Tempera
Originally any paint in which pigment is mixed (tempered) with glue or gum and thinned with water. The most common form of the medium is egg tempera, which was the most important painting technique in Europe until the end of the fifteenth century. Pigment is bound together with egg yolk, giving a smooth, fast-drying paint suitable for fine work. Built up with quick, repeated brushstrokes in translucent layers, an opaque surface covered in fine lines with a soft sheen is produced. Recent years have seen a revival of tempera techniques.
John Maitland, 1st Baron Maitland
by Unknown artist
circa 1588
NPG 2769
Joseph Southall; Anna Elizabeth Southall
by Joseph Edward Southall
1911
NPG 7020
Arthur William Symons
by Rudolf Helmut Sauter
1935
NPG 4172
Elton John ('On the throne')
by Suzi Malin
1978
NPG 6563
Alec Douglas-Home
by Suzi Malin
1980
NPG 5367
David Tindle
by David Tindle
1985
NPG 5852
Sir Dirk Bogarde
by David Tindle
1986
NPG 5891
J.G. Ballard
by Brigid Marlin
1987
NPG 6557
Elvis Costello
by Adam Birtwistle
1996
NPG 6460
Amartya Kumar Sen
by Antony Williams
2003
NPG 6640