gemalten

Gemalten is the past participle of the German verb malen, meaning to paint. In addition to its verbal use in perfect tenses, gemalten also functions as an attributive adjective meaning “painted.” The base participle form is gemalt, which is used in finite or passive constructions (for example, Die Bilder sind gemalt or Die Wände wurden gemalt).

As an attributive adjective, gemalten appears before a noun and is declined according to number, gender, and case. The plural form gemalten is used with definite or indefinite determiners (and with no determiner) in plural contexts. Examples: Die gemalten Bilder hängen an der Wand. Die gemalten Bilder wurden restauriert. In the singular, the corresponding forms are different: Das gemalte Bild (neuter singular, definite article) and Ein gemaltes Bild (neuter singular, indefinite article).

Declension patterns illustrate how adjacency to determiners affects endings. With a definite article in plural: die gemalten Bilder (nominative/accusative). With no determiner in plural: gemalte Bilder. With a definite article in singular neuter: das gemalte Bild. With an indefinite article in singular neuter: ein gemaltes Bild. The predicate position uses the participle gemalt, not gemalten: Die Bilder sind gemalt.

In art-historical or descriptive writing, gemalten is common when referring to painted works or painted elements in the plural. The form gemalten is not a standalone verb form in predicative constructions but an adjective form that agrees with the noun it modifies.