Digital Artifact Project | Detwiler
Digital Artifact Project
Patricia Detwiler
History 101
Professor Becker
August 2, 2015
Oil Paintings
According to Le vite de piu eccelenti pittori, scultori architetori, Firenze, 1550 (Lives of the
Artists) by Giorgio Vasari the oil painting technique was invented – or rather reinvented – in
Europe by the well-known Flemish Artist Jan van Eyck in or around 1410 (Ames). A majority of
painters in this time had been restricted due to the standards of Byzantine Art. However, during
the 15th and 16th centuries oil paintings were gaining momentum as well as popularity. The use
of oil paint, a medium that had been pioneered in Flanders, further revolutionized fifteenthcentury painting styles (Cole; et al). It was these painters and artists that were becoming more
ambitious and they were able to create paintings that are famous around the world today.
Famous Paintings

The Mona Lisa had been estimated to have been painted between 1503-1506 by
Leonardo da Vinci. This painting was done of the medium oil on
wood. Currently the Mona Lisa is located in Louvre, Paris and it is
valued in excess of $1 billion (Encyclopedia of Art Education).

The Isenheim Altarpiece is a polyptch (multiple part panel-painting) and it was
created by Matthias Grunewald. This painting was commissioned by the
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preceptor Guido Guersi for the main altar of Antoinete Monastery near Colmar. The
monastery specialized in the care of plague sufferers (Encyclopedia of Art Education).

The Sistine Madonna is a work of religious art that had been created by
Raphael. His painting was an oil painting on canvass and it was installed on
the high alter of the Benedictine abbey church of San Sisto (Encyclopedia of
Art Education).

The Assumption of the Virgin was painted by Tiziano Vecelli (Titian)
using the medium of panel and oil. This painting was commissioned
work for Titian for the city of Venice between 1516 and 1518. It still
stands at the altar of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari Basilica (Totally
History).
Oil Painting Tips for Beginners
1. Lay out your oils on a palette
2. Proportioning your layers is important when using oil paints; the oil medium should be
increased with every additional layer
3. Certain pigments such as manganese, cobalt, and lead accelerate drying. To avoid this
you should mix them with other colors and use it as an under layer
4. Do not let your oil painting dry in the dark, because it could allow a thin film of oil to rise
which makes the painting somewhat yellow
5. If you need to clear a layer, simply use some alcohol and it will remove the layer with
ease.
These tips have been brought to you by: Marion Boddy-Evans
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Michael Thompson: How to Oil Paint – 00:09:57
What’s the Difference?
Oil and acrylic paints are used to achieve different goals. The painter is the one who must know
how to execute his/her painting, but for beginners making a decision between oil and acrylic
paint may be daunting. Here are a few things to consider:

How much time do you need? Estimating the time it will take to complete a painting is
important to the outcome of how it will look when it’s complete. Something to keep in
mind is that acrylic paint dries up quickly compared to oil paint.

What are you painting? This is a rather vague question which can be taken one of two
ways; what scene are you painting or what are you painting on? We are wanting to
answer what we are painting on. The reason this is important to know is because acrylic
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paint can be used on anything whereas oil can only be coupled with canvasses or wood
panels.

How much space do you have to work with? Some artistic people have a bright studio
with natural light flowing in. While others only have a janitor closet with no windows.
The space you have is important because it can determine what paint you use. Acrylics do
not give off a smell and they are non-toxic. Unlike acrylic paint, oil paint gives off fumes
that are toxic so if you do not have a ventilated room then you should use acrylic paint.

What happens to your painting(s) over time? Acrylic paint colors do not fade over the
years compared to oil paint. The binder in oil paint – oil, goes yellow over time, this
causes the subtle glow on old master paintings (Kemp).
eHow: Oil Painting Tips: Acrylic Paint vs. Oil Paint – 00:02:25
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Spot the Difference
Do you notice anything different between these paintings? If yes than awesome! If no then look a
little closer. The painting on the left is an acrylic and the one on the right is an oil painting. Are
you able to see the differences now? Granted these paintings are pixels, but don’t you notice the
heaviness of the oil painting compared to the acrylic? This is due to the layers that painters use
while they paint with oil.
Gallery
The pictures from the gallery are from the “Oil Paintings Gallery”
http://www.oilpaintingsgallery.com/list.asp?Key=Renaissance,+Baroque&Type=Style&page=1
The Rising of the Sun was painted by Francois Boucher
The Setting of the Sun was painted by Francois Boucher
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Immaculate of Soult was painted by Bartolome Esteban Murillo
A Childhood Idyll was painted by
Adolphe Bourguereau
The Bohemian was painted by Adolphe Bourguereau
The Holy Family with Angels 96 was
painted by Harmenszoonvan Van Rijn Rembrandt
Christ 98 is not listed with an artist
The Isenheim Altarpiece was painted by
Matthias Grunewald
The Sistine Madonna was painted by Raphael
The Assumption of the Virgin was painted
by Tiziano Vecelli (Titian)
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Christ Healing the Blind Man was painted by El Greco
St. Cecilia was painted by
Nicolas Poussin
The Assumption of the Virgin 07 was painted
by Nicolas Poussin
The Massacre of the Innocents was
painted by Nicolas Poussin
Dance of the Music Time was painted by Nicolas Poussin
Peace and War was painted by Peter
Paul Rubens
Battle of the Amazons was painted by
Peter Paul Rubens
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Daniel in the Lion Den was painted by Peter Paul Rubens
The Power of Love in
the Three Elements
was painted by Benjamin West
The Interrupted Sleep was painted by Francois Boucher
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Works Cited
Ames, Michella M. "Article - Oil Painting History Of Mediums." Article - Oil Painting History
Of Mediums. Anythingpaintedoncanvas.com, n.d. Web. 24 July 2015.
Boddy-Evans, Marion. "Top 10 Oil Painting Tips for Beginners." About.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 22
July 2015.
Cole, Joshua, Judith G. Coffin, Carol Symes, and Robert Stacey. Western Civilizations. Their
History & Their Culture. 3rd ed. Vol. 1. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. Print.
"How to Oil Paint, FREE Oil Painting Lesson 1 With Michael Thompson." YouTube. YouTube,
10 Nov. 2007. Web. 20 July 2015.
Kemp, Will. "The 5 Key Differences between Acrylics & Oil Paints - a Beginners Guide."
Willkempsartschool.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 July 2015.
"Mona Lisa (La Gioconda) (1503-6)." Mona Lisa, Leonardo Da Vinci: Analysis, Interpretation.
Encyclopedia of Art Education, n.d. Web. 20 July 2015.
"Oil Painting.": History, Famous Paintings in Oils. Encyclopedia of Art Education, n.d. Web. 20
July 2015.
"Oil Painting Tips : Acrylic Paint vs. Oil Paint." YouTube. YouTube, 09 July 2009. Web. 19 July
2015.
"Renaissance,+Baroque Paintings | Oil Paintings Gallery (Page 1)." Renaissance,+Baroque
Paintings | Oil Paintings Gallery (Page 1). Oil Paintings Gallery, 2000. Web. 23 July
2015.
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"The Assumption of the Virgin by Titian – Facts about the Painting." Totally History The
Assumption of the Virgin Comments. Totally History, 2012. Web. 21 July 2015.
"The Isenheim Altarpiece (c.1515)." Isenheim Altarpiece, Matthias Grunewald: Interpretation,
Analysis. Encyclopedia of Art Education, n.d. Web. 19 July 2015.
"The Sistine Madonna (1513-14)." Sistine Madonna, Raphael: Analysis, Interpretation.
Encyclopedia of Art Education, n.d. Web. 19 July 2015.
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