By egg tempera paintings on a gold background we mean all the works of art painted in Europe between the XII and XIV centuries.

The most important and the most beautiful works of art from that period were painted in Italy and they paved the way for the Renaissance.  

 THE BYZANTINE ICONS AND ITALIAN ART

 The charm of these works of art, according to Andrea Ippoliti, was rediscovered thanks to orthodox culture, which reached Italy with its Byzantine icons subsequent to the real and ideological collapse of the “Berlin Wall”.

In fact, for some years now, Andrea Ippoliti has been directing clients seeking Byzantine icons towards Italian art. We can thus come to realise the beauty of our own artistic tradition, how involving it is, how dense with meaning it is, painted, as it is, in an excellent and sought-after manner.

In particular, young and very young generations seem to appreciate the splendid gold backgrounds; this is a tendency that perhaps derives from the cultural transformation of aesthetic taste that the revolution of the web is leading to.  

Icons and the web

It is no coincidence that there is talk of icons on the web, a term that came from that artistic era. The gold background, from which the subjects emerge, is like the blue or grey background from which the various icons that enable us to open files and programs emerge. The colours of the web are also altering the aesthetic taste of the younger generations (and the older ones too): up to a few years ago, the same works of art would have been proposed with the patina of time, nowadays this is no longer acceptable, and people prefer a splendid gold background with bright and deep colours, just like the originals were, immediately after being painted by the Gothic Italian artists.  

In fact, the antique taste is no longer around, that is, the charm that time and wear and tear tends to leave on things.

The use of natural substances

Furthermore, the reproduction of the works from that era meets new culture and the need to use natural substances: when the painting technique is illustrated, and when clients see that it involves the use of rabbit glue, fish glue, egg white, egg yolk, and paints made from natural resins, they tend to react with extreme surprise and fascination. They ask themselves how such simple elements can give rise to such beautiful works of art.

The custom of executing these works of art according to ancient natural techniques is not some habit of seeking out the latest fashions. If we were to use colours manufactured by specialised companies and if we were to implement contemporary painting techniques, then the splendid gold colour would not be obtained and the depth of the temperate colours attained with egg yolk could never be equalled.

Andrea Ippoliti firmly believes that gothic icons and web icons meet in the soul of the men and women experiencing contemporary culture.