plate no. 5910

Alkmaar in Winter

oilBaroquecityscapecityscapeice skatingfiguresskybuildingswinter

recreation guide

Salomon van Ruysdael’s *Alkmaar in Winter* is a cityscape that likely reflects the artist’s late-period shift toward urban panoramas and seascapes, where the sky often dominates the composition, taking up to two-thirds of the canvas (Source 6). As a practitioner of the Dutch Golden Age, Ruysdael’s work is characterized by a 'classical' phase style that builds grandiose effects through vigorous contrasts of solid form against the sky and light against shade (Source 2). The painting likely employs the atmospheric techniques common to the 'tonal' phase that preceded this classical style, using tonality to suggest winter weather and mood (Source 2). The work represents a topographical view, depicting a specific place with buildings prominently featured, consistent with the professional tradition of painting real views rather than imaginary landscapes (Source 3).

estimated time

40-60 hours over 8-12 sessions

materials

6 items

steps

5 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil of copavia (or modern damar/resin substitute)	Medium for glazing and scumbling, as cited in Reynolds' method for old masters	Damar varnish or high-quality oil medium
Ultramarine	Primary blue pigment for the grisaille underpainting and sky	Ultramarine Blue
Black (Ivory or Lamp Black)	For the monochrome grisaille underpainting	Ivory Black
White (Lead White or Titanium)	For the grisaille underpainting and highlighting	Titanium White (for safety) or Flake White (for authenticity)
Yellow and Red earth pigments (Yellow Ochre, Red Ochre)	For glazing and scumbling to introduce warm tones over the cool underpainting	Yellow Ochre, Red Ochre
Canvas or Panel	Support for the oil painting	Linen canvas primed with gesso

preparation

surface prep

Prepare a smooth, white or light-toned ground. While specific preparation for this exact canvas is not detailed, the technique described involves a 'grisaille' (monochrome underpainting) which requires a dry, stable surface to accept subsequent glazes (Source 1). The old masters generally prepared surfaces to allow for the layering of transparent and semi-opaque coats.

underdrawing

The sources do not explicitly describe Ruysdael’s underdrawing methods for this specific work. However, the technique of 'glazing and scumbling' implies a structured underpainting phase. It is likely that a compositional sketch was made, but the primary structural work is done in the monochrome underpainting rather than a detailed charcoal drawing left visible.

underpainting

Execute a grisaille (monochrome underpainting) using black, ultramarine, and white. This step involves 'mentally extracting the red and yellow colours' to establish the value structure and atmospheric depth without color interference (Source 1). This underpainting serves as the foundation for the subsequent color glazes.

color palette

Cool Grey/Blue

Ultramarine, Black, White

Grisaille underpainting and establishing shadows and atmospheric distance

Warm Yellow/Red Tones

Yellow Ochre, Red Ochre, mixed with oil medium

Glazing and scumbling to introduce warmth and local color, particularly in highlights and sunlit areas

Neutral Grey

Black and White

General tonal modeling and creating 'grey bloom' effects in shadows

composition

The composition likely features a dominant sky, consistent with Ruysdael’s late style where the sky takes up two-thirds of the canvas (Source 6). The cityscape elements (buildings, streets) are arranged to create vigorous contrasts of solid form against the sky and light against shade (Source 2). As a topographical view, the buildings are depicted with a degree of accuracy to represent the specific place of Alkmaar (Source 3).

step by step

underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing

underpainting

step 01
Mix black, ultramarine, and white to create a range of greys. Paint the entire composition in monochrome, focusing on value contrasts and atmospheric perspective. Mentally exclude red and yellow hues to establish the underlying structure.
Tip — Ensure the underpainting is quite dry before proceeding to glazing.
Grisaille

first pass

step 02
Apply transparent glazes of yellow and red tones using oil of copavia (or a suitable medium) over the dry grisaille. This mimics the tinting of an engraving with watercolors.
Tip — Glazing is a transparent coat of color; apply thinly to allow the underpainting to show through.
Glazing

refining

step 03
Use scumbling (semi-opaque painting) to adjust tones and create atmospheric effects, such as a 'grey bloom' in shadows or cold areas. Scumble over darker grounds to introduce coldness.
Tip — Scumbling allows the underlying painting to make itself felt; use it to soften edges and blend tones.
Scumbling

finishing

step 04
Refine the contrasts between solid forms (buildings) and the sky, ensuring the vigorous light/shade contrasts characteristic of the classical phase are achieved.
Tip — Check for balance between the detailed cityscape and the expansive sky.
Contrast Modeling

varnishing

step 05
Once fully dry, apply a varnish to protect the glazes and unify the surface. The old masters often used varnish mixed with oil for final adjustments.
Tip — Ensure the painting is completely dry to avoid trapping solvents.
Varnishing

critical techniques

Glazing and Scumbling

Used to build up color and atmosphere over a monochrome underpainting. Glazing adds transparent color, while scumbling adds semi-opaque texture and tone. This method was widely practiced by old masters to achieve luminosity and depth.

Grisaille Underpainting

A monochrome base using black, ultramarine, and white to establish values and composition before introducing color. This separates the structural work from the color work.

Atmospheric Tonality

Using tonal variations to suggest weather and mood, particularly in winter scenes. This connects to the 'tonal' phase of Dutch landscape art.

common pitfalls

→Applying glazes before the underpainting is completely dry, which can lead to muddiness and cracking.
→Over-mixing colors on the palette instead of layering them on the canvas, which defeats the purpose of glazing and scumbling.
→Ignoring the 'mental extraction' of red and yellow in the underpainting, leading to a weak value structure.
→Failing to achieve the vigorous contrast between solid forms and the sky, resulting in a flat composition.

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 buildings in Alkmaar as depicted in this painting are not described in the sources.
·The exact year of creation is not available, so the precise evolution of Ruysdael's style at that moment is inferred from general period trends.
·The specific pigments used by Ruysdael for this painting are not listed; the palette is inferred from general old master practices and the described technique.
·The exact proportion of sky to cityscape in this specific work is not stated, though the general tendency is noted.

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

cross-referenced from

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

Wikipedia bio — Salomon van Ruysdael↗
- part 8 — applied to Style characteristics (classical phase, contrasts)
- part 1 — applied to Composition (sky dominance) and period context
Wikipedia: Landscape painting↗
- part 1 — applied to Definition of topographical view and cityscape genre