Large scale art is more than just an oversized painting, it is larger than life, often massive enough to fill a room. Its impact is deliberate and it is meant to overwhelm by itself, command a space, and dwarf everything else that comes near it.

Enveloping the viewer and dominating interior spaces, large scale paintings create an impact. Artists and their patrons have utilized size to display power and prestige to impress their audiences. In 18th century Europe, history painting was considered to be the most important genre, above portraiture, still life, and landscape, and thus was executed on bigger canvases by artists like Jacques-Louis David and Benjamin West.