History Painting
History painting is a genre of painting characterised by its subject matter rather than a particular artistic style or era.
The term 'history painting' was coined by the French Royal Academy in the 17th century. It was regarded as the most significant genre of painting, surpassing portraiture, scenes from daily life (genre painting), landscape, and still life painting.
Initially, it referred to paintings featuring subjects from ancient Greek and Roman history, classical mythology, and the Bible. However, by the late 18th century, history painting expanded to include modern historical themes, such as battle scenes depicted by artists like Benjamin West and John Singleton Copley.
The preferred style for history painting was classical and idealised, referred to as the 'grand style,' and it was collectively known as High Art.
2 results found for "History Painting"
Other words in the glossary
Building your collection? We can help.
Your questions, answered
We collaborate with artists to create both limited editions and works on paper.
A limited edition is part of a unique series of pieces. Limited editions are fixed in quantity, meaning we will only ever produce a certain number.
Framing options vary for each piece and are listed on the individual artwork pages. All pieces are framed with 90% UV acrylic glass.
Yes, 100%. We work directly with our artists to create editions that accurately represent their body of work. Additionally, every artist personally reviews and approves their final editions.
Each edition comes with a numbered Certificate of Authenticity (COA) signed by the artist. Additionally every edition will be signed, marked, or numbered on the edition itself.
Works on paper and some originals don't come with a COA.
No—the copyright is not transferred to the purchaser of the edition.
All the ins and outs can be found on our orders and shipping page.
