Mid Modern Era: Why Oil on Canvas?

 Why Oil on Canvas? 

Oil paints were first used in the 7th century but were not commonly used until the 15th century. Before this, artists often used tempera paint made of pigments with egg yolk or other water-based paints. Tempura paint dried very quickly, so it was hard to get the fine details before it dried up. It also faded and lost its color when dried. Oil-based paint changed everything. 

The reason why oil-based paint is superior to other types of paints is that instead of evaporation, the oil oxidates. Just pigments are left when all the water evaporates. Oil-based paint has a chemical reaction that turns the paint into a gel, and then it hardens to how the artist left it. 

Oil-based paint is the easiest to shape the desired texture. Because of oil-based paints highlighting and contrasting a work of art was possible, which resulted in vibrant, realistic paintings. It gives the artist time to work with the paint and the freedom to come back the next day and pick up where they left off. Not only can they contain shape to maintain the texture they can easily be blended with other oil paints to make a more realistic look.

Here are prime examples of why Oil on Canvas is better for making the perfect painted art pieces.  

Henry Ossawa Tanner, The Banjo Lesson, 1893, oil on canvas, 49 × 35.5 inches
/ 124.5 × 90.2 cm (Hampton University Museum, Hampton, VA)

"Banjo Lesson"

History 

Henry Ossawa Tanner was the first African American famous artist that was acknowledged. He lived most of his art education in France and was well known for his biblical painting. Banjo Lesson was his most famous painting. His mother was born in slavery and escaped to the North through the underground railroad. His father was a minister who chose Henry's middle name, Osswa. He is named after Osawatomie, Kansas, where racist southerners bloodily beat abolitionist John Brown. After he contracted an illness, his doctor gave him a prescription to breathe the mountain air. So he went to North Carolina, where he experienced racism up close. After this influence, he painted such a moving painting. 

Tone

The painting has a dark tone overall. The setting seems to be a run-down building where many poor people may have lived. This building seems to have no electricity, but it is kindled by a candle or lamp light. There are two different sources of light. One is natural sunlight, and the other is artificial light. The tone of the shades of color makes it clear. There is a pale sunlight tone highlighting the banjo teacher and the banjo student.

Color

He used excellent highlighting skills with a mix of choices of color. He used a lighter shade of the wall color to make the illusion of pale sunlight coming through someplace out of view. On the other side, a warmer light seems like some sort of flame from a candle or oil lamp. His choice of color shows how he can make the illusion of shadows on the wall. His choice of color is so perfect that he uses yellow and orange on the tablecloth, reflecting the warm flame light. 

Texture

The painting is not significant in texture because it looks like the artist used strap techniques. Everything is hazy, and it is hard to see texture within the painting. An essential part of the painting is where the fuzzy texture has to be just right. The hair of the banjo teacher is the perfect texture. It depicts what the natural hair of an African American might look and feel. He has afro-type hair that shows a distinct receding hairline. The banjo student also has the same type of hair. It is much shorter and fuller, so his hair is much closer together, so not much texture can be visible.

Sir William Orpen, “Sergeant Murphy & Things,” circa 1923,
oil on canvas, 29 1/2 x 40 in. (c) The Sporting Art Auction 2016

"Sergeant Murphy & Things"

History
This painting was Sir William Orpen's first horse portrait. He was a war artist till after WWI. Now that the war was over, he had time to paint something else other than war art pieces. Most of his paintings are portraits of war heroes or scenes of war. Orpen’s full name is Sir William Newenham Montague Orpen. He was born in Ireland, and he died in London, England. 
Texture
This portrait has many texture features. The grass looks very dry yet still green. They are sharp and edgy compared to the soft flat green grass the horse in the background is trotting on. The horse is shiny and well groomed. The clouds are rolling and fluffy in the sky. It looks like a perfect game for an auction or race. The clothing of the people standing in front of the horse is very detailed. I can almost see every fiber crisscrossing to make the cloth. Their leather boots are shiny and look like they were just polished. 
Color 
All the colors are standard, and it is what would expect of a portrait. The colors of the jockey and the auctioneer's clothes are everyday clothes. Most jockeys had white pants with their sporting jacket. The color of the sky seems like a typical cloudy day with a mix of yellows and silver linings. The color of the horse is not just one color. 
Value 
Even though he is a brown horse, the artist uses different shades of dark and black to show the muscles of the horse. Then uses bright tan to highlight the parts where the fur of the horse shines in the sun. The brightness of the value makes the horse look glossy. The value of the colors shows plenty of shadows where would expect them. The shadow under the horse, even the shadow under the madman's hat where half his face is hidden is well constructed. Being oil on canvas painting gave the artist the tools it needed to build value, pigmented color, and texture within the painting.

‘Job’ by William Orpen (1905).Oil on canvas. 22 x 27 inches.
 Provenance with Pyms Gallery, London.

"Job"

History

Sir William Orpen’s earlier paintings were mainly portraits of war and other heroic figures. His portraits included judges, generals, landowners, politicians, and theatre people. In his later painting, he painted gypsies and spirituals that lost their way, and we are looking for an escape from darkness. The man in this painting is of humble origins. Orpen risked his reputation by painting this man because painting other than a hero seemed lesser than painting common folk. Texture The texture of this painting is incredible. The weathered hands of the poor man and his white curly hair are very detailed. His skin is rough and dirty as if he had a rough life. The tone muscles on his body, even though aged, he still is in great shape. You can see every muscle and wrinkle on his naked body. He must have been working all his life to make a living. Tone He has a dark background to show that it is a sad, dark, twisty story. However, the man in the center of attention is bright as if a spotlight is on him. Also, the houses in the background are bright as well. It may as well be that Orpen wanted to draw the attention of the view to the man and the houses and keep their focus there. With oil paint, the artist can keep quality pigment to remain that desired darkness. The town’s folk that seem to be mocking the naked man are not as bright, but they are still bright enough to make out their faces and appearance. The choice of having dark or light tones focuses the viewer's attention and is very skilled of Orpen. Color The painting has all neutral colors. The only other color in the painting is the sliver of blue sky, the red shingles on the rooftops, and the red comb of the chickens. Artists can use neutral colors to give the illusion of a highlighting effect and make an object seem more realistic. Light hits different areas of surfaces when there is texture or depth to the object. Neutral colors are safer to use than other colors because they are everywhere. However, if used too often, it can lose individuality, so I believe that is why Orpen put flashes of color to counteract the neutral colors. Even though it was not much, it still made the painting more balanced. 

"The Pacific Club", Georgina Klitgaard

1893-1976

Provenance: Fletcher Gallery

"The Pacific Club"

History

The Pacific club is not only a painting but a place where a sailor kept his office and warehouses. It is the only 18th-century building left standing in Nantucket. Nantucket is a tiny island 30 miles off of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The island and the building has a long history of Whaling. 

Texture

The texture of the painting is mainly smooth seeing that the painting is oil on canvas. Usually, old building have cracks and the paint peels off. We don’t see this in the painting. The artist chooses to give it a smoothed-out feel. The path and dirt seem to have rocks paved over. The lines in the dirt made it look like there were flat rocks that were bricked together. Leaves on the tree were fluffy and not much textures but they were makeable to be leaves that had pointy sharp edges. 

Line 

Lines in the painting are straight forward. The poles in the background are pointing up in the harbor. The branches of the tree doesn’t completely match the picture of the actual tree in front of the building. The tree branches actually look more symistric than the real life tree. The artist choose to keep the painting smooth. Oil on canvas can have a lot of texture but in this painting it seems like a water color painting with bold colors.

Color

The coloring in the painting has a lot of shadows. The tree casts a beautiful shadow on the side of the building. The painter uses a perfect shade of the building to make it see like a perfect shadow. The artist gives the illusion of having a sun casting its rays down. The artist is also spot on where the shadows should be based on the estimated position of the sun. The sky is gloomy because of the choice of color for the sky and surrounding clouds. 

"Spring Migration"
Georgina Kiltgaard, Nantucket Island
oil on canvas, 22 x 30 inches

History Georgina Klitgaard did many paintings of Nantucket Island. This painting depicts many migrating seabirds, and Nantucket island is one of the stops they make. Georgina Kilgraard is an American artist born in New York, graduated from Barnard College, and studied at the National Academy of Design. She was very pronoun for painting view from above scenes of New York. She specialized in landscape painting, and the semi-wilds of Nantucket attracted her eye. Color Kiltgaard has chosen beautiful colors to show how fantastic landscape painting can be. Her oil pigmented paints are bold for the lush surrounding of the pond. The buses have a lovely red which are probably small flowers in bloom. The pond is a beautiful blue with the sparkling reflection of the blue sky. The birds are pure white and gray, making them look like they have an above-white coat with a gray undercoat to match their real-life appearance. The sky has a hint of gray that indicates that the sky is cloudy after a downpour of rain, and the rains have finally cleared. The ocean is in view, and white mist is like light fog.

References

-, U. (2016). Oil painting techniques. William Orpen painter. Retrieved July 25, 2022, from https://www.oil-painting-techniques.com/analysis-william-orpen.html

-, U. (2016, September 22). The Pacific Club - A Look Back. Yesterdays Island, Todays Nantucket. Retrieved July 25, 2022, from https://yesterdaysisland.com/pacific-club-look-back/

-, U. (2021). | fichera fine art. Susanna J. Fichera Fine Art. Retrieved July 25, 2022, from http://ficherafineart.com/artists/georgina-klitgaard/

-, U. (2022). Georgina Klitgaard American (1893-1976) "The Pacific Club," nantucket oil on canvas, signed lower right "G. Klitgaard," signed, numbered, titled and inscribed on the stretcher "87, Bearsville, NY" 22 x 28 inches provenance: Fletcher Gallery, Woodstock, New York; Private Collection, Connecticut. other notes: The Pacific Club was housesd in the only surviving 18th century structure in Nantucket. originally a warehouse for ship captains, then a U.S. Customs office and eventually a gathering place for mariners for local mariners. for more information on the Pacific Club, see "the pacific club-a look back" framed dimensions - 27 x 32 3/4 x 1 1/2 inches tags: Nantucket, oil painting, listed artist, Woodstock Art Colony, 20th Century. Lot - GEORGINA KLITGAARD, American (1893-1976), "The Pacific Club," Nantucket, oil on canvas, signed lower right "G. Klitgaard," signed, n... Retrieved July 25, 2022, from https://www.shannons.com/auction-lot/georgina-klitgaard-american-1893-1976-the-pa_81F45F4867

Jalli, A. (2021, September 29). Neutral colors: What are they? why use them? Medium. Retrieved July 25, 2022, from https://bootcamp.uxdesign.cc/neutral-colors-1fc82ea81c71

Khalid, F. (2016, September 9). Henry Ossawa Tanner, the banjo lesson. Smarthistory. Retrieved July 25, 2022, from https://smarthistory.org/tanner-banjo/

Lee, D. (2019, May 28). 'job' by William Orpen - Christie's | sir William Orpen blog. www.sirwilliamorpen.com. Retrieved July 25, 2022, from http://www.sirwilliamorpen.com/job-by-william-orpen-at-christies-london-auction-18th-june-2019/

Oil painting. Oil Painting: History, Famous Paintings in Oils. (2022). Retrieved July 25, 2022, from http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/oil-painting.htm#:~:text=The%20main%20advantages%20of%20oil,than%20other%20types%20of%20paint. https://moa.byu.edu/why-do-artists-use-oil-paint/

Webster, A. (2016, November 17). Featured lot: Sir William Orpen, "sergeant murphy & things". Fine Art Connoisseur. Retrieved July 25, 2022, from https://fineartconnoisseur.com/2016/11/featured-lot-sir-william-orpen-sergeant-murphy-things/