The main element that makes a painting a work of art is its permanence as a cultural heritage that has been passed down through the ages by defying time. Unlike other plastic arts, the permanence feature of the painting is in direct proportion to the technical knowledge of the painter during the production phase of the work, as it can be preserved. The conservation of colors, thus the existence of forms and shapes on the canvas depends on the content of the material used. While classifying Art History chronologically, we can make classifications and evaluations over the artworks that we know their existence and still maintain their existence. The material and the content of the material that provides permanence in the painting, which is a product of reflecting the thoughts of expressing himself by the artist, is at least as important as the thought of the work. For this reason, in the article, the materials used in the paintings were examined, especially based on the classical period painting art, when new discoveries began to emerge in terms of materials. It has been researched using various articles and books on pigments and mediums used by Raphael, one of the best artists of the Classical period, and other important artists of the 17th century, Rembrandt, Velasquez, Vermeer, and Michael Sweerts, and the wonderful chemical formations underlying his works have been studied. In the classical period, the information gained about the different pigments, mediums and production methods used by these famous artists was tried to be conveyed. In the first part of the article, the colors and types, physical and chemical properties of the main pigments (blue, yellow, red, white, black), lake and mars pigments known in the classical period of art history are described. In the second part of the article, the color palettes used by the five leading painters of the classical period and the details of the colors they used in their paintings were examined. In the last part of the article, information was given on the media used in oil painting, oils, varnishes and their drying and yellowing speed. This article, which was prepared by trying to look at the Art of Painting from a different perspective, aims to serve as a resource for the purpose of providing necessary technical information to students and painting artists, along with other articles published on media and colors.
Keywords: Classical Period, pigment, Rembrandt, medium, varnish