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
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The oil painting, which was painted by local artist Sarah A. Boardman and unveiled in 2019, will be taken down at the request of Republican leaders in Colorado’s state legislature, reported the Associated Press. Karen K. Ho, ARTnews.com, 25 Mar. 2025 The 1897 oil painting of an African prince is named after its subject, Prince William Nii Nortey Dowuona. Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2025 Vladimir Putin went further than that, commissioning an oil painting of Trump and sending it this month to the White House. Simon Shuster, TIME, 24 Mar. 2025 Next to it, an oil painting of Carl at about the same age. Alanna Nash, Variety, 4 Mar. 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 31 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

oil painting

noun
: a painting done with oil paints

More from Merriam-Webster on oil painting

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