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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Summer sunset on the coast - Positano painting
Vincenzo Somma
Painting - 60 x 120 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 47.2 x 0.8 inch
€875
African guys teaching Angela dance Bela
René Tavares
Painting - 150 x 160 cm Painting - 59.1 x 63 inch
€8,950
La Femme Torero
Jean-Luc Beaufils
Painting - 65 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 25.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
€4,200 €3,780
Wild style
Jeannette Guichard-Bunel
Painting - 116 x 89 x 2 cm Painting - 45.7 x 35 x 0.8 inch
€5,000
Lorsque mon coeur fait boom
Jeannette Guichard-Bunel
Painting - 73 x 92 x 2 cm Painting - 28.7 x 36.2 x 0.8 inch
€4,000
The illusion of peace
Les Panchyshyn
Painting - 75 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 29.5 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch
€7,000
Arbre Feuille
Alain Husson-Dumoutier
Painting - 140 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 55.1 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
€8,900
L'arbre de la connaissance #1
Alain Husson-Dumoutier
Painting - 118 x 89 x 2 cm Painting - 46.5 x 35 x 0.8 inch
€8,400
Sauvageonne
Jeannette Guichard-Bunel
Painting - 116 x 89 x 2 cm Painting - 45.7 x 35 x 0.8 inch
€5,000
Le gardien du temple et l'enfant qui voulait grandir trop vite
Jeannette Guichard-Bunel
Painting - 92 x 73 x 2 cm Painting - 36.2 x 28.7 x 0.8 inch
€4,000
Ang Pag-aklas (Whistle: the uprising)
Jay Jamoralin
Painting - 123 x 153 x 1 cm Painting - 48.4 x 60.2 x 0.4 inch
€7,500 €6,375
Marie-Antoinette
Jean-Christophe Martinez
Painting - 146 x 114 x 2 cm Painting - 57.5 x 44.9 x 0.8 inch
€4,500
Trois petites notes de musique
Jeannette Guichard-Bunel
Painting - 81 x 65 x 2 cm Painting - 31.9 x 25.6 x 0.8 inch
€3,500
Aujourd'hui ou jamais
Jeannette Guichard-Bunel
Painting - 65 x 81 x 3 cm Painting - 25.6 x 31.9 x 1.2 inch
€3,500
Les arlésiennes
Pierre Ambrogiani
Painting - 50 x 69 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 27.2 x 0.8 inch
€6,800 €6,120
KANAKO1 : CRIMSON TEMPTATION IN KAWAII ELEGANCE
Aya Toshikawa
Painting - 130 x 106 x 5 cm Painting - 51.2 x 41.7 x 2 inch
€5,500
Little strokes fell great oaks
Tatjana Rusakova
Painting - 87 x 54 x 1 cm Painting - 34.3 x 21.3 x 0.4 inch
€1,500 €1,350
Before the storm.
Tatjana Rusakova
Painting - 75 x 70 x 1 cm Painting - 29.5 x 27.6 x 0.4 inch
€1,500
Nature Weaves a Spell
Gill Bustamante
Painting - 119.4 x 180.3 x 5.1 cm Painting - 47 x 71 x 2 inch
€11,097
PAPARAZZI2 : WHISPERS IN THE SHADOWS
Ryoko Watanabe
Painting - 146 x 180 x 5 cm Painting - 57.5 x 70.9 x 2 inch
€6,600
Countryside with flowers - Tuscany landscape painting & frame
Andrea Borella
Painting - 30 x 40 x 1 cm Painting - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch
€475
Autumn vineyard n°2 - Tuscany landscape painting
Andrea Borella
Painting - 36 x 52 x 1 cm Painting - 14.2 x 20.5 x 0.4 inch
€400
Embracing sunset serenade
Olga Volna
Painting - 60 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
€428
Mine de Chuquicamata
Laurent Chabot
Painting - 200 x 200 x 5 cm Painting - 78.7 x 78.7 x 2 inch
€6,700
Désert d'Atacama 1
Laurent Chabot
Painting - 200 x 200 x 5 cm Painting - 78.7 x 78.7 x 2 inch
€6,700
Désert d'Atacama 6
Laurent Chabot
Painting - 200 x 200 x 5 cm Painting - 78.7 x 78.7 x 2 inch
€6,700
Colorful sunset
Alisa Onipchenko-Cherniakovska
Painting - 31 x 50 x 0.3 cm Painting - 12.2 x 19.7 x 0.1 inch
€819
Red moon
Alisa Onipchenko-Cherniakovska
Painting - 31 x 50 x 0.3 cm Painting - 12.2 x 19.7 x 0.1 inch
€819
Water lilies
Alisa Onipchenko-Cherniakovska
Painting - 50 x 35 x 0.3 cm Painting - 19.7 x 13.8 x 0.1 inch
€819
Panel bouquet
Arina Melikhova
Painting - 34 x 20.5 x 1 cm Painting - 13.4 x 8.1 x 0.4 inch
€150 €135
White bird
Alisa Onipchenko-Cherniakovska
Painting - 25 x 40 x 0.3 cm Painting - 9.8 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
€364
Moon over the sea
Alisa Onipchenko-Cherniakovska
Painting - 40 x 25 x 0.3 cm Painting - 15.7 x 9.8 x 0.1 inch
€364
Night street
Alisa Onipchenko-Cherniakovska
Painting - 30 x 40 x 0.3 cm Painting - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
€455
Contraluz industrial en la ria a las dies de la manana
Alejandro Quincoces
Painting - 85 x 85 x 5 cm Painting - 33.5 x 33.5 x 2 inch
€9,800
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.