Egg Tempera
Egg tempera is a traditional paint made by combining pigment with an egg-yolk binder and water. It dries quickly in thin layers and is normally used on a rigid, smooth, absorbent ground rather than a flexible painting support.
Painter
George Tooker
George Tooker was an American painter known for egg tempera scenes of offices, subways, waiting rooms, and other modern spaces, often centered on isolation and social tension.
George Tooker quick facts
Review key details about George Tooker's life, career, American realist practice, major subjects, and the egg-tempera and watercolor methods that shaped his work.
| Born | 1920 · New York City, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Died | 2011 · Hartland, Vermont, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Paint media | Egg tempera · Watercolor |
| Documented supports | Painting board · Wood · Plywood · Paper |
| Documented examples | Study for Landscape With Figures (1965–66), graphite and watercolor on paper · Mirror III (about 1970–71), tempera on plywood |
| Approach | Thin, carefully built tempera layers over rigid prepared supports |
| Common subjects | Urban interiors, bureaucracy, public transit, crowds, waiting, social isolation, and psychological tension |
| Notable works | The Subway, Government Bureau, The Waiting Room, and Landscape with Figures III |
Sources: Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Met: Government Bureau, Addison Gallery of American Art: Study for Landscape With Figures, Indianapolis Museum of Art 2006 annual report: Mirror III, and Whitney Museum of American Art.
Paint types used
See the paint types documented in Tooker's work, with links to PaintZeal references explaining each medium's properties, uses, and working characteristics.
Watercolor Paint
Watercolor paint is a water-based art medium made with pigment and a water-soluble binder. It is known for transparent color that settles into absorbent paper.
Surface types used
See the surface types documented in Tooker's work, with links to PaintZeal references explaining how each support behaves and is prepared for painting.
Painting Board
Painting board is a rigid artist support made from hardboard, wood, or another stable panel material. It may be sold raw or prepared with a medium-specific ground layer.
Wood
Wood is a natural, porous material with grain patterns and absorbency that vary by species and cut. Its surface may also contain knots, resin, or an existing finish.
Plywood
Plywood is an engineered wood panel made from thin wood veneers bonded in alternating grain directions. Its face veneer, edges, voids, and adhesive system affect how paint absorbs and bonds.
Paper
Paper is an absorbent sheet material made primarily from cellulose fibers. Its weight, sizing, surface texture, and wet strength determine how much paint it can accept before buckling, pilling, bleeding, or warping.
Painters similar to George Tooker
Explore painters similar to George Tooker through egg tempera, carefully layered surfaces, psychologically charged figuration, and mid-century American realism.
Paul Cadmus
Paul Cadmus was an American painter known for figurative paintings, social satire, and sustained use of egg tempera throughout much of his career.
Robert Vickrey
Robert Vickrey was an American painter and illustrator known for detailed egg tempera paintings combining realistic observation with symbolic imagery.
Andrew Wyeth
Andrew Wyeth was an American realist known for closely observed landscapes, interiors, and figures painted in watercolor and egg tempera.