THE ALLEGORY OF PAINTING

For the month of November, our gallery will be celebrating some of our finest painters, and we invite you to enjoy the exhibition. Wine will be served on Saturdays from 10:00 - 13:00.


Ochre, umber, sienna, terre verte, ivory black, veridian, vermilion, and rose madder all come to mind when one contemplates classical painting. The scent of genuine turpentine brings back memories of art school and studio visits in artists' creative spaces. Oil painting is more than a vehicle, it carries sensory memories and unconscious narratives.

The origins of oil painting date to at least the 7th century, when people used oil from walnuts and poppies to decorate the ancient cave complex in Bamiyan, Afghanistan.

Oil painting as we know it didn't become a widely used medium in Europe until the 15th century when Flemish painter Jan van Eyck created his oil paint formula. Van Eyck paved the way for artists to acquire vibrant pigments, glazing and velvet surfaces. Before the use of oil paint, artists employed tempera paint and Fresco techniques which were both restrictive in nature.

The Renaissance period in Europe was a symbolic rebirth of classical thought. This altered every aspect of modern civilisation, particularly art and literature. This era brought attention to the need for an alternative painting medium to egg-yolk tempera which was of use at the time. Artists recognized that oil paint produced a higher colour saturation and opacity and gave them the ability to add more depth to paintings.

The Art of Painting by Johannes Vermeer (1665) explores the complex relationship between art and history and the importance of the artist's role in society. In the work, a large curtain is drawn back revealing an artist painting a young model with a detailed map in the background. The painting was completed during the period of Dutch 17th century painting and the Dutch exploration and invasion of other continents.

The art of painting grew over the centuries to reach exceptional heights in the Romantic period. Delacroix's use of expressive brushstrokes and new interpretation of colour paved the way for later movements.

The invention of photography freed the painter from merely depicting the visible world. Painting became a vehicle for emotion and expression. Today we have cutting edge materials due to technological advancements. Acrylic paint, laser cutting, and various digital printing techniques leave the sky as the limit to artists. Paradoxically, however, there is a new revival of the practice of oil painting. This time-consuming discipline takes years to master. The relationship between the passing of time and value is emphasized and questioned in a world where everything is instant.