plate no. 7914

A Street in Vichy

Konstantín Korovin, 1911

oil, canvasImpressionismcityscapecityscapebuildingtreesfiguresstreetcafe

what to study here

It shows how a street scene can be organized by one dark mass, one light mass, and warm mid-tones, with figures and foliage kept deliberately loose.

Start with the squint test. The painting reduces to three values: a near-black green tree mass on the left, mid-tone street and figures, and a pale building on the right. The trees take up nearly half the picture, so the dark shape does most of the compositional work. The cream facade with its red-brown roof is the light anchor, and it stays simple. Windows are quick touches, not drawn. The street is a warm tan, lit but not white, and the shadows under the trees stay warm rather than cold. Study how the figures near the cafe are handled: dabs of warm and dark color that read as people from a distance, with no articulation. The foliage is broad, loose strokes with no individual leaves. The lesson is restraint. Detail is held back so the light-against-dark contrast carries the scene, and the visible brushwork is left alone rather than blended smooth. Notice also how the entry path runs from the lit foreground street up to the facade and the cafe activity under the trees.

key decision

Korovin set a dominant near-black tree mass against a simple pale building and kept everything between them as warm mid-tones. Detail in foliage, windows, and figures is cut back so the value contrast carries the picture.

recreation guide

Konstantin Korovin’s 'A Street in Vichy' (1911) is a quintessential example of Russian Impressionism, characterized by its focus on atmospheric light and transient visual effects rather than rigid linear detail. As a cityscape, it falls within the genre of landscape painting that depicts urban environments, where the artist captures the interplay of light on paved surfaces and architectural forms (Source 5). The work likely employs the principles of simultaneous contrast, where colors are juxtaposed to enhance their vibrancy and create a sense of optical mixing, a technique central to Impressionist practice (Source 3). Korovin’s approach would involve capturing the 'great effects' of light and atmosphere, allowing smaller details to emerge spontaneously from the contrast of tones and hues (Source 3).

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

5 items

steps

6 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (primary set: Ultramarine, Cadmium Yellow, Vermilion/Red Ochre, White)	For building the color structure and glazes	—
Oil of Copavia or Linseed Oil	Medium for the initial underpainting and glazing layers	Stand oil or walnut oil for slower drying
Canvas	Support for the oil painting	—
Varnish	For final glazing and protection, if following the traditional method described	Dammar varnish
Palette Knife	For scumbling and applying semi-opaque layers	—

preparation

surface prep

The canvas should be primed with a traditional ground. While specific preparation for this exact canvas is not detailed in the sources, Korovin’s Impressionist style often involved working on a neutral or slightly toned ground to facilitate the glazing techniques described in historical practice (Source 1).

underdrawing

Impressionist artists like Korovin typically minimized visible underdrawing, preferring to sketch lightly with charcoal or thinned paint to establish composition without leaving hard lines that would interfere with the optical blending of colors. The sources do not specify Korovin’s exact underdrawing method, so a light, non-committal sketch is recommended.

underpainting

A grisaille (monochrome underpainting) is recommended, following the traditional method described in Source 1. This involves painting the composition in black, ultramarine, and white using oil of copavia as a medium. This layer establishes the value structure (chiaroscuro) and allows the artist to mentally extract red and yellow tones, focusing on the underlying form and light before applying color (Source 1).

color palette

Ultramarine

Pure pigment

Underpainting and cool shadows, consistent with the traditional method described (Source 1)

White

Lead White or Titanium White

Underpainting and highlighting, essential for value structure (Source 1)

Black

Ivory Black or Lamp Black

Underpainting for dark values (Source 1)

Yellow tones

Cadmium Yellow or Chrome Yellow

Glazing and scumbling to introduce warmth and light, as per the glazing method (Source 1)

Red tones

Vermilion or Cadmium Red

Glazing and scumbling to introduce warmth and contrast, as per the glazing method (Source 1)

composition

The composition should avoid exact bisections and place the center of interest off-center to maintain visual interest (Source 7). The horizon line should be positioned to emphasize either the sky or the street, depending on the desired atmospheric effect, rather than dividing the canvas equally (Source 7). The viewer’s eye should be led through the scene via lines and contrasts, ensuring that no spaces between objects are identical to create a dynamic structure (Source 7).

step by step

underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing

underpainting

step 01
Create a grisaille underpainting using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia. Focus on establishing the value structure and chiaroscuro of the street scene.
Tip — Ensure this layer is completely dry before proceeding. Mentally extract red and yellow colors to focus on form and light (Source 1).
Grisaille

first pass

step 02
Apply transparent glazes of yellow and red tones over the dry grisaille. Use oil as a medium initially.
Tip — Apply these colors much like tinting an engraving with watercolors, allowing the underlying monochrome to show through (Source 1).
Glazing

refining

step 03
Use scumbling techniques to apply semi-opaque layers of color, particularly over darker grounds to create coldness or grey blooms where needed.
Tip — Observe how the underlying painting makes itself felt through the semi-opaque layer. This helps in creating atmospheric effects (Source 1).
Scumbling
step 04
Enhance color contrasts by placing complementary colors next to each other to increase vibrancy and create optical mixing effects.
Tip — Be aware that juxtaposing colors will insensibly enfeeble the higher tone and heighten the lower tone, creating a true gradation of light (Source 3).
Simultaneous Contrast

finishing

step 05
Adjust values and hues by mixing colors with their complements to neutralize without shifting hue, rather than adding black or white which can cause unwanted hue shifts.
Tip — Adding black to yellows or reds can shift them toward green or blue; use complements for darkening to maintain hue integrity (Source 6).
Color Neutralization

varnishing

step 06
Once the painting is fully dry, apply a final glaze using a mixture of varnish and oil if desired, to deepen colors and unify the surface.
Tip — This step should only be taken after gaining sufficient mastery over the previous glazing techniques (Source 1).
Final Glazing

critical techniques

Glazing

Applying transparent coats of color over a dry underpainting to build up luminosity and depth. This was a method practiced by old masters and is described as tinting an engraving (Source 1).

Scumbling

Applying semi-opaque paint over a darker ground to create coldness or grey blooms, allowing the underlying layer to influence the final appearance (Source 1).

Simultaneous Contrast

Juxtaposing colors to enhance their vibrancy and create optical effects. This is crucial for Impressionist painting to achieve 'great effects' (Source 3).

Complementary Mixing

Using complementary colors to neutralize and darken hues without shifting the hue, avoiding the pitfalls of adding black or white (Source 6).

common pitfalls

→Adding black to warm colors like yellow or red can cause an unwanted shift toward green or blue; use complements instead for darkening (Source 6).
→Adding white to reds or oranges can cause a shift toward blue; correct this by adding a small amount of an adjacent color like orange (Source 6).
→Failing to let the grisaille underpainting dry completely before glazing can ruin the transparency and clarity of the final layers (Source 1).
→Placing the horizon line exactly in the middle of the canvas can create a static and uninteresting composition (Source 7).

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 details of the street scene in Vichy (e.g., specific buildings, figures, or objects) are not described in the sources, so the artist must rely on reference images or imagination for these elements.
·Korovin’s exact palette for this specific painting is not detailed; the suggested palette is based on general Impressionist practice and the glazing method described in Source 1.
·The specific brushwork style (e.g., dabbing, sweeping strokes) characteristic of Korovin is not explicitly described in the sources, though it is implied by the Impressionist style.

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 Underpainting, glazing, and scumbling techniques
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 6. Put beside each other two flat tints... — applied to Simultaneous contrast and color juxtaposition

cross-referenced from

Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.

Wikipedia: Color theory↗
- Color theory — part 6 — applied to Mixing colors with complements to avoid hue shifts
Wikipedia: Composition (visual arts)↗
- Composition (visual arts) — part 6 — applied to Compositional rules like horizon line placement and center of interest
Wikipedia: Landscape painting↗
- Landscape painting — part 13 — applied to Genre classification as cityscape

Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.

read from the painting

observed from the image, not the label

6 dominant colors, measured

what the eye sees

Bright midday light floods the street from above, creating a strong contrast between the shadowed tree mass on the left and the luminous pale building on the right. The composition is anchored by a cream-colored building with a red-brown roof in the middle distance, flanked by dark foliage that occupies nearly half the composition. Small figures cluster near a cafe structure in the left-center, their warm clothing accents punctuating the shadowed street. The eye enters through the lit street foreground and travels toward the building facade and the suggestion of cafe activity beneath the trees.

value structure

The darkest darks are the tree canopy (nearly black-green), creating a dominant shadow mass. The lightest lights are the pale building facade and the lit street surface. Between these extremes sit the mid-tones: the shadowed street and cafe area, the figures (mostly reading as warm darks or silhouettes), and the warm-toned roof. Squinting reveals a simple three-value structure: dark trees, mid-tone street and figures, light building.

observed palette and mixes

#2b2526
Prussian blue + raw umber + ivory black
deepest tree shadows and foliage on the left side
#483930
raw umber + Prussian blue
darker tree trunks and shadowed areas beneath canopy
#544a3c
raw umber + yellow ochre + touch of Prussian blue
mid-tone shadows on street and building sides
#75634c
yellow ochre + raw umber
shadowed street surface and mid-tone ground
#67513d
raw umber + cadmium red + yellow ochre
warm shadows and roof details
#958364
yellow ochre + titanium white + cadmium red
cream-colored building facade and lit street highlights

edges and brushwork

The foliage is handled with broad, loose strokes that suggest rather than define texture—no attempt at individual leaves. The building facade retains more structure but still uses loose application; windows are indicated with quick touches rather than carefully drawn. The figures are barely articulated, just dabs of warm and dark color that read as silhouettes from a distance. This economy of detail is essential: resist the urge to tighten or refine.

a working sequence

01
Establish the dark tree mass
Block in the large shadow area on the left with loose, directional brushstrokes using your darkest mixture (Prussian blue + raw umber + ivory black). This mass occupies roughly the left half and top third of the composition. Work around where the building will be, leaving a gap for the pale facade. Let the edges be soft and irregular, suggesting foliage texture with broken strokes.
02
Block in the pale building
Paint the cream-colored building facade on the right-center using your lightest mixture (yellow ochre + titanium white + touch of cadmium red). Keep this shape simple and rectangular. Don't worry about window details yet—just establish this as your light anchor. The contrast between this pale form and the dark trees will organize the entire composition.
03
Lay in the street and ground
Cover the lower two-thirds with a warm mid-tone tan (yellow ochre + raw umber), varying it slightly to suggest uneven ground and shadow. This street surface should feel lit but warm, not white. Leave some areas slightly darker under the tree overhang where shadow falls. This establishes the foreground depth.
04
Indicate the cafe structure and roof
Place a warm red-brown roof (cadmium red + raw umber + yellow ochre) just below and to the left of the building, angling downward to suggest recession. Below it, suggest the cafe entrance as a darker, shadowed opening. This is your focal point area where the most activity occurs.
05
Place figures and suggest human activity
Use loose, quick touches to place small silhouetted figures clustered near the cafe entrance and scattered along the street. Don't draw them—just apply dabs of warm mid-tones and cool shadows. A few figures can have a hint of warm clothing (touches of cadmium red or ochre). Keep them simplified; they should read as suggestions of people, not portraits.
06
Develop atmospheric perspective
Add slight coolness (touches of Prussian blue) to shadows on the shadowed street and in the deepest foliage. Warm up any foreground elements slightly with additional yellow ochre. The building facade should feel closer (slightly warmer) than distant tree areas. This temperature shift reinforces depth without overworking.
07
Refine edges and atmospheric effects
Work back into tree foliage with slightly lighter greens (mix Prussian blue + yellow ochre + titanium white) to add a subtle sense of lit foliage edges peeking through shadow. Soften the transition between trees and sky. Add a few final warm accents (cadmium red touches) on figures or cafe details. Let some brushstrokes remain visible; don't blend everything smooth.

where studies of this painting go wrong

Making the trees too uniformly dark or opaque—vary the brushstrokes and let some lighter tones peek through to suggest foliage texture and light catching leaves
Overworking the pale building facade until it becomes muddy or loses its luminosity—keep it simple and let the contrast with surrounding darks do the work
Turning the figures into carefully rendered people instead of loose silhouettes—remember they're far away; a dab of color is more convincing than a sketch
Losing the warm atmospheric quality by using too much pure white or too-cool shadows—this painting is anchored in warm earth tones; even shadows should read as warm-dark, not cold-dark

measured difficulty