Page 7 - Christie's Collecting Guide to Gold-Ground Paintings
P. 7
The discovery of oil paint and the end of an era
The popularity of gold-ground works came to an end with the development of oil paint and
canvas. These materials gave artists new opportunities to express themselves.
For example, oil paint could be used to build up thin, almost transparent layers of colour,
known as glazes, or thick, creamy and dense areas of paint called impasto. It also provided
them with an infinitely wide palette of tones and hues and — unlike tempera — the freedom
to change their mind and rework areas of a painting.
Workshop of Pietro Lorenzetti (c.1306-1345), The Crucifixion with the Virgin, Mary
Magdalene, John the Evangelist and a Franciscan Saint. Tempera on gold ground panel.
16⅛ x 10¼ in (40.9 x 26 cm). Estimate: £80,000-120,000. Offered in Old Masters Part
I on 3 December 2024 at Christie’s in London
