How did oil painting become popular in Renaissance Europe?

During the Renaissance, oil painting gained popularity as artists sought a more flexible medium than traditional egg-yolk tempera painting, which required laborious crosshatching to achieve tonal gradations.12

The transition was driven by several key factors:

• Technical Advancements: After 1400, improvements in refining linseed oil and the increased availability of volatile solvents allowed for a more fluid, workable medium.1
• Evolution of Technique: Initially, artists used oil glazes over tempera underpaintings to achieve greater depth and luminosity. This technique produced the jewel-like quality seen in the works of Flemish masters like Jan van Eyck.134
• Adaptability: Oil paint offered superior flexibility, allowing for subtle tonal transitions, rich textural variation, and the realistic representation of anatomy and light.15
• Regional Adoption: In Venice, the medium was adopted because it was better suited to the damp climate than fresco, eventually leading to the widespread use of canvas as a support.16

By the late 15th century, the arrival of works like the Portinari Altarpiece in Italy helped accelerate the adoption of oil glazes among central Italian painters.4