The Painting Panel—From the Craft of the Old Masters to Contemporary Painting
Painting on wood is one of the oldest surviving forms of portable visual art. Even the Egyptian mummy portraits from the Roman Imperial period were painted with wax colors or tempera on thin wooden panels. In Byzantine icons, the panel took on special significance: It was not merely a support for the image but a physical site of materialization. The painted image was not intended merely to depict the subject but to endow it with a lasting, almost physical presence.
In the European Middle Ages, the wooden panel became the preferred medium for altars, devotional images, painted crosses, and multi-panel polyptychs. The choice of wood varied by region. In Italy, poplar was primarily used, while oak was common in the Netherlands and parts of Germany. The panels often consisted of several carefully joined boards and, together with carved frames, crowns, and predellas, could form complex architectural structures. Getty research on historical panel production therefore aptly describes such image carriers as works of art that are independent in terms of craftsmanship and construction. [Getty Conservation Institute – Historical Panel Production] https://www.getty.edu/conservation/publications_resources/pdf_publications/pdf/panelpaintings2.pdf)
Cennini and the Knowledge of the Workshops
One of the most important sources on late medieval and early Renaissance painting techniques is Cennino Cennini’s Libro dell’arte, written around 1400. The work records the empirical knowledge of Italian painting workshops and describes the entire process—from the selection of wood through gluing, applying fabric, and applying a chalk ground to gilding and tempera painting.
Cennini begins his discussion of panel painting with the nature of the support. His recommendation, which remains valid to this day, is:
“Fa’ che il legname sia ben secco.”
Make sure the wood is thoroughly dry.
Among other things, he recommends poplar, linden, and willow, and urges that knots, areas of resin, nails, and other imperfections be carefully treated. Cennino Cennini, Il libro dell’arte, Chapter 113
These seemingly matter-of-fact instructions show that panel painting begins long before the first stroke of paint is applied. The preparation of the material was not a minor auxiliary process, but an essential part of the artistic work. The painting literally had to be built up.
The prepared wood was then coated with glue and often covered with a textile interlayer. On top of this, several layers of gesso—first coarser and then finer—were applied. This ground, consisting of animal glue and mineral fillers, was smoothed and sanded until a light, almost ivory-like surface was achieved. Historical studies show that the fabric and chalk ground were sometimes extended beyond the picture surface and frame, uniting the two into a single material entity. [Getty Conservation Institute – Priming of Historic Panels](https://www.getty.edu/conservation/publications_resources/pdf_publications/pdf/panelpaintings2.pdf)
Light from the Depths
Gilding, preliminary sketches, and finally layers of paint were applied to the white chalk ground. Egg tempera, in particular, was closely associated with the painting panel. Its quick-drying, thin layers allowed for precise modeling, the finest lines, and exceptionally clear colors.
The luminosity of historical tempera paintings does not arise solely from the pigments. Light penetrates the thin layers of paint and is reflected back by the light-colored ground. As a result, the color appears not merely to lie on the surface, but to emerge from the depths of the painting. The National Galleries of Scotland describe the white gesso ground accordingly as a base that allows light to shine through the tempera layers, lending them their distinctive luminosity. National Galleries of Scotland – Tempera
From Tempera to Oil Painting
In the 15th century, panel painting underwent a transformation. In addition to egg tempera, oil-based paints were increasingly used. Artists initially combined both techniques: layers of tempera could be overpainted with oil-based glazes. The slower drying time of oil paint allowed for softer transitions, transparent depths, and a new depiction of texture, light, and space.
The wooden panel remained an important medium throughout this period. Works by Duccio, Fra Angelico, Piero della Francesca, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, and the van Eyck brothers demonstrate how diversely their surfaces could be utilized—from a luminous gold ground to the perfect illusion of space. Piero della Francesca’s The Baptism of Christ, for example, was created in the 15th century using egg tempera on poplar wood. National Gallery – Piero della Francesca
Starting in the 16th century, canvas increasingly replaced wooden panels. Especially for large-format paintings, canvas was lighter, more portable, and easier to work with. Nevertheless, wooden panels never completely disappeared. Their smooth, durable surface remained attractive, particularly for smaller, finely executed works, portraits, and detailed depictions. Around 1900, tempera painting and traditional panel techniques underwent a deliberate rediscovery. National Galleries of Scotland – Revival of Tempera Painting
Tradition as a Contemporary Choice
Today’s chalkboard is not merely an imitation of a historical medium. Modern materials allow for a meaningful evolution of the traditional construction. Birch plywood replaces the more delicate solid board; long-fiber Kozo paper takes on the stabilizing function of the historical fabric backing. Glueing, a mineral chalk ground, and careful sanding, on the other hand, preserve essential principles of the old technique.
The result is a surface that is both firm and sensitive: calm, light, slightly absorbent, and suitable for opaque layers of paint as well as transparent glazes. Every step—from the wood to the lamination to the final sanding—influences the resulting visual effect.
In my quince portraits, this tradition is not reconstructed but carried forward. The classical structure of the painting panel meets a contemporary motif. The perfectly smoothed surface becomes the starting point for form, space, light, and illusion.
The painting panel is not merely the substrate of the painting. It is its first layer—and the material foundation of its appearance.