A.C.E. Series: What Makes An Oil Painting Valuable
1. Antiquity
Though historical evidence points to oil-based paints being used as early as 1124, it wasn’t until the 15th century in Northern Europe when artist Jan van Eyck is credited to have invented the medium of painting with oil paints on wood supports.
EBTH Columbus - Hilliard
Landscape Oil Painting of Countryside Estate, Late 20th Century
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Vintage and Antique Glass Beaded Sautoir Flapper Necklaces
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Veronica Beard Single-Button Blazer
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Replica Antique Style Telephones
2. Longevity
“Oil paint is a durable medium that lasts hundreds of years,” says McMillan. “It is created with pigments suspended in a drying oil, usually linseed. The medium is chosen for its flexibility and vibrancy as it can be applied in varying thickness and technique.” Its longevity is why we can enjoy and appreciate the artwork from centuries ago.
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Louis Vuitton Alma Two-Way Handbag in Red Monogram Vernis
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Chippendale Revival Oak and Lattice-Front Display Cabinet, Early to Mid 20th C
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Offset Lithograph After Guy Coheleach "Snowy Egret"
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Irma Pfannmoeller Portrait Oil Painting of Happy Chandler
3. Quality and Effect
While most of what we consider masterpieces come from great oil painters such as da Vinci and Rembrandt, oil remains a prominent medium for contemporary art. The versatility, color, textural properties and workability rival other mediums to this day.
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Men's Filson Quilted Jacket, L.L. Bean Fishing Vest, Orvis Rain Jacket, and More
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Kathleen Quinn Oil Painting After Carol Rowan of a Still Life with Tulips, 2003
EBTH Columbus - Hilliard
Marc Chagall Color Lithograph Front Cover From "Verve," 1956
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Sterling Diamond Inside-Out Oval Hoop Earrings
4. Complexity of Materials
Most Renaissance or Baroque painters spent years as pupils or apprentices learning to mix paint for master artists. This knowledge included knowing the properties of the pigments such as hue, permanence, chroma, lightfastness, compatibility with other pigments, drying attributes. On top of grinding pigments, memorizing binder-to-pigment proportions, and being able to determine whether or not a particular pigment required the addition of a siccative or extender before being ready for use, these students had to maintain the hue and consistency of the colors for up to a year or more on large-scale artworks.
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Sparky Anderson and George Foster Signed Rawlings Official MLB Baseballs
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Illustrated "Every Boy's Book of Hobbies" by Cecil H. Bullivant, Early 20th C.
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Offset Lithograph After John Butler "Ring True I"
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Leif Janek Abstract Acrylic Painting, 21st Century
5. Drying Time
Oil has a much slower drying time, and layers must dry before the next is applied. Thicker applications of oil paint potentially take up to six months or longer to completely dry, and a completed painting usually takes up to a year to dry before it can be sealed with varnish.
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Still Life Oil Painting of Glass Marbles, Figurines, and Cookies
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Faux Pearl and Rhinestone Ring
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Offset Lithograph of Abstract Composition After David Belova
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Louis Vuitton Keepall Bandoulière 45 Duffel Bag in Damier Cobalt Camouflage
6. Collectible Timelessness.
According to McMillan, “Oil paintings are an easy transition for someone who is new to collecting contemporary art.” While many contemporary oil paintings can lean towards the abstract or minimalist, McMillan states that there are “also quite a few living artists creating in technique similar to the plein air artists of the 19th century.”