Impasto art is an entirely different technique, characterised by the thick application of paint to create a textured surface on the canvas. The paint is often laid on heavily and allowed to stand out from the canvas, adding dimension and tactile appeal to the artwork. Artists use various tools, such as brushes, palette knives, or even their fingers, to achieve the desired effect.
One of the most celebrated artists in the world of impasto is the Dutch master, Rembrandt van Rijn. In his iconic self-portraits, such as "Self-Portrait with Two Circles," Rembrandt expertly employed impasto to create depth and richness in his facial features and clothing. The thickly applied paint lends a sculptural quality to the painting, adding an intriguing play of light and shadow.
Image source: Rembrandt, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Perhaps the most instantly recognisable name associated with impasto is Vincent van Gogh, whose turbulent, expressive brushwork has become synonymous with the technique. In "The Starry Night" (1889), van Gogh applied paint in dramatic, swirling ridges that seem to pulse with energy, transforming the night sky into something almost alive. His vigorous, directional strokes were not merely decorative but deeply emotional, conveying a sense of movement and feeling that smoother techniques could never achieve.
Image source: Kevin Snow on Unsplash
Another towering figure is the Impressionist Claude Monet, who used impasto with particular brilliance in his later works. His celebrated "Water Lilies" series, painted as his eyesight deteriorated, features densely layered paint that gives the surface an almost mosaic-like quality. Standing close to one of these canvases, the viewer becomes aware not just of colour but of physical texture, as ridges and peaks of paint catch the light and shift with the viewer's perspective.
The technique found a bold new champion in the twentieth century with the Abstract Expressionist Willem de Kooning. His "Woman" series of the early 1950s features ferociously applied paint, often worked and reworked until the surface became a landscape in its own right. De Kooning frequently used large brushes and palette knives interchangeably, building up layers of pigment that recorded every gesture and revision, turning the act of painting itself into part of the subject.
More recently, the Scottish artist John Bellany and the German painter Anselm Kiefer have both pushed impasto toward new extremes, with Kiefer in particular incorporating materials such as straw, lead and ash into his thickly built surfaces, blurring the boundary between painting and sculpture. These works demonstrate that impasto is far from a historical curiosity; it remains a vital and evolving language through which artists communicate texture, emotion and raw physical presence.
Explore artworks by contemporary artists at Hancock Gallery that employ the impasto technique.
Header image by Stijn te Strake on Unsplash
