Coronation of the Virgin 1445

Filippo Lippi created this altarpiece, the "Coronation of the Virgin," using tempera on panel, a popular method in the early Renaissance. Tempera involves mixing pigment with a binder – egg yolk was commonly used. This creates a fast-drying paint, perfect for detail, but unforgiving and difficult to blend. Look closely and you can see the meticulous strokes; Lippi's hand evident in every face and fold of fabric. The material itself has social resonance. Tempera was the standard for panel painting before the rise of oil paint, which allowed for richer colors and more realistic effects. Oil paint was slower to dry so you can see the labor involved, the time and care taken, as this work reflects older traditions of craft and painting. The use of gold leaf, too, connects to the preciousness of the subject, signifying divinity and status through materiality. By understanding the materials and the intensive, skilled processes involved, we can better appreciate the cultural values embedded in this artwork.