Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Oil Paint
Take vegetable oil pressed from linseeds (flax), blend in
dry powdered pigments, whip to a paste the consistency of
room-temperature butter, then brush onto a panel of white-
washed oak—you're painting in oils. First popularized in the
early 1400s, oil eventually overshadowed egg-yolk-based
tempera. Though tempera was great for making fine lines
shaded with simple blocks of color, oil could blend colors
together seamlessly.
Watch a master create a single dog's hair: He paints a
dark stroke of brown, then lets it dry. Then comes a second
layer painted over it, of translucent orange. The brown shows
through, blending with the orange to match the color of a
collie. Finally, he applies a third, transparent layer (a “glaze”),
giving the collie her healthy sheen.
Many great artists were not necessarily great painters
(e.g., Michelangelo). Van Eyck, Rembrandt, Hals, Velázquez,
and Rubens were master painters, meticulously building
objects with successive layers of paint...but they're not every-
one's favorite artists.
ness, as they all have their own way of coping—lighting a candle,
fidgeting, praying, or just staring off into space. Blues and reds
dominate, and there's little eye-catching ornamentation, which
lets the lined faces and expressive hand gestures do the talking.
Hugo van der Goes painted this, his last major work, the
same year he attempted suicide. Hugo
had built a successful career in Ghent,
then abruptly dropped out to join
a monastery. His paintings became
increasingly emotionally charged, and
his personality more troubled.
Above the bed floats a heavenly
vision, as Jesus and the angels prepare
to receive Mary's soul. Their smooth
skin and serene expressions contrast
with the gritty, wrinkled death pallor
of those on earth. Caught up in their own grief, the disciples can't
see the silver lining.
• Head to Room 3 for the surreal scene that's...
Attributed to Hieronymus bosch (c. 1450-1516)—
Last Judgment
(late 15th century)
It's the end of the world, and Christ descends in a bubble to pass
judgment on puny humans. Little naked people dance and cavort in
a theme park of medieval symbolism, desperately trying to squeeze
