On The Constructive Role Of Edge Lines In Western Oil Painting

As a product of different cultural backgrounds and consciousnesses,the edge line,as a product of visual culture,has gone from a mere pursuit of the real reproduction of objective things as an accessory to form,to a focus on the inner essence of objective things as a formal accessory,and finally to the value of an independent art language.The visual element of the edge line is a witness to this work of art which symbolizes the attitude of the mind and indicates the historical change of the concept of art.At the same time,the edge line,as a composition element,has a natural ability to capture images,so that in the creation of oil paintings,the images taken in the picture and the relationship between the objects established are the artist’s inner attitude towards the outside world.At the same time,the various ways of presenting the edge line in art works can be said to be a kind of information record of the artist’s exploration and questioning of things.Throughout the history of Western oil painting,initially in the medieval period,the outer form of the edge line was mostly closed and evenly thick,mainly used to limit the outline of the form and play a separating role,that is,forming a closed shape to separate from the background;and due to the significant discovery of perspective in modeling,the edge line in the Renaissance period was able to make the presentation of objects on the canvas more realistic;in the Classical period In the Classical period,the edge line was gradually hidden due to the continuous improvement of painting materials and techniques of using different light sources;until the modern and contemporary periods,the form of art works pursued a kind of freedom and purity,and the edge line was gradually released and developed into an artistic language "independent" of the picture.The edge line can be said to be ubiquitous in art works,and the division and definition of objects,the expression of picture space or form are all inextricably linked to the transmission of the edge line.By examining the causes of the edge line in different stages of Western oil painting,its role in the picture and the diverse expressions of different artists,this paper explores the different ways of handling the edge line and its constructive effect on the external factors of the picture,such as form,texture and space,as well as the inner spiritual metaphors.