Oil on copper painting is the process of creating artworks by usingoil paints withcopper as thesubstrate. This is sometimes referred to as "copper as canvas" becausecanvas is the most well known surface material used for oil paintings.
Oil on copper paintings were prevalent in the mid sixteenth century inItaly andNorthern Europe.[1] The use of copper as a substrate for an oil painting dates back toMedieval times.[2] TheFlemish masters and other artists includingJan Breughel the Elder,Claude,El Greco,Guido Reni,Guercino,Rembrandt,Carlo Saraceni,Ambrosius Bosschaert II,Copley Fielding andVernet painted on copper. They favored copper for its smooth surface which allowed fine detail, and its durability. Copper is more durable than canvas or wood panel as a support for oil painting, as it will not rot, mildew or be eaten by insects. Contemporary painters also use copper as a base for paintings, some of them allowing the metal or patina to show through.[3][4][5][6]
The old masters prepared the copper for painting first by rubbing it with finepumiceabrasive. The copper surface was then treated with garlic juice which is believed to improveadhesion of the paint. Finally a white or grey ground layer of oil paint was applied as aprimer. After drying the copper panel was ready for the artist to begin painting. Later artists used thepatina process, in which the copper isoxidized with the use of various acidic solutions, as part of the art work itself. The resulting patina orverdigris includes darkening of the metal, green and blue tones, depending on the chemical solution used. Patina is characterized by beautiful variated patterns and textures which occur on the metal's surface.[6][7][8]
![Dead Frog with Flies – 1630 Ambrosius Bosschaert[10]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aImage_of_the_painting_Dead_Frog_with_Flies.jpg)
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