Development of Brush Strokes in Art History

Differentiating Artists

• Artists are distinguishable by:
  • Color selection
  • Subject perspective
  • Brush strokes

Historical Development of Brush Strokes

Middle Ages (5th Century - 1300s)

• Painting Mediums: Fresco and Egg Tempera
  • Challenges: Fast drying time, permanent nature
  • Techniques:
    • Blending strokes before drying
    • Painting in form direction to align visible lines
    • Glazing: Slow buildup of thin layers
    • Hatching & Cross Hatching: Rapid strokes in same or perpendicular direction
    • Direct Painting: Painting lines and shapes directly
• Michelangelo: Used cross-hatching in Sistine Chapel frescoes

Early Renaissance (Early 1400s)

• Oil Painting Introduction
  • Jan van Eyck: Perfected oil painting, enabling smoother blends and seamless brushwork
  • Techniques:
    • Side-by-side strokes with blending
    • Enhanced glazing power
  • Oil paint's longer drying time allowed for innovative applications

High Renaissance

• Leonardo da Vinci: Developed 'sfumato'
  • Softened form outlines, gentle shadow painting
  • Achieved lifelike, misty appearance

Late Renaissance and Baroque Period

• Titian (circa 1500):
  • Known for expressive, painterly brushwork
  • Introduced thick paint (impasto) for highlights
• El Greco:
  • Used very thick paint, unusual colors
  • Expressed emotion through textural brush lines
  • Used hog hair bristle brushes and palette knife
• Caravaggio:
  • Known for light use, seamless glazes, invisible brushwork

Baroque to Modern Influence

Baroque Period

• Rubens, Velázquez, Hals, and Rembrandt
  • Expanded impasto use for textures
  • Mixed thin and thick applications
  • Developed bravura (bold) brushwork
  • Introduced directional brush strokes

Landscape Painting (1800s)

• Jacob van Ruisdael: Emphasized natural texture
• John Constable
  • Painted realistic landscapes with lively brush techniques
  • Used impasto, reflected realism
  • Employed watercolor later in career

J.M.W. Turner

• Portrayed light and atmosphere innovatively
• Used both oil and watercolor
• Techniques:
  • Thin glazes, soft scumbling, impasto
  • Extreme directional brush strokes
• Influenced later Impressionists, including Claude Monet

Conclusion

• Brush strokes have evolved significantly, impacting artistic style and expression.
• Each era and artist brought unique innovations, influencing future generations.