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How do I identify an oil painting?

1 Answer
How do I identify an oil painting?
To identify an oil painting, look closely at its surface. Compared to other paintings, pieces produced in oils usually show off a variety of textures across the canvas, and the paint will appear layered on. If you're looking to determine the name, age or creator of a work, try snapping a photo with your smartphone’s camera and conducting a reverse image search online. Shop a diverse assortment of oil paintings on 1stDibs.
1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2024
Shop for James Hartman Art on 1stDibs
Marina Cyclists, Oil Painting
By James Hartman
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Artist James Hartman captures the meeting point of the Berkeley Marina and San Francisco Bay in this expressive California landscape. A favorite Bay Area spot t...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist More Art

Materials

Oil

Miwok Trail, Oil Painting
By James Hartman
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A trail winds through trees, drawing the eye toward distant water. Verdant lands emerge in the distance while pale violet hills glow under a peach-hued sky. Art...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art

Materials

Oil

Through the Trees, Oil Painting
By James Hartman
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Artist James Hartman began this painting by creating texture with homemade tools. He envisioned standing at the edge of the woods, looking through to an indistinct light. The oil colors were allowed to drip and settle into the textured surface, enhancing depth and movement, while his tools helped define the landscape in a way that captures shifting light.


About the Artist
When James Hartman was in art school, he became fascinated with the Society of Six, a group of artists who painted en plein air (outdoors) and exhibited together in the San Francisco Bay Area during the early 20th Century. James's paintings of the Northern California landscape pay tribute to some of the great Bay Area artists of the past. His expressive scenes feel alive through his vibrant use of color and his painterly brushwork. James’s paintings have an immediate visual impact from a distance, yet up close, dissolve into a series of confident marks and strokes. There is a simultaneous complexity and steadiness in his flattened, color-blocked planes. Knowledge and observation are essential elements of James’s working practice. To this end, he spends a large proportion of his time painting on location. His body of work captures the fresh and sunlit essence of the coastal California hills.


Words that describe this painting: trees, texture, bright, woods, sunlight, panoramic, forest...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist More Art

Materials

Oil

Afternoon Colors, Oil Painting
By James Hartman
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A path leads to Mt. Diablo in this Fauvist landscape. Artist James Hartman used thick layers of oil paint to create an expressive and textured outdoor scene. In...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist More Art

Materials

Oil

Still Life with Wildflowers, Oil Painting
By James Hartman
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Vases and pots support an array of textured wildflowers, standing out against a rich, dark background. A freeform stripe pattern on the tablecloth adds rhythm a...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist More Art

Materials

Oil

Along the Bay, Original Painting
By James Hartman
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A dirt path cuts between a golden field and the San Francisco Bay, leading to the rolling hills in the distance. Vibrant colors bring warmth to the scenery. Art...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art

Materials

Encaustic

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