About Michael Bergt
Michael Bergt is an American painter known for his egg tempera works.
Michael Bergt at a glance
- Nationality: American
- Known for: Egg tempera paintings of the human figure
- Medium: Egg tempera, metalpoint drawing and bronze sculpture
- Based in: Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Society of Tempera Painters: Co-founded it in 1997
- Gallery: Nuart Gallery, Santa Fe
- Award: Grand Prize, Realism Today, American Artist Magazine competition (2000)
- Website: michaelbergtart.com
“I’ve always been fascinated with the figure beautifully rendered and by pattern and decoration.”
Michael Bergt has worked primarily in egg tempera for over thirty years, and he co-founded The Society of Tempera Painters and served as the organizations president for twelve years, reflecting his commitment to preserving and promoting this ancient technique.
Michael Bergt’s work focuses on the human figure and explores a range of interests, including classical myths, sensuality, the human condition, and topical events, and his paintings refer to the designs found in erotic Japanese Shunga prints, Persian miniatures, and the pattern traditions of Eastern Art.
Michael Bergt balances the illusion of three dimensions with the interpretive, abstract quality of pattern and decoration, and he believes that by relaxing the need to separate what is real from what is imagined, the dynamic becomes even greater, creating a more powerful relationship between the viewer and the artwork.
Michael Bergt’s work has been exhibited at the National Academy of Design, and his paintings are in private and public collections, including the Everson Museum of Art and the New Mexico Museum of Art, and he has recieved fellowships from the New Mexico Arts Division and the Pollock-Krasner Foundation.
- He co-founded The Society of Tempera Painters and was its president for twelve years.
- His work is influenced by Japanese Shunga prints and Persian miniatures.
- He has recieved fellowships from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation.
- His paintings are in the collections of the Everson Museum and the New Mexico Museum of Art.
- He is represented by Nuart Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Michael Bergt’s exploration of the relationship between realism and pattern reflects his deep engagement with the history of art and his desire to create work that is both visually stunning and intellectually compelling, and his use of egg tempera gives his paintings a luminous, enduring quality that is unique to the medium.
Michael Bergt’s work is represented by Nuart Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and his paintings are held in private collections across the United States, and he continues to explore the dynamic between literal and symbolic representation, creating works that invite viewers to engage with both the surface and the deeper meaning of his art.
Art Category Fact: Egg tempera is a painting medium that uses pigment mixed with egg yolk as a binder, and it was widely used in the Renaissance before oil painting became more popular, with masters such as Giotto, Botticelli, and Fra Angelico employing it to create luminous, long-lasting works with a characteristic matte finish and vibrant color.
“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” Edgar Degas
If you’d like to see where Michael Bergt’s work has taken him lately, his own website at michaelbergtart.com is the best place to look.