Abstract Oil Paintings and Its Three Types

Generally speaking, abstract art comes in many forms and these forms or impressions of art do not have anything to do with the physical things that one can see in the normal world. Most of the times, abstract oil paintings are derivatives of the intrinsic qualities of material objects. These abstraction of ideas are turned into visual art and they should not remind people of the material value of the things from which they were abstracted. Many painters who practice this form of painting either symbolize or simplify tangible things or objects and try to represent them in the smallest possible form. Rooted to the 20th century, abstract paintings came from people who drew pictures on dirt. In the same era, there was an impressionist movement in the world of art and this was later called abstract impressionism.

There are three main divisions or types of abstract oil paintings: Abstract Expressionism, Abstract Cubism, and Abstract Neoplasticism.

Abstract Expressionism is very personal in a sense that it is a reflection of the painter’s thoughts and even personality. These thoughts are expressed in paint through spontaneous painting and this type of abstract painting was divided into two sub-groups. The first one is called Action Painting and the second one is called Color Field Painting. These paintings will show viewers how the artist moves while he was painting the masterpiece.

Abstract Cubism refers to abstract oil paintings that show geometrical figures. These figures represent what is on the artist’s thoughts. Commonly, these geometric figures are split and put together in forms that are not possible in reality. The third type, called Abstract Neoplasticism, is a principle that says that art should never be derivatives of the things we see on earth. Art should not be tangible and that art should be representation of absolute things in life.

Famous Oil Paintings

Oil painting is the dream of every artist. Aside from the fact that it is very difficult to paint, using oil requires much greater discipline and talent. Pigments are used in oil paintings and are dried with a drying oil. In Europe, the most common kind of oil used linseed oil. Oils used will also make the paintings look different. Some oils are boiled with resin to create a varnish. Painters have their own preferences in the kinds of oil used depending on the mood they want to convey in their art. Historically, oil paint was used first in Afghanistan between the fifth and ninth century. In the middle ages, it became widespread in Europe and especially in the Renaissance period.

Among the most famous oil paintings are the Mona Lisa of Leonardo da Vinci, Napoleon Crossing through the St. Bernard Pass by Jacques-Louis David, and Portrait of Dr. Gatchet by Vincent Van Gogh.

Everyone knows what the Mona Lsia is so there is no further discussion needed except that it was also know as La Gioconda. It was painted in the 16th century during the Italian Renaissance. The portrait depicts Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo. The Napoleon Crossing through the St. Bernard Pass is an excellent painting by Jacques David. He lived between 1748-1825 abd he was a very influential French painter who specialized in neo-classical art.

Lastly, one of the most famous oil paintings of all times is the Portrait of Dr. Gatchet is a very sad image of a man painted by Van Gogh. It is now worth about 72 million dollars. It is a portrait of Dr. Paul Gatchet, one of the psychiatrist that took care of Vincent Van Gogh during the times he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and other serious mental conditions.  The famous painting shows a man sitting with his head leaning onto his right arm.