Malereien

Malereien is the plural of Malerei in German and refers to paintings or painted works. The term covers a wide range of visual artworks produced by applying pigments to surfaces such as canvas, wood panel, paper, or walls. It encompasses traditional media like oil painting, tempera, and watercolor, as well as later media such as acrylic, gouache, and fresco. In contemporary usage, it also includes digital painting and mixed-media works that maintain painting as their primary practice.

Historically, Malereien trace a line through nearly all cultures that have used pigments, from prehistoric cave paintings to medieval panel paintings and European developments in the Renaissance, Baroque, and Romanticism, and into modern and contemporary practices such as Impressionism, Expressionism, and abstract painting. Non-Western traditions, including East Asian ink painting and mural traditions, have contributed to the variety of Malereien. Common genres include portrait, landscape, genre scenes, religious and mythological subjects, and still life.

Conservation and display are important aspects of Malereien. Museums and galleries preserve works through climate control, cleaning, and restoration, while private and public collections exhibit and loan paintings to the public. The term thus covers both historical masterpieces and contemporary works that shape visual culture.