A Warrior’s Brushstroke: The Long and Colorful History of Oil Painting
Greetings Warriors!
Today, I want to walk you through a journey that’s not just colorful—it’s eternal. A journey soaked in linseed oil, pigments, and centuries of resilience. I’m talking about the art of oil painting. You know, the kind of painting that doesn’t just sit on walls—it breathes, it whispers through time, it survives empires and revolutions.
Oil painting, for me, isn’t just about technique—it’s about legacy. It’s about blending past and present, heartbreak and joy, thunder and silence, all into a single, enduring canvas. And if you’ve ever gazed into the eyes of Vermeer’s Girl with the Pearl Earring or traced the wild textures of Van Gogh, then you already know what I’m talking about.
But where did this ancient magic begin? Let’s rewind the timeline and uncover the full history of oil painting—from Buddhist caves to modern-day studios.
Buddhist murals located in caves behind the giant Buddhas of Bamiyan, Afghanistan, dating back to around 650 AD
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Origins in Dust and Spirit: The Bamiyan Murals of 650 AD
The story doesn’t start in a European gallery. No, it begins where you least expect it—inside the Bamiyan caves of Afghanistan, around 650 AD. Before oil paint became a European darling, Buddhist monks were already using oil-based paints to create sacred murals.
These murals weren’t created for fame. They were offerings, visual prayers. The monks mixed pigments with natural oils like poppy seed or walnut to decorate the walls of their cave temples with serene Buddhas, cosmic symbols, and vibrant mythologies. And guess what? Many of those murals still cling to the rock today, 1,300 years later.
That’s the first clue to the power of oil painting—it lasts.
A recent handout picture, released from the Japanese National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, shows an oil painting of a Buddhist image, discovered in a cave in Afghanistan's Bamiyan. (Japanese National Research Institute for Cultural Properties: AFP)
Resurrection Through Renaissance: Jan van Eyck and the Northern Revival
Fast forward about 900 years, and now we’re in the land of icy weather and golden halos—Northern Europe, during the early 15th century. And here comes our game-changer: Jan van Eyck.
While oil paint wasn’t new to the world, van Eyck didn’t just use oil—he mastered it. He fine-tuned the formula, adding heat-bodied oils and careful layering techniques that let light dance through glazes like stained glass.
When you look at his paintings—especially The Arnolfini Portrait—you see life. Reflection in a mirror, velvet that almost ripples, eyes that follow you like they’re watching your soul. His work took what had been a spiritual utility and turned it into emotional realism. That moment? That was oil paint’s rebirth.
Van Eyck didn’t just paint. He brought oil painting back to life—and the rest of Europe followed.
Jan van Eyck, The Arnolfini Portrait - 1434
What’s in the Paint? The Alchemy Behind Oil’s Glow
Oil paint is a mix of pigment (color) and oil (binder). In the early days, artists would grind their own pigments—minerals, plants, even bugs—and mix them with linseed, walnut, or poppy oil. These natural oils dry slowly, giving the artist plenty of time to layer, blend, and rework.
Over time, the industry shifted to pre-made tubes, which became popular in the 19th century—especially with artists like Claude Monet, who could now paint outdoors with ease. Modern oil paints have evolved too, often including stabilizers and synthetic pigments, but the core formula remains loyal to its roots.
And that’s the beauty—oil paint remains eternal because it refuses to be rushed. It dries when it wants to. It lets you breathe into the art.
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Johannes Vermeer, The Girl With The Pearl Earring - 1632-1675
A Dance With Time: The Durability of Oil Paint
Oil paintings are the ancient warriors of the art world—they survive centuries.
Why? Because once the oil oxidizes and hardens, it forms a durable film that protects the pigments. That’s why you can still see the luminous glow of da Vinci’s brushstrokes over 500 years later. Sure, they need a little TLC—controlled humidity, the right lighting, and occasional restoration—but they hold their ground.
The only real Achilles’ heel? Cracking.
As the oil ages, it can become brittle—especially if the underpainting dries faster than the top layer (a lesson in “fat over lean” for all you painters out there). But with proper care, oil paintings are basically time travelers. They outlive wars, kings, and even the artists who gave them life.
Leonardo da Vanci, Mona Lisa, 1517
Power and Precision: How Oil Paint Handles Like No Other
Here’s what separates oil from acrylics, watercolors, and digital screens—it’s tactile. It’s moody. It lets you decide how much you want to reveal, and how much you want to bury.
You can thin it down with turpentine or mineral spirits for translucent glazes, or pile it on thick with a palette knife for a three-dimensional punch. Want texture? Go thick. Want mystery? Water it down.
And here’s the secret sauce—oil paint stays wet longer than other mediums. That means you can blend your shadows into light without racing the clock. It gives you control over brushstroke visibility and texture. You can be subtle or loud, sharp or dreamlike. It’s all in your hands.
That’s not just painting—it’s storytelling.
Vincent Van Gogh, The Starry Night -1889
Cracks in the Canvas: The Downside of Oil Painting
As powerful as oil paint is, it’s not invincible. Cracking is the ghost that haunts even the most legendary canvases.
Over time, temperature shifts, vibrations, and humidity can cause the dried paint film to contract and split. That’s why museums keep the thermostat on lock. And why artists have to respect drying times and layer rules.
But here’s the thing, Warriors: even in its flaws, there’s beauty. Cracks in an oil painting are like wrinkles in an old soul—evidence that it lived, endured, and spoke to the world.
Gustav, The Kiss - 1908
Icons in Oil: The Girl with the Pearl Earring
Let’s talk icons. Let’s talk about Johannes Vermeer’s Girl with the Pearl Earring.
Painted around 1665, this masterpiece captures a fleeting moment—a young woman turning toward us, her eyes filled with light, her lips just parted, a pearl catching the glow. It’s often called the “Mona Lisa of the North,” but honestly? It’s got its own magic.
What makes it legendary isn’t just the subject—it’s Vermeer’s mastery of oil paint. The way he built soft glazes over firm underpainting. The luminous shadows. The emotional stillness.
You feel like you’re witnessing a moment stolen from time—and that’s what oil painting does best.
Renaissance Man - Inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci
The Warrior’s Legacy: Why Oil Painting Still Matters
In our fast-moving world of AI art, digital brushes, and instant uploads, it’s easy to think that traditional painting is becoming obsolete.
But oil painting isn’t going anywhere. You know why? Because it’s real. It’s skin and soul. It’s failure and mastery. It forces you to slow down, to connect, to bleed a little onto the canvas.
Every great artist—from Caravaggio to Basquiat—has felt the pull of oil under their fingers. And every great collector knows that oil paintings hold stories that digital pixels can’t replicate.
Oil painting is survival. It’s the warrior of mediums—flawed, enduring, stubborn, and deeply human.
Final Strokes
Warriors, if there’s anything to take from this tale of pigments and patience, it’s this: true artistry takes time. Whether it’s oil on linen, words on a screen, or dreams built in silence, the things that last are the things that demand effort.
So next time you stand before an oil painting, don’t just admire it—listen to it. Hear the centuries echo through the brushstrokes. Feel the fire of the artist who dared to make something eternal.
Because in the end, oil painting isn’t just a medium—it’s a mirror. And in it, we see the soul of humanity… lasting, cracking, glowing, becoming.
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Keep creating, Warriors. And may your legacy dry slow but shine forever.
