Although ‘acrylic’ has become a generic term for any synthetic paint medium, acrylics are a specific type of manmade polymer that has become standard in the commercial paint industry as well as widely used by artists from the mid-20th century; most synthetic paint media in contemporary artistic use are based on acrylic emulsions. Acrylics are thermoplastic, have great optical clarity and excellent light stability, good adhesion and elasticity and resist ultraviolet and chemical degradation. Their unique surface properties, transparency and brilliance of colour, together with the possibilities they offer for indeterminacy, immediacy, randomness and the ability to rework immediately and to achieve extremely thin or thick surfaces, are qualities that have been exploited fully by such painting movements as Abstract Expressionism in the 1950s, and, subsequently, colour field painting, hard-edge painting and Pop art.

• painting... (cont.)
  • types... (cont.)
    • genre... (cont.)
      • France... (cont.)
        • Genre, §6(i): The 19th century: 1800–60
        • France: Barbizon school
          • Millet, Jean-François, §1: Life and work
        • France: Baroque
          • France, §III, 3(i): Painting & graphic arts, c 1620–c 1715: Mannerism & the influence of Caravaggio
          • Le Nain, §1: Family history and signed works
          • Le Nain, §2: Style and subject-matter
        • France: Fauvism
          • Dongen, Kees van
        • France: Impressionism
          • Degas, Edgar, §I, 5: The late works, 1890–1912
          • Forain, Jean-Louis
          • Impressionism, §2: Chronology
          • Pissarro: (1) Camille Pissarro, §1: Life and painted work
          • Renoir, Auguste, §1(ii): The Impressionist exhibitions, 1874–8
          • Renoir, Auguste, §1(iii): Life and work, 1879–89
        • France: Néo-Grec
          • Papety, Dominique
        • France: Neo-Impressionism
          • Neo-Impressionism, §1: Origins and theoretical background
          • Seurat, Georges, §1: Life and work
          • Signac, Paul
        • France: Orientalism
          • Constant, Benjamin
          • Ingres, Jean-Auguste-Dominique, §I, 9: Paris, 1856–67
        • France: Post-Impressionism
          • Cézanne, Paul, §I, 1(iii): Oil paintings: Period of synthesis, 1883–c 1895
          • Toulouse-Lautrec, Henri de, §1(ii): Success and decline, 1882–1901
          • Toulouse-Lautrec, Henri de, §2: Working methods and technique
        • France: Realism
          • Bonvin: (1) François Bonvin
          • Breton, Jules
          • Courbet, Gustave, §I, 3: Leisure and private life as subject-matter, late 1850s and the 1860s
          • Courbet, Gustave, §I, 4: Renewed political awareness in the 1860s
          • Realism, §2: Development in France
        • France: Rococo
          • Boucher, François, §I, 2(i): Life and work, 1734–64
          • Jollain, Nicolas-René
          • Troy, de: (2) Jean-François de Troy
        • France: 17th cent.
          • La Tour, Georges de, §2(iii): Composition and colour
          • Le Sueur, Eustache, §1(i): Early years and training, to c 1645
        • France: 18th cent.
          • Chardin, Jean-Siméon, §2: Figure subjects, early 1730s–1751
          • Dandré-Bardon, Michel-François
          • Greuze, Jean-Baptiste, §1(ii): The Italian journey, 1755–7
          • Greuze, Jean-Baptiste, §1(iii): Success in France, 1757–65
          • Jeaurat, Etienne
          • Lépicié: (2) Nicolas-Bernard Lépicié
          • Le Prince, Jean-Baptiste
          • Paintbox
          • Watteau: (3) François Watteau
        • France: 19th cent.
          • Antigna, Alexandre
          • Bazille, Frédéric
          • Cals, Adolphe-Félix
          • Dagnan-Bouveret, P.-A.-J.
          • Decamps, Alexandre-Gabriel
          • Lhermitte, Léon
          • Meissonier, Ernest
          • Puvis de Chavannes, Pierre, §1(ii): Decorative schemes and easel paintings, 1861–98
          • Robert, Léopold
          • Vuillard, Edouard, §1(i): Early work, to 1900
          • Vuillard, Edouard, §2: Working methods and technique
        • France: 20th cent
          • Bonnard, Pierre, §2: Travels and stylistic changes, c 1900–c 1920
          • Bonnard, Pierre, §3: After c 1920
          • Dufy, Raoul
          • Matisse, Henri, §5: 1910–17
          • Staël, Nicolas de
        • Germany: Baroque
          • Germany, §III, 3(i)(b): Baroque painting and graphic arts: After the Thirty Years War
        • Germany: Biedermeier
          • Schwind, Moritz von, §2: Narrative paintings and Reisebilder, 1840–67
        • Germany: Expressionism
          • Heckel, Erich
        • Germany: Gothic
          • Garden, §VIII, 2(iv): Western medieval: Features
        • Germany: Neue Sachlichkeit
          • Dix, Otto
          • Neue Sachlichkeit
        • Germany: Romanticism
          • Symbol, §3: Indirect symbolism
        • Germany: 19th cent.
          • Germany, §V, 4: Interior decoration, c 1790–c 1900
          • Liebermann, Max, §1(ii): Mature work, 1894 and after
          • Munich, §II, 2: Art life and organization, c 1799 and after
          • Thoma, Hans
          • Worpswede colony
        • Germany: 20th cent.
          • Modersohn-Becker, Paula
          • Slevogt, Max
        • Hungary: 19th cent.
          • Szinyei Merse, Pál
        • Italy
          • Genre, §2: Medieval and Renaissance, to 1500
          • Genre, §3(ii): The 16th century: Italy
          • Genre, §4(i): The 17th century: Italy
          • Genre, §5(i): The 18th century: Italy
          • Specialization
        • Italy: bambocciate
          • Laer, Pieter van, §1: Life and work
        • Italy: Baroque
          • Caravaggio, Michelangelo Merisi da, §I, 3: Rome, c 1596–c 1599
          • Carracci, §II: (3) Annibale Carracci, §I, 1(i): Paintings: Bologna, 1560–95
          • Crespi (ii): (1) Giuseppe Maria Crespi, §1(iv): Bologna, 1709–22
          • Gentileschi: (1) Orazio Gentileschi, §2: Rome: The impact of Caravaggio, 1600–20
          • Manetti, Rutilio
          • Masters, anonymous, and monogrammists, §I: Candlelight Master
          • Miradori, Luigi
        • Italy: Mannerism
          • Allori: (1) Alessandro Allori
          • Naldini, Giovan Battista
          • Strozzi, Bernardo, §1: Genoa, c 1595–1630
          • Strozzi, Bernardo, §2: Venice, 1630–44
        • Italy: Realism (style)
          • Signorini, Telemaco, §1(i): Life and work, to c 1870
        • Italy: Renaissance
          • Savoldo, Giovanni Girolamo, §1(i): Life and work, before 1530
        • Italy: Romanticism
          • Costa, Giovanni
        • Italy: 16th cent.
          • Salini, Tommaso
        • Italy: 17th cent.
          • Cerquozzi, Michelangelo
          • Miel, Jan
          • Régnier, Nicolas
          • Rome, §III, 5(i): Art life and organization, 1601–1700: Artistic environment
        • Italy: 18th cent.
          • Longhi (iii): (1) Pietro Longhi
          • Piazzetta: (2) Giovanni Battista Piazzetta, §1(i)(c): Painting, 1730–45
        • Italy: 19th cent.
          • Carnevali, Giovanni
          • Cremona, Tranquillo, §1: Life and work
          • Fattori, Giovanni, §2: Middle period paintings, 1861–83
          • Lega, Silvestro
          • Venice, §II, 5: Art life and organization, after 1797
        • Italy: 20th cent.
          • Casorati, Felice
          • Morbelli, Angelo
          • Sironi, Mario
          • Turin, §II: Art life and organization
        • Japan
          • Japan, §VI, 4(iv): Late genre painting
          • Japan, §VI, 4(iv)(b): Late genre painting: Ukiyoe
          • Kano: (5) Kano Eitoku, §1: Before 1576
        • Japan: Edo period (1600-1868)
          • Kaigetsudo: (1) Kaigetsudo Ando
        • Japan: Impressionism
          • Kuroda, Seiki
        • Korea: 18th cent.
          • Kim (iv): (1) Kim Hong-do
        • Mexico
          • Tamayo, Rufino
        • Native North Americans
          • Begay, Harrison
        • Netherlands, the
          • Genre, §4(iii): The 17th century: The Netherlands
          • Hooch, Pieter de, §1(i): Early life and early work in Delft, 1629–c 1661
        • Netherlands, the: Baroque
          • Hals: (1) Frans Hals, §1: Life and work
          • Rembrandt van Rijn, §I, 4(i): Success and personal misfortunes, c 1641–c 1655: Paintings
        • Netherlands, the: Early Netherlandish style
          • Urban life, §1: Before 1800
        • Netherlands, the: Renaissance
          • Lucas van Leyden, §2(ii): Paintings
        • Netherlands, the: 15th cent.
          • Masters, anonymous, and monogrammists, §I: Master of the Brunswick Diptych
        • Netherlands, the: 16th cent.
          • Aertsen, Pieter
        • Netherlands, the: 17th cent.
          • Baburen, Dirck van
          • Borch, ter: (2) Gerard ter Borch (ii), §1(iii): Genre painting, 1648–mid-1660s
          • Brugghen, Hendrick ter, §1(iii): Early Utrecht period, 1615–24
          • Brugghen, Hendrick ter, §1(iv): Mature Utrecht period, 1625 and after
          • Duyster, Willem
          • Honthorst, Gerrit van, §1(ii): Utrecht, mid-1620–28
          • Hooch, Pieter de, §1(ii): Amsterdam, c 1661 and after
          • Hoogstraten, Samuel van, §1(ii): Work abroad and in Dordrecht, 1651–78
          • Leyster, Judith
          • Maes, Nicolaes, §1(i): Genre and history paintings
          • Metsu, Gabriel, §2: Amsterdam, 1657 and after
          • Mieris, van: (1) Frans van Mieris (i), §1: Life and work
          • Molenaer, Jan Miense, §2: Works
          • Neer, van der: (2) Eglon van der Neer
          • Netscher, Caspar
          • Ochtervelt, Jacob
          • Ostade, van: (1) Adriaen van Ostade, §1: Paintings
          • Ostade, van: (2) Isack van Ostade, §1: Paintings
          • Palamedesz., Anthonie
          • Quast, Pieter
          • Rombouts, Theodoor
          • Schildersbent
          • Science and art, §3(iii): Representation in science: Natural and geographical sciences
          • Steen, Jan, §2(i)(b): Stylistic development: 1660s
          • Steen, Jan, §2(ii): Subject-matter and sources
          • Studio, §II, 2(ii): History and development, c 1600–c 1700
          • Vermeer, Johannes, §I, 2: Middle period, c 1657–67
          • Vermeer, Johannes, §I, 3: Late period, c 1667–75
          • Vinckboons: (1) David Vinckboons, §1: Paintings
          • Wijck: (1) Thomas Wijck
        • Netherlands, the: 18th cent.
          • Mieris, van: (2) Willem van Mieris
          • Troost, Cornelis, §1(ii): Other works, c 1732–c 1749
        • Netherlands, the: 19th cent.
          • Allebé, August
          • Gogh, Vincent van, §1(i): Early life and training, 1853–86
          • Israëls: (1) Jozef Israëls, §1: Life and work
          • Mesdag, H. W.
        • Norway
          • Munch, Edvard, §2: The Kristiania Bohème and the first one-man exhibition, 1884–9
          • Oslo, §2: Art life
          • Werenskiold, Erik
        • Poland
          • Podkowinski, Wladyslaw
        • Portugal
          • Bordalo Pinheiro: (2) Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro, §2(i), Portraiture
          • Silva Porto, António
        • Russia: Critical Realism
          • Perov, Vasily
        • Russia: Neo-primitivism
          • Russia, §IV, 2(iii): Painting, graphic arts and sculpture, c 1900–1916
        • Russia: 19th cent.
          • Fedotov, Pavel
          • Maksimov, Vasily
          • Venetsianov, Aleksey
        • Scotland
          • Edinburgh, §2: Art life and organization
          • Scotland, §III, 2: Painting and graphic arts, 1700–1850
          • Scott (i): (2) William Bell Scott
          • Wilkie, David, §1(ii): London, 1805–25
        • Spain: 17th cent.
          • Murillo, Bartolomé Esteban, §1(ii): Life and work, 1645–57
          • Murillo, Bartolomé Esteban, §1(iv): Life and work, c 1665–1682
        • Spain: 18th cent.
          • Paret, Luis
        • Spain: 19th cent.
          • Fortuny: (1) Mariano Fortuny y Marsal, §2: Rome and Morocco, 1858–70
          • Rosales Martínez, Eduardo
          • Sorolla y Bastida, Joaquín
          • Spain, §III, 4(ii): Painting & graphic arts, c 1750–c 1900: Costumbrismo & the reign of Isabella II
        • Sweden: 17th cent.
          • Ehrenstrahl, David Klöcker
        • Turkey
          • Turkey, §5: Art education
        • United States of America: Barbizon school
          • Hunt: (1) William Morris Hunt
        • United States of America: 18th cent.
          • Pratt, Matthew
        • United States of America: 19th cent.
          • Bingham, George Caleb
          • Chase, William Merritt
          • Johnson, Eastman
          • Mount, William Sidney
          • Remington, Frederic
          • Wild West and frontier art
        • United States of America: 20th cent.
          • Hopper, Edward
          • Prendergast, Maurice
      • grisaille see GRISAILLE PAINTINGS
      • hard-edge
        • Abstract art, §6: Geometric and monochrome abstractions of the 1950s
        • Abstract art, §7: Post-painterly Abstraction, Op art, Minimalism & other objective forms of the 1960s
        • Hard-edge painting
        • Australia
          • Watkins, Dick
        • United States of America
          • Post-painterly Abstraction
        • United States of America: 20th cent.
          • Nolde, Emil, §1: Training and early work, to 1912
      • history
        • Academy, §4: The influence of the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture
        • Expression, §1(i): Western: Expression as representation
        • History painting
        • History painting, §I: Before c 1760
        • History painting, §II: After c 1760s
        • Picturesque, §1: Origins