saint George's armor, and the cluster of red roofs in the small town in the distance. (The words in BOLD are defined in the GLOSSARY.)

Top: Photograph Egg Nutrition Center, Washington, DC
Bottom: Rogier van der Weyden, Saint George and the Dragon (details), 1432–1435, National Gallery of Art, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund