Oil painting Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

oil painting

noun

1
a
: the act or art of painting in oil colors
b
: a picture painted in oils
2
: painting that uses pigments originally ground in oil

Examples of oil painting in a Sentence

He studied oil painting in college. A large oil painting hangs above the mantel.
Recent Examples on the Web Kate Haselden, a researcher with Understanding British Portraits, has been leading the efforts to learn more about the 19th-century portrait, which is the only oil painting depicting a lone Black child in the entire National Museums Liverpool collection. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Mar. 2024 His artwork, from charcoal sketches to oil paintings, were included in his books and exhibited in museums in Arizona, New Mexico and North Dakota. Hillel Italie, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 An 18th-century oil painting stolen by mobsters from a New Jersey home in the 1960s has been returned to the rightful owner after the work's whereabouts were unknown for decades, federal investigators said. Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 26 Jan. 2024 There is Phil Dike’s oil painting of the Plaza de Los Angeles from 1939, with the artist’s impression of the lively area adjacent to Olvera Street that still bustles with life today. Sarah Mosqueda, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2024 Here are 10 of the most valuable items evaluated on Antiques Roadshow, from oil paintings to centuries-old collections. Madeline Boardman, EW.com, 22 Feb. 2024 The oil painting from 1784 captures a slice of daily life: a woman and boy engrossed in reading as other schoolchildren look on. María Luisa Paúl, Washington Post, 30 Jan. 2024 There’s also a slew of antique oil paintings, crystal chandeliers, and Regency-period furnishings that look straight out of Bridgerton. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 13 Dec. 2023 According to the inscription on a 16th-century oil painting of the event, the block of ice measured nearly 20 feet tall and 230 feet wide—large enough to cut off the village’s access to the Nieuwe Maas River. Tim Brinkhof, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'oil painting.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1699, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of oil painting was in 1699

Dictionary Entries Near oil painting

Cite this Entry

“Oil painting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oil%20painting. Accessed 15 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

oil painting

noun
: a painting done with oil paints

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