A summary chronology of the major milestones in the history of oil painting, with copious illustrations from the masters.
alla prima
Oil sketches and studies became accepted as works of art. But not all Impressionist paintings have survived as well as they should.
Turner’s innovation was driven by his desire to explore colour contrasts and texture. But it led him to lapses in technique which have damaged his paintings.
The nineteenth century saw the successful introduction of more new pigments than had the preceding two millenia.
The period 1700 to 1850 saw the introduction of the first modern pigments, such as Prussian blue and emerald green, which started to transform paintings.
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