Grand canal de nuit à Venise
Christine Jacquel
Painting - 33 x 40.9 x 2 cm Painting - 13 x 16.1 x 0.8 inch
€1,146
Oil Painting for Sale
Oil painting is a painting technique that involves mixing finely ground color pigments with a binding oil, typically linseed oil, though poppy seed oil is also used. Before applying the paint, the surface must be coated with a primer to ensure proper adhesion. This step is essential for the durability and versatility of the medium, allowing artists to paint on various surfaces such as wood, canvas, or metal.
The origins of oil painting trace back to the Middle Ages, but it was the Flemish painter Jan van Eyck who is often credited with refining the technique. His experiments led to new levels of transparency and depth in artworks, influencing other Flemish painters who helped spread the method. Oil painting soon replaced tempera, which relied on egg yolk as a binder, and became the dominant medium in European art.
During the 15th century, wooden panels gave way to stretched linen canvases mounted on frames, enabling artists to work on larger, more flexible surfaces. This transition, however, came with challenges, as oil paint contained toxic components and required skilled preparation. Despite this, the Renaissance saw a surge in its popularity, with Venetian painters like Titian and Flemish masters such as Rubens embracing the medium. Dutch painters, led by Rembrandt, further advanced oil painting techniques, making it a defining feature of Baroque and later artistic movements.
The 19th and 20th centuries cemented oil painting as the preferred medium for modern artists. Industrialization revolutionized its use, with the invention of pre-packaged paint tubes in France in 1840. This innovation played a key role in the emergence of Impressionism, allowing painters to work outdoors, capturing light and movement in ways never before possible. A century later, acrylic paint began to challenge oil painting due to its quick drying time and ease of use.
A fundamental rule in oil painting is the fat-over-lean principle, ensuring durability by applying layers with higher oil content over those with lower oil content. This method prevents cracking and enhances the painting's longevity. While traditional oil painting techniques continue to thrive, contemporary artists often experiment with unconventional approaches. Some painters leave the canvas unprimed to highlight its raw texture, while abstract artists such as Jackson Pollock abandoned classical methods altogether, using dripping techniques to create spontaneous, dynamic compositions.
Oil painting remains a cornerstone of the art world, with countless artists still using this historic technique to produce remarkable works. On Artsper, discover contemporary oil paintings by renowned artists such as Arman, Salvador Dalí, and Robert Combas, showcasing the timeless beauty and versatility of this celebrated medium.
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Femme au panier de fleurs sauvages
Edouard Duparc
Painting - 50 x 76 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 29.9 x 0.8 inch
€1,393
Retro ballet
Nikolai Angelov-Gary
Painting - 50 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
€1,750
Flight from Barcelona to Vienna
Valery Tatar
Painting - 100 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch
€2,266
Barques de pêcheur dans le port
P. Loutan
Painting - 27 x 35 x 0.5 cm Painting - 10.6 x 13.8 x 0.2 inch
€1,070
Barques de pêcheurs et pêcheurs au port au clair de lune
Riccardo Colucci
Painting - 25 x 46 x 0.5 cm Painting - 9.8 x 18.1 x 0.2 inch
€2,073
Paysage de montagne et sapin enneigé
P. Audemars
Painting - 53 x 63 x 0.5 cm Painting - 20.9 x 24.8 x 0.2 inch
€1,315
Paysans et chevaux avec charrue
Gûo
Painting - 48 x 58 x 0.5 cm Painting - 18.9 x 22.8 x 0.2 inch
€1,638
Ruisseau de montagne
W. A. Hahn
Painting - 45 x 35 x 0.5 cm Painting - 17.7 x 13.8 x 0.2 inch
€1,192
Bouquet de roses
Paolo Alfio Graziani
Painting - 40 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
€970
Balade au bord du lac Léman
Georges Djakeli
Painting - 27 x 35 x 2 cm Painting - 10.6 x 13.8 x 0.8 inch
€1,092
Vue d'un petit port
Walter Félix Waly Wutrich
Painting - 22 x 35 x 2 cm Painting - 8.7 x 13.8 x 0.8 inch
€1,059
Flocons nocturnes, sur Genève
René Sigg
Painting - 54 x 81 x 2 cm Painting - 21.3 x 31.9 x 0.8 inch
€2,073
Highland Hope II
Kalpana Soanes
Painting - 59.9 x 80 x 4.6 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.5 x 1.8 inch
€1,073
Western Church in Amsterdam.
Anna Pavlova
Painting - 63.5 x 45.7 x 2.5 cm Painting - 25 x 18 x 1 inch
€792
Still life with red beetle
Tatyana PALCHUK
Painting - 20 x 25 x 2 cm Painting - 7.9 x 9.8 x 0.8 inch
€1,200
Maeste II (Large Painting)
Tomasz Rut
Painting - 127 x 55.9 x 2.5 cm Painting - 50 x 22 x 1 inch
€5,461
Ovale-paysage n°5
Stéphane Belzère
Painting - 42 x 46 x 1 cm Painting - 16.5 x 18.1 x 0.4 inch
€3,900
From the Mountains
Jozef Svikruha
Painting - 55 x 50 x 1.5 cm Painting - 21.7 x 19.7 x 0.6 inch
€560
No Windowsill
Maxime Cousineau Perusse
Painting - 61 x 76.2 x 3.6 cm Painting - 24 x 30 x 1.4 inch
€674
1961 Abstraction Vue du ciel Champs Urbanisme Fields
Gérard Singer
Painting - 33 x 33 x 2 cm Painting - 13 x 13 x 0.8 inch
€1,950
Mother (Homage To Whistler), huge original painting on canvas
Ferjo, Fernando de Jesus Oliveira
Painting - 176.5 x 215.9 x 0.3 cm Painting - 69.5 x 85 x 0.1 inch
€15,610
Hawaiian Aloha
Kristen Olson Stone
Painting - 27.9 x 35.6 x 0.8 cm Painting - 11 x 14 x 0.3 inch
€997
Do you look for hope in other peoples eyes
Sava Harris
Painting - 90 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 35.4 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
€1,585
Petit sentier Corse et olivier
Tony Gardella
Painting - 55 x 46 x 2 cm Painting - 21.7 x 18.1 x 0.8 inch
€1,482
Saturday Morning
Alexander Grinshpun
Painting - 41 x 76 x 2 cm Painting - 16.1 x 29.9 x 0.8 inch
€2,002
Wind of Change
Olalekan Adeyemi
Painting - 91.9 x 102.1 x 2.5 cm Painting - 36.2 x 40.2 x 1 inch
€2,458
Lupine Meadow Spring Landscape
Tatyana Fogarty
Painting - 45.7 x 61 x 2 cm Painting - 18 x 24 x 0.8 inch
€1,638
Joy of Twins Mother
Twins Seven Seven
Painting - 61 x 121.9 x 2.5 cm Painting - 24 x 48 x 1 inch
€6,371
Frutos del bosque
Milagros Elorz
Painting - 100 x 81 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.9 x 0.8 inch
€1,800
La Paresse (Série : Les 7 péchés capitaux)
Nal-Vad
Painting - 79 x 79 x 2 cm Painting - 31.1 x 31.1 x 0.8 inch
€3,000
Dame à l'éventail
Vittorio Gussoni
Painting - 50 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
€1,650
Sans titre
Jean-Michel Cierniewski
Painting - 120 x 60 x 3 cm Painting - 47.2 x 23.6 x 1.2 inch
€2,500
Mighty Oak in Summer
Hazel Thomson
Painting - 100.1 x 119.9 x 4.1 cm Painting - 39.4 x 47.2 x 1.6 inch
€3,953
Discover the styles & movements
Discover the selection of our experts
Méandres bleu et sable
Sophie Dumont
Painting - 60 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
€2,900
29 octobre 2019
Raymond Attanasio
Painting - 81 x 100 x 3 cm Painting - 31.9 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch
€2,000
Abstract Expression
Giorgio Lo Fermo
Painting - 37 x 27 x 0.5 cm Painting - 14.6 x 10.6 x 0.2 inch
€600
Parallel Universe/3
Viktoria Ganhao
Painting - 40 x 30 x 0.1 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch
€530
Geometrical shapes III
Aurélie Trabaud
Painting - 19 x 27 x 0.1 cm Painting - 7.5 x 10.6 x 0 inch
€580
Near the Gates of the Cathedral
Pavlenko Leonid
Painting - 65 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 25.6 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
€690
Mare impetuoso al tramonto olio su canapa
Antonino Puliafico
Painting - 60 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
€1,800
Need help with Oil Painting for Sale ?
What is special about oil painting?
Oil painting allows for very efficient mixing of colors and tones. Due to its long drying time, it is possible to alter an oil painting days after the paint has been applied. Oil painting also allows for precision and a range of visual effects.
What's the difference between oil painting and acrylic?
Oil paint and acrylic paint are produced using different materials. While oil painting consists of pigments suspended in drying oils, acrylic paint is water-based. The main difference between the two is that acrylic paints can be thinned down with water, and dry faster than oil paints.
Is oil painting easier than watercolor?
It is easier to correct mistakes when working in oil paint as they are more opaque than watercolors and can be easily scraped off a surface.