Oil Paint
Oil paint is a slow-drying art medium made with pigment and a drying-oil binder that allows extended working time, smooth blending, and layered application.
Painter
Joachim Wtewael
Joachim Wtewael was a Dutch Northern Mannerist painter from Utrecht celebrated for jewel-like oil paintings on copper, elaborate mythologies, biblical scenes, and portraits.
Joachim Wtewael quick facts
Wtewael retained the artificial elegance of Dutch Mannerism into the seventeenth century while painting both tiny copper panels and large canvas narratives. He also worked as a merchant and Utrecht civic official.
| Born | 1566 · Utrecht, Habsburg Netherlands (now Netherlands) |
|---|---|
| Died | 1638 · Utrecht, Dutch Republic (now Netherlands) |
| Nationality | Dutch (Netherlandish) |
| Movements | Northern Mannerism (Utrecht tradition, continuing into the seventeenth century) |
| Paint types | Oil Paint |
| Painting surfaces | Wood · Canvas · Copper (no surface page yet) |
| Painting methods | Finely detailed oils on smooth copper, wood-panel and larger canvas painting, compressed figures, vivid color, and varying formats of the same composition |
| Common subjects | Ancient myths, Biblical narratives, self-portraits, Holy Family paintings, romantic allegories, and the Golden Age |
| Notable works | The Golden Age · The Holy Family with Saints and Angels · Moses Striking the Rock · Self-Portrait |
Sources: The Met: The Golden Age (1605), oil on copper, Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza: Holy Family with Saints and Angels, oil on copper, National Gallery of Art: Moses Striking the Rock, oil on panel, National Gallery of Art: Wtewael exhibition including oil on canvas works, Centraal Museum: Wtewael Self-Portrait, oil on panel, Museo Thyssen: Wtewael biography and variety of supports.
Paint types used
The Met and Thyssen-Bornemisza identify The Golden Age and The Holy Family with Saints and Angels as oil on copper. The National Gallery of Art identifies Moses Striking the Rock as oil on panel. All are oil paintings, despite their different original supports.
Surface types used
Copper, wood panel, and canvas are documented original supports: the Met and Thyssen record copper; the National Gallery of Art records wood and canvas. Copper is described in the quick facts but has no tile because PaintZeal does not yet have a copper painting-surface reference page.
Wood
Wood is a natural, porous material with grain patterns and absorbency that vary by species and cut. Its surface may also contain knots, resin, or an existing finish.
Canvas
Canvas is a woven fabric support, commonly cotton or linen, used for painting and sold either raw or prepared with a compatible ground layer.
Painters similar to Joachim Wtewael
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Bartholomeus Spranger
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Giuseppe Arcimboldo
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