plate no. 5390

Abbot Claude Charles Deschamps

oilRococoportraitportraitfiguremanclerical collarfacehair

recreation guide

This recreation guide addresses the painting of a portrait in the style of Maurice Quentin de La Tour, specifically focusing on the medium of oil painting as indicated by the artwork metadata, despite the artist's historical fame for pastels. The work belongs to the Rococo genre, characterized by a focus on capturing the 'inner essence' and character of the subject rather than merely a literal likeness (Source 3). The artist, a prominent French painter of the 18th century, specialized in portraiture that served as important records for the rich and powerful (Source 4, Source 6). While La Tour is best known for pastels, this guide adapts his compositional sensibilities to oil techniques described in historical treatises, such as the use of grisaille underpainting followed by glazing and scumbling to achieve depth and tonal harmony (Source 1).

estimated time

40-60 hours over 8-12 sessions

materials

7 items

steps

6 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Linen canvas	Support for oil painting; historically common as linen comes from the flax plant, similar to the oil source (Source 7).	Primed linen canvas
Linseed oil	Primary drying oil for mixing pigments; general purpose oil (Source 7).	Refined linseed oil
Lead White (or Titanium White substitute)	Dominant white pigment historically valued for opacity and fast drying (Source 7).	Titanium White (non-toxic alternative)
Ultramarine	Used in the initial monochrome underpainting (grisaille) as noted by Sir Joshua Reynolds' method cited in sources (Source 1).	Ultramarine Blue
Black pigment	Used in the initial monochrome underpainting (Source 1).	Ivory Black or Mars Black
Red and Yellow earth tones	For glazing and scumbling to reintroduce color after the monochrome stage (Source 1).	Vermilion, Cadmium Yellow, or Ochres
Oil of Copavia (or modern resin medium)	Medium for the first and second paintings to aid flow and drying (Source 1).	Liquin or Galkyd

preparation

surface prep

Prepare a linen support, which is historically consistent with oil painting practices where linen serves as a durable support (Source 7). The surface should be primed to accept oil paints. While specific ground preparation for La Tour's oil works is not detailed in the sources, the general practice of the period involved preparing a stable base for the subsequent layers of paint.

underdrawing

The sources do not explicitly describe La Tour's underdrawing technique for oil paintings. However, given the emphasis on capturing the 'inner essence' and character through subtle expressions, particularly in the eyes and eyebrows (Source 3), a careful initial drawing is implied to ensure accurate proportions and likeness, which was a skill artists took centuries to master (Source 4).

underpainting

Execute a grisaille (monochrome underpainting) using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia (Source 1). This stage involves mentally extracting red and yellow colors to establish the tonal structure of the portrait (Source 1). This technique allows the artist to focus on light and shadow modifications before introducing color (Source 1).

color palette

Monochrome Grey/Blue-Grey

Black, Ultramarine, White

Initial grisaille underpainting to establish tone and form (Source 1).

Red and Yellow Tones

Various red and yellow pigments

Glazing and scumbling over the dry grisaille to add color, mimicking the tinting of an engraving (Source 1).

White

Lead White (historically) or Titanium White

Highlights and mixing in the grisaille; historically dominant for opacity (Source 7).

composition

The portrait likely focuses on the head and shoulders or half-length, as these are common formats for capturing character (Source 3). The expression should aim for a serious, closed-lip stare or subtle emotion, as broad smiles were rare in historical portraiture (Source 3). The eyes and eyebrows are critical for conveying the subject's moral quality and character, rather than temporary fleeting expressions (Source 3). The composition should avoid caricature, striving instead for a representative portrayal that reveals the inner significance of the subject (Source 3).

step by step

underpainting→first pass→drying→refining→finishing→varnishing

underpainting

step 01
Mix black, ultramarine, and white with oil of copavia to create a monochrome grisaille. Paint the entire composition in this single tone, focusing on the values of light and shadow.
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors, visualizing what would remain in nature if those colors were absent (Source 1).
Grisaille

first pass

step 03
Apply transparent glazes of red and yellow tones over the dry grisaille. Use oil as a medium initially.
Tip — Glazing is a transparent coat of color that allows the underlying painting to show through, similar to tinting an engraving with watercolors (Source 1).
Glazing

drying

step 02
Allow the grisaille to dry completely. This is crucial before applying subsequent layers.
Tip — Ensure the underpainting is fully dry to prevent muddying the glazes.
Drying

refining

step 04
Use scumbling, a semi-opaque painting technique, to adjust tones and create effects like a 'grey bloom' over darker grounds.
Tip — Scumbling tends to coldness when employed over a darker ground; use it to refine highlights and mid-tones (Source 1).
Scumbling

finishing

step 05
Refine the facial expression, particularly the eyes and eyebrows, to convey the subject's character and moral quality.
Tip — Focus on the eyes for reliable information about the subject's inner state; eyebrows can register complex emotions like wonder, pity, or concentration (Source 3).
Detailing

varnishing

step 06
Once the painting is fully dry, apply a varnish mixed with oil if desired, to unify the surface and protect the work.
Tip — Historical methods sometimes involved mixing varnish with oil for final adjustments (Source 1).
Varnishing

critical techniques

Glazing and Scumbling

Used to build up color and tone over a monochrome underpainting. Glazing adds transparent color, while scumbling adds semi-opaque layers to modify tone and create atmospheric effects (Source 1).

Simultaneous Contrast

Be aware that colors appear different depending on adjacent colors. The painter must perceive and imitate these modifications to harmonize the composition (Source 2).

Character Portraiture

Focus on the eyes and eyebrows to convey the subject's inner essence and moral quality, avoiding exaggerated or temporary expressions (Source 3).

common pitfalls

→Applying glazes before the grisaille is completely dry, which can ruin the transparency and clarity of the layers (Source 1).
→Ignoring the law of simultaneous contrast, leading to inaccurate color perception and disharmonious compositions (Source 2).
→Focusing too much on literal likeness rather than the inner character and moral quality of the subject, which is the aim of great portraiture (Source 3).
→Using broad smiles or exaggerated expressions, which are historically rare and often considered inappropriate for serious portraiture (Source 3).

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 subject's clothing, jewelry, or background are not described in the sources, so these must be inferred or left generic.
·La Tour's specific oil painting techniques are not detailed in the sources; the guide relies on general 18th-century oil painting practices and Reynolds' method cited in Source 1.
·The exact year of the artwork is not available, limiting precise historical context for material choices.

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, scumbling, and varnishing steps
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315-318 — applied to Color harmony and perception adjustments

cross-referenced from

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

Wikipedia: Portrait painting↗
- Portrait painting — part 2 — applied to Composition, expression, and character portrayal
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Oil painting — part 4 — applied to Materials and pigments
Wikipedia bio — Maurice Quentin de La Tour↗
- part 1 and part 3 — applied to Artist context and genre