painterly
adjective
paint·er·ly
ˈpān-tər-lē 
2
: suggestive or characteristic of a painting or of the art of painting
painterly photography
especially
: marked by an openness of form which is not linear and in which sharp outlines are lacking
painterly brushwork
painterliness
noun
Examples of painterly in a Sentence
He has a painterly eye.
a painterly picture of the sea
Recent Examples on the Web
The literal collaging in her work complements and sometimes contradicts her purely painterly juxtapositions.
—
Barry Schwabsky, ARTnews.com, 5 Nov. 2024
Izumo at once conjures a watery horizon and the painterly glaze of a ceramic pot; Rhea and Kasos reference Japanese shibori dye; Caspia, covered in leafy fronds, and Moth Weave both feel ever so Art Nouveau.
—Hannah Martin, Architectural Digest, 16 Oct. 2024
Falkenstein’s mural amply demonstrates the painterly skills of an artist better known as a sculptor (a fine wall relief and four less interesting sculptures are also on view).
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024
Unlike Breath of the Wild or last year’s Tears of the Kingdom, which dazzled with their painterly landscapes and awe-inspiring scale, Echoes of Wisdom is bite-size and cute with a world that looks like a Playmobil set.
—Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for painterly 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Barry Schwabsky, ARTnews.com, 5 Nov. 2024
Izumo at once conjures a watery horizon and the painterly glaze of a ceramic pot; Rhea and Kasos reference Japanese shibori dye; Caspia, covered in leafy fronds, and Moth Weave both feel ever so Art Nouveau.
—Hannah Martin, Architectural Digest, 16 Oct. 2024
Falkenstein’s mural amply demonstrates the painterly skills of an artist better known as a sculptor (a fine wall relief and four less interesting sculptures are also on view).
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024
Unlike Breath of the Wild or last year’s Tears of the Kingdom, which dazzled with their painterly landscapes and awe-inspiring scale, Echoes of Wisdom is bite-size and cute with a world that looks like a Playmobil set.
—Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for painterly
Dictionary Entries Near painterly
Cite this Entry
“Painterly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/painterly. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share