Where Can You See Egg Temperas?

[Alessandra Kelley]

I thought it might be useful to introduce a thread of local museums, etc. where egg tempera paintings can be found, so when we travel we might be able to seek 'em out. I won't speak of any place I haven't actually visited (Has anyone here been to the Brandywine Museum?).

Here in Chicago there is a treasure trove of egg temperas in the Art Institute of Chicago. Upstairs in the main (Michigan Avenue) building is a ring of European painting galleries in chronological order. Going up the grand staircase, you end up either in the room of French Impressionism (turn right) or baroque Carravaggio and El Greco (turn left). Roughly halfway between these are a few rooms of 14th through 16th century paintings roughly divided by country of origin. The selection changes slowly, but they generally have a nice Botticelli, some Perugino, and assorted other interesting works. In the hallway immediately adjacent is a more rapidly changing assortment of auxiliary artworks - prints and drawings, and the occasional very small painting, sometimes egg tempera.

Also on the second floor, but further back, are galleries of Modern art, which (at least lately) include a Reginald Marsh and a very odd sort of Japanese art deco portrait from 1922 of a Chicago socialite by Tsugouharu Foujita.

[Bert Congdon]

Good for you Alessandra. And you must have noticed the Italian cross that was painted about 1250, but the colors are still bright and true.

[David McKay]

I have been to the Brandywine River Museum. Interestingly, I was thinking of mentioning my visit on this forum and your message Alessandra, prompted me.

I went there last summer. It is a wonderful little museum in the town/village of Chadds Ford, Penn., Wyeth's hometown. There are a number of Andrew Wyeth's well known temperas as well as many of his watercolours. They also have a large collection of N.C. Wyeth's oil painting illustrations which are so much more impressive in real life. The staff is very friendly and helpful. There is also a cafeteria and bookstore. It is really a gem in the middle of the countryside. For five dollars you can also take a bus ride and guided tour of the N. C. Wyeth homestead and the Kuerner farm. Both of these places are now part of the museum. I took a picture in the Kuerner barn from the exact spot where Andrew painted the tempera, Spring Fed. The original bucket is still there today although it is now a bit rusted. Just outside the barn door is the setting for Young Bull.

It is also interesting to drive around the town including the Ring Road and discouver settings for his other paintings.

Christinas World is at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City

The Farnsworth Museum in Maine also has a number of Wyeth temperas but Phil is more knowledgeable regarding that. David[/u]

[PhilS]

Hi Alessandra,
Before I got married I lived in Rockland, Maine, home of the Farnsworth Museum. I still teach a workshop there each summer. It has a rotating collection of Andrew Wyeth's temperas from Maine. Sometimes there are several on display, sometimes only 1 or 2. You might want to call ahead and ask what is being exhibited. You can also visit the Olsen homestead, where the Christina paintings were done. It is part of the Farnsworth Museum now (and well worth visiting).
I'm off to Italy next month (delayed honeymoon). They have a couple pretty good temperas over there :)
Phil

[Dennis H]

If you ever make it to Athens, Georgia, please come by the Georgia Museum of Art, where I work. We have a large number of egg tempera paintings in the permanent collection and on long-term extended loan. Most are not on view on any given day, but we can take you into the vaults or pull some out to see. The most well-known is Cadmus' Playground. There are fine examples by Peter Hurd, Alexandre Hogue, Zoltan Sepeshy, Jay Robinson, Ben Shahn, and many other artists. We also have on loan Cadmus' very first "straight" egg tempera. (Pardon the pun.)
Two other museums that come to mind are the New Britain Museum of American Art and the Columbus (Ohio) Museum of Art. New Britain has that great George Tooker of the birdwatchers in Central Park, among others. It's a remarkable collection overall. Columbus has good Tooker and Cadmus temperas. It seems like every U.S. museum has some fine temperas once you start checking, especially by American artists of the 1930s-50s.
Dennis
(Phil: Have a great time in Italy!)

[gdsanders]

I was shocked to find such a stunning collection of Renaissance temperas at the Philbrook Museum, in my hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma. If you are ever in northeastern Oklahoma for business, please stop by the Philbrook:

http://www.philbrook.org/exhibitions/galleries/gallery.cfm?id=6

Aside from the wonderful collections, the museum is a beautiful place itself, a former Italian inspired villa of oil magnate Waite Phillips. A very under appreciated art center.

[Salamander]

Timkin Art Museum in San Diego, Ca,
I live near here and haven't yet gone but in checking their site it looks as though they have quite a few. In fact alot of pre-1600 oils are often tempera or temperagrassa as well.

Eric in Oceanside

http://www.timkenmuseum.org/1-front-page.html