Painterly

DEFINITION

A term descriptive of paintings where juxtaposition of color areas and arrangements of light and dark are more dominant than any sense of linear draftsmanship; brushstrokes are noticeable; and forms are defined principally by these color areas, and not by lines or edges. To describe a work as being Painterly means to suggest that the artist has responded to his or her subject matter in terms of color and light and dark rather than by well-defined realistic images. The word Painterly was first used by Heinrich Wolfflin, a German art scholar, in 1915 in his book "Principles of Art History". Sources: Ralph Mayer, "A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques"; Kimberley Reynolds & Richard Seddon, "Illustrated Dictionary of Art Terms"<br><br> An adjective used to describe a style of painting which is based not on linear or outline drawing, but rather patches or areas of color. In painterly two-dimensional images, the edges of forms tend to merge into one another, or into the background, rather than be separated by outlines or contours. Titian and Rembrandt are two artists with painterly approaches; Botticelli&#39;s work is not painterly, but more linear/drawing oriented.<br><br>A painting technique in which forms are created with patches of color, exploiting color and tonal relationships. The opposite approach is known as linear, in which things are represented in terms of contour, with precise edges.Examples of painting in this manner:Claude Monet (French, 1840-1926), Grainstack, Sun in the Mist, 1891, oil on canvas, Minneapolis Institute of Arts. See Impressionism.George Wesley Bellows (American, 1882-1925), Steaming Streets, 1908, oil on canvas, 38 3/8 x 30 1/4 inches (97.5 x 76.8 cm), Santa Barbara Museum of Art, CA. See Ashcan school.Hans Hofmann (American, born Germany, 1880-1966), Simplex Munditis, 1962, oil on canvas, 84 x 72 inches, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, CA. See push and pull.Works by Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606-1669), Robert Henri (American, 1865-1929), and Susan Rothenberg (American, 1945-) are also painterly, while the linear style is typical of paintings by Leonardo da Vinci (Italian, 1452-1519), Charles Sheeler (American, 1883-1965), and Keith Haring (American, 1958-1989).Also see paint and pastel.<br><br>A painting technique in which forms are created with patches of color, exploiting color and tonal relationships. The opposite approach is known as linear, in which things are represented in terms of contour, with precise edges.