plate no. 2396
A Venetian Balcony
William Merritt Chase, 1913
recreation guide
William Merritt Chase’s *A Venetian Balcony* (1913) is an interior scene executed in oil, reflecting his status as a leading American exponent of Impressionism (Source 2). While the specific visual details of this 1913 work are not described in the provided texts, Chase is historically documented for filling his studios and paintings with lavish furniture, decorative objects, oriental carpets, and exotic musical instruments, creating a flamboyant and richly textured environment (Source 3). His style, particularly in figurative and interior works, is characterized by a loosely brushed technique that captures light and atmosphere, a method he developed during his training in Munich and refined through his teaching career (Source 2, Source 3). The artwork likely employs the broad masses and atmospheric light typical of his plein air and interior studies, avoiding smallness or over-modeling in favor of expressive, confident brushwork (Source 4).
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions
materials
5 items
steps
6 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints (Ultramarine, White, Black, Red, Yellow) | Primary pigments for underpainting and glazing | Standard artist-grade oil paints |
| Oil of Copavia (or modern linseed/walnut oil) | Medium for the first and second paintings, as per Reynolds' method cited in technique guides | Stand oil or linseed oil |
| Varnish | Mixed with oil for glazing and scumbling to gain mastery over transparent and semi-opaque layers | Dammar varnish or modern painting medium |
| Canvas or Panel | Support for the oil painting | Linen canvas primed with gesso |
| Brushes (various sizes) | For applying broad masses and loose brushwork | Hog bristle and synthetic brushes |
preparation
surface prep
The surface should be prepared to accept oil paint. While specific priming methods for this 1913 work are not detailed in the sources, Chase’s training in Munich and adherence to academic traditions suggest a standard white or neutral ground. The technique guides suggest working on a dry ground to allow for glazing and scumbling (Source 1).
underdrawing
Chase’s loosely brushed style suggests that underdrawing was likely minimal or integrated into the initial paint application. The sources advise against being 'too much tied down to your outline' and recommend copying works that check 'any tendency to smallness' (Source 4). Therefore, the underdrawing should be loose and gestural, focusing on broad masses rather than precise contours.
underpainting
A grisaille (monochrome underpainting) is recommended based on the technique sources. The artist should mentally extract red and yellow colors, translating what would be left in nature if these colors were not present, creating a value structure in black, ultramarine, and white (Source 1). This aligns with Sir Joshua Reynolds’ method cited in the text, where the first and second paintings are done with oil of copavia using black, ultramarine, and white (Source 1).
color palette
Ultramarine
Pure ultramarine blue
Underpainting and shadows, consistent with Reynolds' method
White
Lead white or titanium white
Highlights and mixing in underpainting
Black
Ivory black or lamp black
Underpainting and deep shadows
Red and Yellow tones
Vermilion, cadmium yellow, or similar
Glazing and scumbling over the dry grisaille to introduce color
Grey
Mixed from black, white, and blue
Scumbling to create a 'grey bloom' and coldness over darker grounds
composition
Chase’s interiors are characterized by a lavish arrangement of objects, including furniture, carpets, and decorative items, which create a sense of depth and texture (Source 3). The composition likely uses broad masses to define space, avoiding small details. The artist should focus on the juxtaposition of colors and tones to produce chiaroscuro effects, where the highest tone is enfeebled and the lowest tone is heightened at the line of juxtaposition (Source 7). The arrangement should reflect the 'flamboyance' and decorative richness associated with Chase’s studio and paintings (Source 3).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the broad masses of the interior scene, focusing on the arrangement of furniture and decorative objects. Avoid precise outlines.
Tip — Check for tendency to smallness; keep lines broad and gestural.
Loose sketching
underpainting
step 02
Create a grisaille using black, ultramarine, and white with oil of copavia (or linseed oil). Mentally extract red and yellow colors to establish value structure.
Tip — Ensure the underpainting is quite dry before proceeding.
Grisaille
first pass
step 03
Apply the first layer of color using oil of copavia, focusing on broad masses and avoiding over-modeling.
Tip — Use Reynolds' method of first and second paintings with oil of copavia.
Direct painting
refining
step 04
Glaze and scumble with oil, introducing red and yellow tones. Use glazing for transparent coats and scumbling for semi-opaque layers.
Tip — Scumbling over darker grounds tends to coldness, creating a grey bloom.
Glazing and Scumbling
finishing
step 05
Refine the juxtaposition of colors to enhance chiaroscuro effects. Ensure that the highest tones are enfeebled and lowest tones heightened at boundaries.
Tip — Focus on great effects; many small ones will result spontaneously.
Simultaneous Contrast
varnishing
step 06
Apply varnish mixed with oil for final glazing if needed, ensuring mastery over the medium.
Tip — Use varnish and oil mixed only when sufficient mastery is gained.
Varnish Glazing
critical techniques
Glazing
A transparent coat of color applied over a dry underpainting to introduce red and yellow tones, similar to tinting an engraving with watercolors.
Scumbling
A semi-opaque painting technique where the underlying painting makes itself felt, often used over darker grounds to create a grey bloom and coldness.
Loose Brushwork
Chase’s characteristic style, avoiding smallness and over-modeling, focusing on broad masses and atmospheric light.
Chiaroscuro via Contrast
Using juxtaposition of colors and tones to produce gradation of light, where highest tones are enfeebled and lowest tones heightened.
common pitfalls
- →Being too tied down to outlines or over-modeling, which leads to smallness and timidity (Source 4).
- →Applying glazes or scumbles before the underpainting is quite dry, which can muddy the colors (Source 1).
- →Ignoring the principles of simultaneous contrast, resulting in flat or unharmonious color relationships (Source 7).
- →Using too many small details instead of focusing on broad masses and great effects (Source 4, 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 visual details of *A Venetian Balcony* (e.g., exact furniture, wall decorations, lighting direction) are not described in the sources.
- ·Chase’s specific palette for this 1913 work is not detailed; the palette is inferred from general technique guides and his known practice.
- ·The exact medium Chase used for this specific painting is not stated, though oil of copavia is cited as a historical method he may have known.
- ·Preparatory sketches or studies for this specific artwork are not mentioned.
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
- ON COPYING — applied to Advice on avoiding smallness and over-modeling
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 6. Put beside each other two flat tints — applied to Chiaroscuro and color contrast principles
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia bio — William Merritt Chase↗
- part 2 — applied to Biographical context and style development
- part 3 — applied to Interior genre and lavish decorative style
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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