Article: A glance at ancient and modern painting arts

History of painting

The history of painting reaches back in time to artifacts from pre-historic humans, and spans all cultures. It represents a continuous, though periodically disrupted tradition from Antiquity. Across cultures, and spanning continents and millennia, the history of painting is an ongoing river of creativity that continues into the 21st century. Until the early 20th century it relied primarily on representational, religious and classical motifs, after which time more purely abstract and conceptual approaches gained favor.

The oldest known paintings are at the Grotte Chauvet in France, claimed by some historians to be about 32,000 years old. They are engraved and painted using red ochre and black pigment and show horses, rhinoceros, lions, buffalo, mammoth or humans often hunting.

Example on Ancient art:

Egyptian painting has close connection with its written language - called Egyptian hieroglyphs. Painted symbols are found amongst the first forms of written language. The Egyptians also painted on linen, remnants of which survive today. Ancient Egyptian paintings survived due to the extremely dry climate. The ancient Egyptians created paintings to make the afterlife of the deceased in a pleasant place. The themes included a journey through the afterworld or their protective deities introducing the deceased to the gods of the underworld.

Also, lot paintings performances were done through the Middle Ages, European renaissance stage, 20th-century {modern art}, and then into 21st century{postmodern art}. Paintings could be affected by some philosophical theories like mannerism, modernism and realism, wars, and religions.

Developments in Eastern painting historically parallel those in Western painting, in general, a few centuries earlier. African art, Islamic art, Indian art, Chinese art, and Japanese art each had a significant influence on Western art, and, eventually, vice-versa.

Eastern paintings

The history of Eastern painting includes a vast range of influences from various cultures and religions. Chinese painting is one of the oldest continuous artistic traditions in the world. The earliest paintings were not representational but ornamental; they consisted of patterns or designs rather than pictures. Early pottery was painted with spirals, zigzags, dots, or animals. It was only during the warring states period (403-221 B.C.) that artists began to represent the world around them. Japanese painting is one of the oldest and most highly refined of the Japanese arts, encompassing a wide variety of genre and styles. The history of Japanese painting is a long history of synthesis and competition between native Japanese aesthetics and adaptation of imported ideas. The history of Korean painting is dated to approximately 108 C.E., when it first appears as an independent form. Between that time and the paintings and frescoes that appear on the Goryeo dynasty tombs, there has been little research. Suffice to say that until the Joseon dynasty the primary influence was Chinese painting though done with Korean landscapes, facial features, Buddhist topics, and an emphasis on celestial observation in keeping with the rapid development of Korean astronomy.

Islamic painting

Painting tradition within Muslim culture is strongly connected to architecture and calligraphy; it can be widely seen as used for the painting of tiles in mosques or in illuminations around the text of the Koran and other books. Some Muslim countries did cultivate a rich tradition in painting, though not in its own right, but as a companion to the written word.

In present days, painting by art students or professional artists in Arab and non-Arab Muslim countries follow the same tendencies of Western culture art.

Painting in the Middle East

The oil paintings started in the Middle East between the 5th and 9th centuries. During the 15th century, it grew to become an especially widespread artwork to spread westward. Then Painters found that painting based oil suffered from less staining and totally different oils will create totally different pigments and consistencies.

Concerning some Arab's countries contributions

Dubai has gone the commercial route with snazzy galleries, money-spinning auctions and international fairs; Abu Dhabi is importing the franchises of the Louvre and the Guggenheim museums. But when it comes to art, Qatar is trying to formulate a cultural heritage of its own. Mathaf, the Arab Museum of Modern Art, opened in December with a "commitment to modern and contemporary art from the Arab world." The first exhibition?in a converted school on the dusty outskirts of the state capital, Doha?is called "Sajjil: A Century of Modern Art," and it displays works by more than 100 artists from the 1840s to the present. The show's name comes from the Palestinian Mahmoud Darwish's poem "Sajjil, ana arabiy" ("sajjil" means "the Act of Recording").

Fun Facts about Oil Painting

Sometimes it might be nice to take a break, and enjoy researching art just for fun. There are many fun and interesting facts about oil painting.

•Oil painting is generally made up of some type of oil, typically linseed oil. Then, it is mixed and boiled with pine resin. This varnish was much-admired because of its luster and body. Various oils besides linseed oil that are normally used include walnut, poppy seed, and sunflower oils. Each type of oil creates a different look and dries at a different time.

•Oil painting was first used in Western Afghanistan. The medium made its way throughout Asia and the Middle East between the fifth and ninth century. It did not become popular, though, until its use in 15th century Europe.

•There are other types of media that are often used alongside oil painting. These types of media include resins, waxes, and varnishes. Sometimes oil paints are boiled in resins before use. Resins usually are pine or frankincense. These media can help protect the painting, give it shine, translucency and density.

•There is a modern oil paint that is heated to 265 to 280 degrees Fahrenheit first before painting and dries when it is cool. This kind of paint resembles normal oil paints and is often shown as oil paint.