The Revival of Historical Painting Mediums in Contemporary Art

Walk into any major contemporary art fair, and you’ll see it. Amidst the glowing screens and sprawling installations, there’s a quiet but persistent presence. A luminous, almost jewel-like portrait rendered in egg tempera. A vast, moody landscape built with layers of oil paint, applied with techniques centuries old. A delicate fresco peeking out from a modern concrete frame. Honestly, it’s a bit of a surprise. In our digital age, why are so many artists returning to the laborious, even archaic, methods of the past?

Well, it turns out that the old ways are offering something new. Something that feels urgent. In a world saturated with instant images and disposable content, artists are finding a powerful form of resistance in the slowness, the physicality, and the deep material knowledge of historical painting mediums. This isn’t just nostalgia. It’s a deliberate, thoughtful choice. Let’s dive in.

Why Now? The Allure of the Analog in a Digital World

Here’s the deal: we live on our screens. Our visual experiences are often flat, backlit, and temporary. For an artist, this creates a unique pain point. How do you make an object that feels truly present? Something with weight, texture, and a soul? The answer, for a growing number, lies in materials that have a history you can feel.

Think of it like the difference between a digitally streamed song and a record played on a vintage turntable. Both deliver music, but the experience is worlds apart. The vinyl has crackles, a warmth, a tangible connection to its own creation. That’s what historical mediums offer. They provide a tactile counterpoint to our increasingly virtual lives. The process itself becomes a form of meditation—a slow, deliberate practice that stands in stark contrast to the frantic pace of modern life.

A Closer Look at the Mediums Making a Comeback

This revival isn’t just about one technique. It’s a whole movement exploring a palette of ancient methods. A few, in particular, are having a real moment.

Egg Tempera: The Luminous Ancestor

Predating oil painting, tempera—where pigment is mixed with water and egg yolk—was the dominant medium of the Renaissance. It’s finicky. It dries fast, doesn’t blend easily, and requires building up color in countless cross-hatched strokes. So why bother? The payoff is a brilliance that’s hard to match. Egg tempera paintings have a unique, inner light. They’re crisp, detailed, and incredibly durable. Artists like Shara Hughes and Ryan Mosley have used its sharp, graphic quality to create vibrant, surreal worlds that feel both ancient and utterly contemporary.

Fresco: Painting into the Wall

This is perhaps the most demanding medium of all. True buon fresco involves painting onto wet plaster. The pigment bonds with the wall as it dries, becoming a permanent part of the surface. It’s a race against time, a high-stakes performance with no room for error. Contemporary artists are drawn to this immediacy and its inherent connection to architecture. The Mexican artist Pedro Reyes has created modern frescoes that tackle social issues, while others use the technique on portable panels, bringing a sense of monumental permanence to gallery settings.

Oil Painting: The Old Master, Revisited

Sure, oil painting never really went away. But what’s new is the deep, scholarly return to its historical methods. Artists are moving beyond pre-made tubes and exploring the old masters’ secrets: grinding their own pigments, creating complex mediums with resins and oils, and employing techniques like glazing. This allows for an unbelievable depth of color. Light seems to travel through the layers and bounce back, creating a glow that feels almost magical. Look at the work of Kehinde Wiley—his grand portraits use the language of Old Master oil painting to elevate and question representations of Black identity today.

More Than Just Paint: The Deeper Appeal

It’s not just about the final look. The revival is driven by ideas that resonate deeply with our current moment.

Slowness and Sustainability

In a culture obsessed with speed, choosing a slow, methodical medium is a radical act. It’s a commitment to process over product. Furthermore, many artists are attracted to the eco-friendly nature of these materials. Historical mediums are often made from natural, non-toxic ingredients—earth pigments, chalk, egg, lime—which stands in opposition to the plastic polymers and chemical solvents found in many modern acrylics and oils. This aligns with a broader desire for sustainable art practices.

Material Knowledge and “The Hand of the Artist”

There’s a hunger for authenticity. By learning to prepare a gesso panel or mix a tempera emulsion, an artist engages in a physical dialogue with art history. They’re not just applying color; they’re participating in a centuries-old craft. This hands-on knowledge creates a tangible connection between the artist’s hand and the artwork, something that feels genuinely valuable in an age of digital reproduction.

Challenges and Considerations for the Modern Artist

Of course, this path isn’t without its hurdles. Adopting these techniques requires a significant investment of time and a willingness to embrace a steep learning curve.

And then there’s the question of relevance. Can a technique from the 15th century say anything meaningful about the 21st? The artists leading this charge prove that the answer is a resounding yes. The medium itself becomes part of the message—a way to connect contemporary themes to a long historical narrative, creating a rich, layered conversation across time.

A Lasting Trend or a Passing Fancy?

So, is this just a hipster art trend? Probably not. The reasons for this revival of historical painting mediums are too deeply rooted in our cultural psyche. It’s a response to digital fatigue, a search for authenticity, and a desire for a more meaningful, physical connection to the objects we create. It’s about finding depth in an age of surfaces.

In the end, these old methods are not about recreating the past. They’re tools. Powerful, demanding, and beautiful tools that allow today’s artists to speak in a unique visual language—one that carries the weight of history but is firmly focused on the present. They remind us that sometimes, to see the future clearly, you have to be willing to look back.