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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Image An untitled oil painting by George Morrison from 1965 charts two-dimensional topographies dissected by grid lines. Petala Ironcloud, New York Times, 1 May 2025 His father, a wildlife artist, created several oil paintings that adorn the walls throughout the castle. Kristal Dixon, Axios, 25 Mar. 2025 Caitlin Pluta, who lives in New South Wales, Australia, picked up oil painting for the first time in September 2023 at age 30, and just six months later had gone on to create a piece of artwork that would later sell for $1,600AUD ($1,020USD). Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025 The show will feature oil paintings, acrylic, mixed media and resin art. Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for oil painting

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

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Cite this Entry

“Oil painting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oil%20painting. Accessed 5 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

oil painting

noun
: a painting done with oil paints

More from Merriam-Webster on oil painting

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