Carré d'artistes invites you to explore the richness of oil paintings through a wide selection of unique works.
You want to buy a painting, oil painting? You have questions about our works of art? Our art curators are available to answer your questions by phone at 04 86 31 85 33 or by videoconference.
What is oil painting?
The birth of oil on canvas is generally attributed to the painter Jan Van Eyck in the Middle Ages.
It is an official paternity, because the artists of the fourteenth century were already testing different recipes based on egg white and oil, which was then used as a retouching varnish.
From then on, this painting technique has found an echo for its nobility and complexity. The great Italian painters, like Titian, contributed to the universalization of this art. Painting in oil was considered the prerogative of Impressionism, in that it was the norm in the 19th century.
How is oil painting done?
To paint an oil painting requires a technical know-how and a lot of patience. Although oil has the unique property of giving the work a unique satin sheen, it should be noted that the main characteristic of this paint is that it dries very slowly. It is said to harden because the oxygen in the air will cause a chemical reaction that will solidify the layers.
Painters who paint in oil must follow strict rules, at the risk of denaturing and altering the work over time. They must respect the fat over thelean rule, that is to say that they must always apply a layer of paint more fat than the previous one. A new layer of turpentine that is too diluted will prevent the previous one from drying properly, so that a hard plate will cover the old one, which can eventually lead to cracking and deformation.
Oil paintings on canvas are particularly difficult but it is possible to start practicing by painting still lifes.
The artists must therefore paint a first layer and then wait several weeks for it to dry before continuing the painting in oil. The contemporary generation practices the "alla prima" method, which consists of painting the painting in one go.
You are considering the purchase of an oil painting on canvas? At Carré d'artistes, take the time to admire the oil painting on canvas of our artists who will reveal to you all the finesse and the know-how required by this art.
The advantages of oil painting
- Time: It is possible to take one's time, to touch up and correct mistakes without rushing.
- Oil paintings have a very good conservation over the years and even centuries
- This painting is historical and noble, it evokes great names in the history of art
- His compositions are varied, any type of subject can be painted: still life paintings, portraits, landscapes, genre paintings, historical paintings, abstract paintings...
- The rendering is very beautiful (shine, glaze, varnish ...)
The weaknesses of oil painting
- Its smell is strong but it disappears with the drying process
The advantages of oil painting give it a rare and unique nobility.
That is why in our online collection you will only find oil paintings on high quality cotton canvas.
Famous artists painters and the oil painting movement
The most famous are the Van Eyck brothers, for their technical and artistic contribution: Portrait of Arnolfini (1434) is one of the first works in oil on canvas in Europe.
The house of the hanged man in Auvers-sur-Oise (1873) by Paul Cézanne, Van Gogh's Sunflowers (1888) or Claude Monet's Water Lilies are famous illustrations.
Kasimir Malevich with Painted Reality of a soccer player (1915), or Mark Rothko in 1953 with Color-Block n°61 (Rust and Blue).