Can I use the verb "write" with paintings?

Question

This painting was written by Picasso.

vs.

This painting was drawn by Picasso.

I know the second sentence seems to be correct. What if the painting was drawn by a pencil? What if it was a child graffiti? Is it still unnatural to use "write"?

Answer 1

Unlike in some languages, paintings are not "written". The verb "write" implies the production of text, not art.

So you need to say "This painting was painted by Picasso".

This is rather repetitive, so you can say.

This is a painting by Picasso.

Or even

This is a Picasso.

To mean the same thing.

Answer 2

First, let's clarify some meanings:

• People sometimes use the word "painting" to refer to visual artworks produced without paint, such as those produced digitally, but some people insist that "painting" should apply only to painted works. Usage varies.
• "Writing" normally requires the production of text, although the meaning can be extended to figurative uses.

Now let's address your questions:

This painting was written by Picasso.

This is wrong, because a "painting" typically contains no or very little text.

This painting was drawn by Picasso.

This is possible, but if the work was made with paint, then "draw" would be somewhat unusual. We could instead say that it was "painted" or "produced" by Picasso.

What if the painting was drawn by a pencil?

In that case, it wouldn't really be a "painting" anymore, and "drawn" would clearly be correct. We use pencils to draw.

What if it was a child graffiti? Is it still unnatural to use "write"?

It depends. I prefer "draw" with graffiti (or "paint" if it's painted), but Google NGrams indicates that "paint" and "write" are most common:

I'd still recommend using "write" only if the graffiti contained actual text (words, numbers, etc.).