plate no. 9159
A street in Cairo
Ivan Bilibin, 1921
recreation guide
Ivan Bilibin’s 'A street in Cairo' (1921) is an oil painting that falls within the genre of cityscape, depicting an urban landscape rather than natural scenery (Source 7). While Bilibin is historically renowned for his illustrations of Russian folk tales and Slavic folklore, inspired by medieval Russian art (Source 3), this work represents a departure into modern cityscapes. The artwork likely employs the structural principles of contour drawing to emphasize the mass and volume of the architectural forms, focusing on outlined shapes rather than minor details, a technique that conveys three-dimensional perspective and depth (Source 1). As an oil painting from the early 20th century, it adheres to traditional methods where paint is mixed with linseed oil or solvents, and layers are applied according to the 'fat over lean' rule to ensure stability (Source 2).
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions
materials
6 items
steps
5 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Canvas or primed panel | Support for the oil painting | — |
| Oil paints (various hues) | Primary medium for color and form | — |
| Linseed oil | Medium to thin paint and increase oil content in upper layers | — |
| Mineral spirits or turpentine | Solvent to thin paint for initial layers and clean brushes | — |
| Charcoal or thinned paint | For sketching the initial subject onto the canvas | — |
| Paintbrushes and palette knives | Application and manipulation of paint | — |
preparation
surface prep
The surface should be prepared to accept oil paint. While specific priming methods for this exact 1921 work are not detailed in the sources, traditional oil painting practice involves a stable ground. The artist likely began by sketching the subject onto the canvas with charcoal or thinned paint (Source 2).
underdrawing
The underdrawing likely involved contour techniques to establish the mass and volume of the street and buildings. Contour drawing emphasizes the outlined shape of the subject, conveying length, width, thickness, and depth without focusing on minor details (Source 1). The artist may have used continuous lines to create a silhouette of the architectural forms, relying on sensation and instinct to guide the line (Source 1).
underpainting
A monochrome underpainting (grisaille) may have been used, as traditional methods often involve establishing values before adding color. If a grisaille was employed, it would be allowed to dry completely before glazing and scumbling with oil to add yellow and red tones, similar to tinting an engraving (Source 8). This method allows the underlying painting to show through, creating depth and complexity (Source 8).
color palette
Earth tones and architectural hues
Ochres, umbers, and whites mixed with linseed oil
General use in depicting the street and buildings; specific hues are not detailed in sources, but Bilibin’s work often involves rich, illustrative colors.
Glazing colors (reds and yellows)
Transparent red and yellow pigments mixed with oil or varnish
Adding warmth and luminosity over a dry monochrome underpainting, as per traditional glazing techniques (Source 8).
composition
As a cityscape, the composition organizes urban elements into a coherent view (Source 7). The arrangement likely uses line to guide the eye through the street, shape to define buildings, and value to emphasize form and depth (Source 6). The sky is likely included as part of the view, contributing to the atmospheric conditions of the scene (Source 5). The composition balances positive space (buildings, street) with negative space (sky, gaps between structures) (Source 6).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the street and buildings using charcoal or thinned paint, focusing on contour lines to define mass and volume rather than fine details.
Tip — Ensure lines convey three-dimensional perspective, including thickness and depth, not just outlines (Source 1).
Contour drawing
underpainting
step 02
Apply a monochrome layer (grisaille) to establish values and forms. Allow to dry completely.
Tip — This layer should represent the scene without red and yellow tones, translating what would be left in nature if these colors were absent (Source 8).
Grisaille
first pass
step 03
Begin applying color using oil paint mixed with linseed oil or solvents. Follow the 'fat over lean' rule, ensuring each layer has more oil than the previous one.
Tip — This prevents cracking and peeling of the final painting (Source 2).
Fat over lean
refining
step 04
Glaze and scumble transparent and semi-opaque layers of color, particularly reds and yellows, over the dry underpainting to add depth and warmth.
Tip — Glazing adds transparent color, while scumbling allows the underlying layer to show through, creating a grey bloom or coldness if used over dark grounds (Source 8).
Glazing and scumbling
finishing
step 05
Adjust colors, textures, or forms as needed while the paint is wet. Use palette knives or rags to scrape or blend if necessary.
Tip — Oil paint remains wet longer than other materials, allowing for changes, but hardened layers must be scraped off (Source 2).
Wet-on-wet adjustment
critical techniques
Contour drawing
Used to emphasize mass and volume of the cityscape elements, focusing on outlined shapes and three-dimensional perspective rather than minor details (Source 1).
Fat over lean
A basic rule of oil paint application where each additional layer contains more oil than the layer below to ensure proper drying and prevent cracking (Source 2).
Glazing and scumbling
Traditional methods for adding color and depth over a monochrome underpainting, allowing the underlying forms to influence the final appearance (Source 8).
common pitfalls
- →Violating the 'fat over lean' rule, which can cause the painting to crack and peel (Source 2).
- →Focusing too much on minor details in the underdrawing, rather than the mass and volume of the subject (Source 1).
- →Applying glazes before the underpainting is completely dry, which can muddy the colors and compromise the technique (Source 8).
what the sources don't tell us
Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.
- ·Specific color palette used by Bilibin for this particular painting is not detailed in the sources.
- ·Exact dimensions and aspect ratio of the original artwork are not provided.
- ·Specific brushwork styles or texture preferences unique to Bilibin’s 1921 period are not explicitly described in the sources.
- ·Whether Bilibin used a grisaille underpainting for this specific work is inferred from general traditional practices, not confirmed by source text.
grounded in
The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.
The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Glazing and scumbling techniques over grisaille
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia: Contour drawing↗
- Contour drawing — part 1 — applied to Underdrawing technique and emphasis on mass/volume
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Oil painting — part 2 — applied to Materials, 'fat over lean' rule, and wet-on-wet adjustments
Wikipedia bio — Ivan Bilibin↗
- Ivan Bilibin — part 1 — applied to Artist background and general style context
Wikipedia: Landscape painting↗
- Landscape painting — part 13 — applied to Definition of cityscape genre
Wikipedia: Composition (visual arts)↗
- Composition (visual arts) — part 1 — applied to Compositional elements like line, shape, and space
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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