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
Kurt Schwitters
Kurt Schwitters was a German Dada-associated artist who developed Merz collages from discarded papers and objects, often mixed with oil and watercolor.
Kurt Schwitters quick facts
Schwitters called his personal practice Merz, combining found material with painting, collage, assemblage, poetry, and graphic design.
| Born | 1887 · Hanover, German Empire (now Germany) |
|---|---|
| Died | 1948 · Kendal, England |
| Nationality | German |
| Movements | Dada (associated); Merz |
| Paint types | Oil Paint · Watercolor Paint · Gouache Paint |
| Painting surfaces | Canvas · Paper · Cardboard |
| Painting methods | Layering colored and printed fragments, attaching salvaged materials, painting with oil on reliefs and paperboard, and adding watercolor or gouache to collage |
| Common subjects | Abstract paper fragments, letters, tickets, geometric shapes, found objects, reliefs, and everyday waste |
| Notable works | Picture with Light Center · Revolving · N Watercolor 1 (The Heart Goes from Sugar to Coffee) · Mz 26, 48. Berlin |
| Other materials | Metal, cord, wool, leather, and scraps joined to an oil-painted canvas in Revolving |
Sources: MoMA: Kurt Schwitters collection, MoMA: Revolving, oil and materials on canvas, MoMA: Picture with Light Center, oil and papers on paperboard, MoMA: N Watercolor 1, watercolor on paper, MoMA: Mz 26, 48. Berlin, gouache and papers on paper.
Paint types used
Schwitters used oil in Merz reliefs and collages, watercolor on paper, and gouache alongside printed-paper cutouts.
Watercolor Paint
Watercolor paint is a water-based art medium made with pigment and a water-soluble binder, typically applied in transparent washes on absorbent paper.
Gouache Paint
Gouache paint is an opaque, water-based art medium made with pigment and a water-soluble binder, drying to a matte finish that can be reactivated with water.
Surface types used
His documented supports include canvas for oil and assemblage, paper for watercolor and gouache, and paperboard for oil-and-paper collage.
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.
Paper
Paper is an absorbent sheet material made from pressed fibers, with weight, sizing, and surface texture controlling moisture tolerance and paint behavior.
Cardboard
Cardboard is a lightweight, absorbent paper-based sheet material whose fibers and corrugated layers can soften or warp when exposed to heavy wet coats.
Painters similar to Kurt Schwitters
Ernst shared Schwitters's experimental collage practice, while Höch also cut and reassembled published imagery.
Max Ernst
Max Ernst was a German-born painter associated with Dada and Surrealism, known for uncanny scenes, collage, frottage, and scraped paint textures.
Hannah Höch
Hannah Höch was a German Dada artist who pioneered critical photomontage and combined printed imagery with watercolor, gouache, and painted abstraction.