The Origin of Oil Painting

The former of oil painting is tempera painting in European paintings before 15th century. It was flourished when improved by the Netherlands painters Jan Van Eyck (1385-1441) for the painting materials. Jan Van Eyck was then so called “father of oil painting” for his unique contribution about the further development of oil painting techniques.

Usually, modern oil paintings are using the linseed oil paint reconcile material to paint on the treated canvas or wood. Because the oil painting materials do not change color after dry. Therefore, it would not become dirty when reconcile variety colors. And artists can draw a rich and lively color. It can create a three-dimensional sense for oil painting materials are opaque and with strong coverage, the painting can be from deep to shallow, layer by layer coverage.

Oil painting has become the main body in the history of Western painting. The main surviving western painting till nowadays is oil painting. Over time, the oil gradually to life, among them, the most notably is "Mona Lisa" which performanced an ordinary woman and widely circulated. Late 19th century, due to technological development, many new materials had been used in oil fields, such as acrylic paints and paint.