Egg Yolk in Old Master Paintings | New Study
- Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli, and Rembrandt may have incorporated proteins, specifically egg yolk, into their oil paintings, a recent study reveals.
- Ophélie Ranquet,the study's author from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany,said that there are very few written sources about this and no scientific work has been done...
- The addition of egg yolk to oil paint,as opposed to the egg-based tempera used by ancient Egyptians,could have had lasting effects beyond aesthetics.
New research unveils a interesting secret of the Old Masters: the use of egg yolk in oil paintings. Artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Rembrandt may have intentionally mixed egg yolk with thier oil paints to enhance color intensity and durability,challenging previous assumptions. This innovative technique, explored in a new study highlighted by News directory 3, suggests the inclusion of egg yolk wasn’t accidental but rather a deliberate practice to improve paint properties and overall quality. Discover how this ancient recipe influenced the painting process and explore the effects of egg yolk on the behavior and viscosity of oil paints. What other artistic secrets will be uncovered?
Did Old Masters Use Egg Yolk in Their Oil Paintings? New Study Suggests They Did
Updated May 31, 2025
Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli, and Rembrandt may have incorporated proteins, specifically egg yolk, into their oil paintings, a recent study reveals. While trace amounts of protein have been detected in classic oil paintings, they where frequently enough dismissed as contamination. however, findings published in Nature Communications suggest the inclusion was intentional, offering insights into the technical expertise of these 16th-18th century European painters and their paint readiness methods. This sheds light on the secrets of old recipes and the materials used by Old Masters to produce wonderful and glittering effects.
Ophélie Ranquet,the study’s author from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany,said that there are very few written sources about this and no scientific work has been done before to investigate the subject in such depth. She added, “Our results show that even with a very small amount of egg yolk, you can achieve an amazing change of properties in the oil paint, demonstrating how it might have been beneficial for the artists.”
The addition of egg yolk to oil paint,as opposed to the egg-based tempera used by ancient Egyptians,could have had lasting effects beyond aesthetics. Oil paint,which uses linseed or safflower oil,offers intense colors and smooth transitions but is prone to darkening and light damage. The Old Masters may have experimented with egg yolk, a familiar ingredient, in this newer medium that emerged in Central Asia in the 7th century and later spread to Europe.
Researchers recreated historical paint-making processes, mixing egg yolk, distilled water, linseed oil, and pigments to create lead white and ultramarine blue paints. Ranquet noted that the addition of egg yolk can drastically alter paint properties,such as slowing oxidation due to antioxidants in the yolk. The chemical reactions between the oil,pigment,and proteins affect the paint’s behavior and viscosity.
Ranquet explained that lead white pigment is quite sensitive to humidity,but if you coat it with a protein layer,it makes it a lot more resistant to it,making the paint quite easy to apply. She added that with a bit of egg yolk you can create a high impasto paint, referring to a painting technique where the paint is laid out in a stroke thick enough that the brushstrokes are still visible. This would have been desirable when pigments like lapis lazuli for ultramarine blue were pricier than gold.