Night 6: Oil and the Masterpiece – A History of Light and Color in Art

On this sixth night, let’s step into another kind of light—the glow of art 🎨. Oil has done more than fuel lamps and machines; it’s been a cornerstone of humanity’s creative achievements. From illuminating late-night studios 🕯️ to enabling masterpieces that endure centuries, oil’s influence on art is as timeless as the works it helped create.

Oil Paints: Where Practicality Meets Creativity

Oil paints didn’t just revolutionize art; they redefined it. With slow drying times, artists could layer, blend, and experiment, creating works like Caravagio and Rembrandt’s portraits, and even Bob Ross’s happy little trees 🌲. 

Fun Fact: Oil paints date back to the 7th century, first used by Buddhist monks in Afghanistan. By the Renaissance, they became the medium of choice for Europe’s great masters.

Rembrandt's The Storm on the Sea of Galilee (1633) captures a dramatic moment of chaos and resilience, as sailors battle towering waves in a masterful depiction of nature’s fury and human perseverance.

Pigments and the Power of Oil

Oil made pigments pop. Ultramarine blue —once pricier than gold —and vermilion red, gained vibrancy and durability when mixed with oil, making paintings come to life. 🖼️

Fun Fact: Artists reserved ultramarine for the most sacred subjects, like the Virgin Mary’s robes, often leaving paintings unfinished until they could afford it.

Michelangelo's The Entombment is an unfinished masterpiece, believed to have been left incomplete due to the artist's inability to afford ultramarine blue.

Oil Beyond the Canvas

Oil-based inks  preserved knowledge in books and maps, fueling exploration and creativity. And in the 17th century, oil-powered streetlights earned Paris its nickname, “The City of Light” 🌍.

Fun Fact: These lights didn’t just illuminate streets—they sparked an era of cultural and artistic progress.

Edgar Degas's Mademoiselle Bécat at the Café des Ambassadeurs highlights the allure of artificial illumination in 19th-century Paris, the City of Light. Emilie Bécat performs with arms outstretched, but the true focus is the dazzling interplay of light: fireworks, a gas chandelier, glowing globe fixtures, gas jets, and a towering streetlight. The lithograph captures a moment where light becomes the star of the show, overshadowing the performer herself.

From Plant Oils to Petroleum

Modern art owes much to petroleum, from vibrant synthetic pigments to durable acrylic paints 🎨. Petroleum-based solvents like mineral spirits replaced turpentine, and acrylics revolutionized art with their quick drying times and versatility.

Fun Fact: Acrylic paints, invented in the 20th century, are entirely petroleum-based and now a staple for modern artists.

Oil has fueled creativity for centuries, from the natural oils of Renaissance paintings to the petroleum-based innovations of today. The next time you admire a masterpiece, remember the role oil played in making it possible. As Bob Ross might say, “We don’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents”—and oil has been one happy accident for the arts.

For those of you that find Bob Ross as soothing as we do (ASMR?) here's a Hanukkah gift --