painting

painting — noun

1. an image — usually on canvas, paper, or a wall — that an artist has produced wit

1.nounA2
Definition

an image — usually on canvas, paper, or a wall — that an artist has produced with paint, often hung up so that people can look at it.

Example

Marta hung her grandmother's painting of the harbour above the fireplace.

a painting of [subject]

The museum bought a small painting by Van Gogh for nine million dollars.

a painting by [artist]

Common collocations
  • oil painting
  • watercolour painting
  • an original painting
  • hang a painting
  • frame a painting
Synonyms
  • picture

    broader — any image, including photos and drawings, not just paint

  • canvas

    emphasises the cloth surface; common in art-world talk

  • portrait

    specifically a painting of a person

  • landscape

    specifically a painting of countryside or scenery

Grammar Patterns

a painting of [subject]

a painting by [artist]

Usage Note

Countable in this sense — you can say 'a painting' or 'three paintings'. Distinguish from sense 2, which names the activity and is uncountable.

Common Mistakes

I bought a painting picture.
I bought a painting.
'painting' already means a picture made with paint; don't add 'picture'.
He showed me his paintings on the wall' (when there is one).
He showed me his painting on the wall.
use the singular for one artwork.

2. the activity of using paint — either to create art on canvas or paper, or to cov

2.nounA2
Definition

the activity of using paint — either to create art on canvas or paper, or to cover a wall, door, or other surface with colour.

Example

Lucia took up painting after she retired from her teaching job.

take up painting

The kitchen needs painting before the new family moves in next month.

[surface] needs painting

Common collocations
  • take up painting
  • enjoy painting
  • teach painting
  • finish the painting
Synonyms
  • decorating

    for walls and rooms; suggests a wider job than just paint

  • art

    much broader — includes drawing, sculpture, etc., not only paint

Grammar Patterns

take up painting

do some painting

Usage Note

Uncountable in this sense — never 'a painting' or 'paintings' when you mean the activity. Covers both fine art (with brushes on canvas) and household decoration (with rollers on walls); the surrounding words tell you which is meant.

Common Mistakes

She enjoys a painting on Sundays.
She enjoys painting on Sundays.
the activity is uncountable; no 'a'.
The wall needs to painting.
The wall needs painting.' OR 'The wall needs to be painted.
after 'need' use the -ing form or a passive infinitive.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words name a flat, framed image, but they differ in what made the image and what it shows. 'Painting' is the everyday word for any artwork produced with paint — oil, watercolour, or acrylic — and is the natural choice when you walk into a gallery and point to the wall. 'Picture' is the broadest term and covers paintings, photographs, and drawings alike, so it tells the listener little about the medium. 'Portrait' narrows the subject to a person or small group, while saying nothing about technique. 'Drawing' specifically means an image made with pencil, pen, or crayon — never with a brush and paint. 'Canvas' picks out the cloth surface itself; collectors often say 'a beautiful canvas' to sound knowledgeable. So: 'Look at this painting of my dog' (general), 'Look at this portrait of my dog' (the dog is the subject), 'Look at this drawing of my dog' (no paint involved).

painting ↗picture ↗portrait ↗drawing ↗canvas ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • oil painting
  • watercolour painting
  • wall painting
  • cave painting
  • finger painting

Phrases

  • a work of art
  • a piece of art
  • take up painting
  • the art of painting

Prepositions

  • painting of
  • painting by
  • painting on
  • painting in (oils, watercolour)

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

'Painting' is the -ing form of the verb 'paint', which English borrowed from Old French 'peindre' in the 13th century. 'Peindre' itself comes from Latin 'pingere', meaning to draw, mark, or colour — the same root that gives us 'picture' and 'pigment'. The noun use, meaning either the activity or the finished image, was already common in Middle English by the 1300s, so the two senses have lived side by side for over seven hundred years.