plate no. 8063

Après Midi De Jeune Fille

Ethel Léontine Gabain, 1936

oilNeo-Romanticismportraitfigureportraitinteriorwindowchairdress

recreation guide

Ethel Léontine Gabain’s *Après Midi De Jeune Fille* (1936) is a portrait executed in oil, reflecting her status as a renowned painter of actresses and a founding member of the Senefelder Club (Source 7). While Gabain is perhaps best known for her lithographs, her oil portraits from this period align with the Neo-Romantic style, emphasizing emotional expression and the vitality of the medium rather than mere photographic deception (Source 6). The work likely employs traditional oil painting techniques that prioritize the 'painted symbol' over illusionistic trickery, consistent with the advice of her contemporaries and teachers regarding the integrity of the medium (Source 6). As a portrait, its primary intent is to achieve a recognizable likeness while serving as a record of the sitter’s appearance, a standard expectation for the genre (Source 5).

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

4 items

steps

6 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (Ultramarine, White, Black, Red, Yellow)	Primary pigments for underpainting and glazing, consistent with historical methods cited by Reynolds and general practice.	Titanium White, Ultramarine Blue, Ivory Black, Cadmium Red/Yellow or Alizarin Crimson
Oil of Copavia or Linseed Oil	Medium for the first and second paintings, as noted in Reynolds' method which influenced traditional training.	Stand Oil or refined Linseed Oil
Varnish	Mixed with oil for later glazing stages to increase transparency and flow.	Dammar Varnish or Synthetic Resin Varnish
Canvas or Panel	Support for the oil painting.	Linen canvas primed with gesso

preparation

surface prep

The surface should be prepared to accept oil paint without absorbing too much medium. While Gabain’s specific ground preparation is not detailed in the sources, traditional practice for this period often involved a neutral or toned ground to facilitate the assessment of tones. The artist should ensure the surface is smooth enough for the fine finish expected in portrait work but retains enough tooth for the oil to adhere (Source 6).

underdrawing

Gabain’s specific underdrawing technique for this oil portrait is not explicitly described in the provided sources. However, as a trained artist from the Slade and Central School, she likely employed a precise initial drawing to establish the likeness, which is crucial for portrait painting (Source 5). The underdrawing should be light and non-oily to prevent interfering with subsequent layers.

underpainting

The painting likely begins with a monochrome underpainting, or grisaille. Source 3 describes a method where the artist mentally extracts red and yellow colors, painting the form in black, ultramarine, and white (or similar cool tones) to establish light and shadow. This 'first and second painting' phase uses oil of copavia as a medium (Source 3). This approach allows the artist to focus on tone and form before introducing color complexity.

color palette

Ultramarine

Pure Ultramarine Blue

Underpainting and shadows, consistent with Reynolds' method cited in Source 3.

White

Lead White or Titanium White

Highlights and mixing with ultramarine/black for the grisaille underpainting.

Black

Ivory Black or Lamp Black

Deep shadows and defining forms in the underpainting.

Red and Yellow tones

Vermilion, Cadmium Red, Yellow Ochre, or similar

Glazing and scumbling over the dry grisaille to introduce flesh tones and warmth, as described in Source 3.

composition

The composition is a portrait, intended to represent a specific human subject with a recognizable likeness (Source 5). Gabain’s portraits often focused on the sitter’s character and presence. Without specific visual details of the background or pose in the sources, the composition should be treated as a standard portrait format, likely focusing on the head and shoulders or half-length, allowing the viewer to engage with the sitter’s expression. The artist should avoid 'meretricious attempts to deceive the eye' and instead focus on the 'vital expression of nature' through the medium (Source 6).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing

underdrawing

step 01
Lightly sketch the sitter’s features on the prepared surface, focusing on accurate proportions and likeness.
Tip — Ensure the drawing is secure but not heavy, as it will be covered.
Portrait Drawing

underpainting

step 02
Apply a monochrome underpainting using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia. Establish the full range of light and shadow values.
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors, focusing on tone and form (Source 3).
Grisaille

first pass

step 03
Allow the underpainting to dry completely. This is crucial for the subsequent glazing steps.
Tip — Rushing this step can lead to muddy colors and cracking.
Drying

refining

step 04
Glaze and scumble the yellow and red tones over the dry grisaille. Use transparent coats of color (glazing) and semi-opaque applications (scumbling) to build up flesh tones and warmth.
Tip — Treat the process like tinting an engraving with watercolors, allowing the underlying tone to show through (Source 3).
Glazing and Scumbling

finishing

step 05
Refine the likeness and adjust contrasts. Pay attention to the simultaneous contrast of colors, where adjacent colors affect each other’s appearance.
Tip — Be aware that the eye may see colors inaccurately due to mixed contrast; step back frequently to assess true values (Source 2).
Simultaneous Contrast

varnishing

step 06
Apply a final varnish to protect the painting and unify the surface sheen.
Tip — Ensure the painting is fully dry before varnishing.
Varnishing

critical techniques

Glazing and Scumbling

Used to introduce color over a monochrome underpainting. Glazing involves transparent coats, while scumbling is semi-opaque, allowing the underpainting to influence the final color. This method was practiced by old masters and is recommended for achieving depth and harmony (Source 3).

Simultaneous Contrast

Understanding that adjacent colors affect each other’s perception. The artist must account for this to accurately render flesh tones and background colors, avoiding the pitfalls of mixed contrast where the eye is deceived by previous color impressions (Source 2).

Monochrome Underpainting

Establishing form and tone in black, white, and ultramarine before adding color. This separates the problem of value from color, allowing for greater control and harmony (Source 3).

common pitfalls

→Failing to let the underpainting dry completely before glazing, which can cause the layers to mix and become muddy (Source 3).
→Ignoring the effects of simultaneous contrast, leading to inaccurate color rendering where adjacent hues distort each other (Source 2).
→Attempting to achieve illusionistic deception rather than expressing the vitality of the medium, which can result in a 'meretricious' and less vital painting (Source 6).
→Over-modeling or becoming too tied to the outline, which can make the portrait appear stiff. Copying works like Reynolds’ 'Portraits of Two Gentlemen' can help correct this tendency (Source 4).

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 the sitter’s clothing, background, or pose in *Après Midi De Jeune Fille* are not described in the sources.
·Gabain’s exact personal palette preferences for this specific 1936 work are not documented, though general period practices are inferred.
·The specific dimensions and support material (canvas vs. panel) for this artwork are not provided.

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 and glazing techniques
- ON COPYING — applied to Correcting over-modeling tendencies
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- Simultaneous Contrast — applied to Color accuracy and contrast management
The Practice and Science of Drawing↗
- XX MATERIALS — applied to Philosophy of medium and avoiding illusionism

cross-referenced from

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

Wikipedia: Portrait painting↗
- Portrait painting — part 1 — applied to Genre conventions and likeness
Wikipedia bio — Ethel Léontine Gabain↗
- part 1 — applied to Artist background and style context

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

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