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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Fragments of a Performance
Arman Hayrapetyan
Painting - 100 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
€1,669
Animal Painting #018-1632
Les Thomas
Painting - 31 x 31 x 4 cm Painting - 12.2 x 12.2 x 1.6 inch
€1,560
State security
Amarkine Amarteifio
Painting - 76.2 x 101.6 x 5.1 cm Painting - 30 x 40 x 2 inch
€4,544
Intelligent conversation
Anatoly Kost
Painting - 55 x 50 x 3 cm Painting - 21.7 x 19.7 x 1.2 inch
€788
The tree of life | Forest landscape natural art
Darina Abramova
Painting - 40 x 50 x 3 cm Painting - 15.7 x 19.7 x 1.2 inch
€556
Symphony of geometric elements
Luis Miguel Aparisi
Painting - 130 x 92.7 x 1.5 cm Painting - 51.2 x 36.5 x 0.6 inch
€2,485
One Hundred Dollar Bill (unique hand painted silkscreen on canvas)
Steve Kaufman
Painting - 43.8 x 98.4 x 2.5 cm Painting - 17.25 x 38.75 x 1 inch
€3,710
It's Getting Kind of Hectic
Emma Harrison
Painting - 100 x 100 x 3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch
€2,000
L'uppercut de l'amour
Bertrand Thomassin
Painting - 40 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
€1,500
Le grand départ
Benoît Montet
Painting - 59.9 x 39.9 x 2.8 cm Painting - 23.6 x 15.7 x 1.1 inch
€2,217
Bord de mer et voilier
Armand Cacheux
Painting - 54 x 73 x 2 cm Painting - 21.3 x 28.7 x 0.8 inch
€1,044
Au loin les nuages rouges - Paysage onirique
Jean-Marc Lemasson
Painting - 81 x 65 x 2 cm Painting - 31.9 x 25.6 x 0.8 inch
€775
Toucher l'air en pensant aux étoiles
Christine Lacour
Painting - 162 x 130 x 2 cm Painting - 63.8 x 51.2 x 0.8 inch
€5,200
Three block
Miquel Angel Benejam
Painting - 46.5 x 63.5 x 2.8 cm Painting - 18.3 x 25 x 1.1 inch
€600
Draw the table Ukiyo Folds
Fan Hong
Painting - 30 x 30 x 4 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 1.6 inch
€550
The beginning of January in the forest
Janis Zingitis
Painting - 40 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
€750
Les deux amies II
Thérèse Boucraut
Painting - 130 x 130 x 2 cm Painting - 51.2 x 51.2 x 0.8 inch
€5,000
Golden Epochs: The Vibrant Wheel of Life
Sofia Beltadze
Painting - 70 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
€750
MIYUKI 5 : MISTY PURPLE WHISPERS AND KAWAII TEMPTATION
Aya Toshikawa
Painting - 60 x 60 x 5 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 2 inch
€2,100
Lofts Lake, Fall
Jonathan Van Brunt
Painting - 50.8 x 40.6 x 1.3 cm Painting - 20 x 16 x 0.5 inch
€533
Every Leaf is a Flower
Charles Choi
Painting - 50.8 x 40.6 x 5.1 cm Painting - 20 x 16 x 2 inch
€789
Profile of Abstraction
Sergey Khachatryan
Painting - 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
€1,669
In A Blue Moon (No.2)
Katherine Filice
Painting - 66 x 50.8 x 3.8 cm Painting - 26 x 20 x 1.5 inch
€1,800
The effect of propaganda
Mykola Mamchur
Painting - 50 x 70 x 0.5 cm Painting - 19.7 x 27.6 x 0.2 inch
€2,500
Fantasy Art II (una jóven con el pelo floral)
Vesna Udicki Vucetic
Painting - 60 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
€1,850
Symphonie urbaine
Richard Poumelin
Painting - 60 x 60 x 3 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 1.2 inch
€1,450
Rain - green blue turquoise large abstraction
Anna Dar
Painting - 100 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch
€5,000
Child & Child on Armchair
Antonio Mellone
Painting - 55 x 40 x 0.3 cm Painting - 21.7 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
€550
The Ladder of Jacob
Edward Ben Avram
Painting - 40 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
€2,226
Forgotten still life
Alexander Dobrodiy
Painting - 80 x 90 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 35.4 x 0.8 inch
€2,100
Laure retour de match
Bertrand De Cointet
Painting - 60 x 92 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 36.2 x 0.8 inch
€720
In the silence
Roman Rembovsky
Painting - 119.9 x 100.1 x 2 cm Painting - 47.2 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch
€11,145
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
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
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
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.