plate no. 4087

Arco di Settimio Severo

oilNeoclassicismcityscapearchitecturecityscapebuildingscolumnfiguresarch

recreation guide

Giovanni Battista Piranesi’s *Arco di Settimio Severo* (1759) is a quintessential example of the *veduta* (topographical view) genre, characterized by its rigorous architectural accuracy combined with dramatic atmospheric effects. While Piranesi is primarily renowned for his etchings, this oil painting demonstrates his ability to translate the precision of printmaking into the medium of paint. The work reflects the Neoclassical interest in Roman antiquity, driven by the Grand Tour and the rediscovery of sites like Pompeii and Herculaneum (Source 8). Piranesi’s approach involved not just faithful imitation of remains, but also the poetic reconstruction of missing parts and the manipulation of scale and light to create a striking, monumental effect (Source 7).

estimated time

40-60 hours over 8-12 sessions

materials

4 items

steps

6 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (Ultramarine, White, Black, Red Ochre, Yellow Ochre)	Primary pigments for the grisaille underpainting and subsequent glazing/scumbling layers.	Modern tube oils of equivalent pigment composition (e.g., Ultramarine Blue, Titanium White, Ivory Black, Natural Red Ochre, Yellow Ochre).
Oil of Copavia (or modern stand oil/linseed oil)	Medium for the initial oil layers, as recommended by Sir Joshua Reynolds for establishing the method of painting.	Stand oil or refined linseed oil.
Varnish	Mixed with oil for later glazing stages to achieve transparency and depth.	Dammar varnish or resin varnish.
Canvas or Panel	Support for the oil painting.	Linen canvas primed with gesso.

preparation

surface prep

Prepare a rigid support (panel or stretched canvas) with a smooth ground. Piranesi’s work emphasizes fine detail and sharp contours, suggesting a smooth surface is preferable to heavy texture. While specific priming recipes for this exact painting are not detailed in the sources, the general practice of the period involved a white or light-toned ground to facilitate the grisaille technique described in Source 1.

underdrawing

Use a contour drawing approach to establish the precise architectural lines of the Arch of Septimius Severus. Piranesi’s style relies on 'faithful imitation' of engineering and 'masterful skill' in rendering lines (Source 7). The drawing should emphasize mass, volume, and the 'broad and scientific distribution of light and shade' (Source 7). Use a light, continuous line to define the silhouette and structural elements, ensuring accurate perspective as required for coherent landscape/cityscape depiction (Source 4).

underpainting

Execute a grisaille (monochrome underpainting) using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia (Source 1). This layer should establish the full tonal range of the composition, from the deepest shadows in the arch’s recesses to the brightest highlights on the sunlit stone. Mentally extract red and yellow colors, focusing on the values that would remain if those hues were absent (Source 1). This step is crucial for achieving the 'chiaro-scuro' effects and gradation of light described in Source 2.

color palette

Ultramarine/Black/White

Ultramarine blue, Ivory black, White lead/titanium

Grisaille underpainting to establish tone and form (Source 1).

Red Ochre/Terra di Siena

Red earth pigments

Glazing and scumbling to introduce warm tones to the stone and sky, simulating the 'red and yellow tones' extracted in the grisaille (Source 1).

Yellow Ochre

Yellow earth pigments

Glazing to add warmth and luminosity to sunlit areas, enhancing the 'golden age' aesthetic associated with Neoclassicism (Source 8).

Transparent Glazes (Red/Yellow)

Diluted red and yellow oils mixed with varnish

Final color layering to achieve depth and richness, mimicking the tinting of an engraving (Source 1).

composition

The composition likely features the Arch of Septimius Severo as the central focal point, rendered with 'broad and scientific distribution of light and shade' to create a striking effect (Source 7). Piranesi often included human figures to provide scale and narrative context, potentially depicting 'poverty, lameness, or other visible flaws' to echo the decay of the ruins (Source 7). The perspective should be rigorous, bridging the foreground with the architectural subject, consistent with the 'coherent depiction of a whole landscape' requiring a system of perspective (Source 4).

step by step

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

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the architectural structure of the Arch of Septimius Severo using contour lines. Focus on the mass and volume of the stone, ensuring accurate perspective and proportion.
Tip — Emphasize the outline and structural integrity, as Piranesi valued 'faithful imitation' of engineering (Source 7).
Contour drawing

underpainting

step 02
Apply a grisaille layer using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia. Establish all light and shadow values without color.
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors, focusing on the underlying tonal structure (Source 1).
Grisaille

first pass

step 03
Once the grisaille is dry, begin glazing and scumbling with oil. Apply transparent coats of red and yellow tones to the sunlit areas.
Tip — Treat the process like tinting an engraving with watercolors, building up color gradually (Source 1).
Glazing

refining

step 04
Use scumbling (semi-opaque painting) over darker grounds to create coldness or grey blooms, enhancing the texture of the stone and the atmospheric depth.
Tip — Observe how the underlying painting shows through, creating a 'grey bloom' effect (Source 1).
Scumbling

finishing

step 05
Refine the chiaroscuro effects, ensuring that the juxtaposition of light and dark tones creates a true gradation of light. Adjust colors based on simultaneous contrast principles.
Tip — Be aware that adjacent colors will influence each other; the lightest tone may be lowered and the darkest heightened (Source 2, Source 3).
Chiaroscuro/Simultaneous Contrast

varnishing

step 06
Apply a final varnish mixed with oil to unify the glazes and protect the surface, enhancing the depth and richness of the colors.
Tip — Ensure the varnish is applied evenly to avoid uneven glossiness.
Varnishing

critical techniques

Grisaille Underpainting

Used to establish tonal values before adding color, allowing for precise control of light and shadow. This method was 'practised by the old masters far more generally' than modern painters might assume (Source 1).

Glazing and Scumbling

Glazing adds transparent color layers, while scumbling adds semi-opaque layers. These techniques allow for the 'tinting' of the monochrome base, creating depth and luminosity (Source 1).

Simultaneous Contrast

Understanding how adjacent colors affect each other is crucial for harmonizing the composition. The painter must account for the 'complementary of the colour of the other object' to achieve accurate color perception (Source 3).

Chiaroscuro

The use of strong contrasts between light and dark to create volume and drama. This is essential for Piranesi’s 'broad and scientific distribution of light and shade' (Source 7).

common pitfalls

→Applying color too early before the grisaille is dry, which can muddy the tonal foundation (Source 1).
→Ignoring the effects of simultaneous contrast, leading to inaccurate color perception and disharmony in the composition (Source 3).
→Over-modeling or becoming too tied to the outline, which can result in a 'smallness' or lack of broad effect (Source 5).
→Failing to capture the 'poetic aspects' and 'manipulations of scale' that characterize Piranesi’s work, resulting in a mere topographical record rather than an artistic interpretation (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 pigment recipes used by Piranesi for this particular oil painting are not detailed in the sources; the guide relies on general 18th-century practices and Reynolds' recommendations.
·The exact dimensions and aspect ratio of the original oil painting are not provided, which may affect compositional planning.
·Details about the specific human figures included in this version of the Arch of Septimius Severo are not described in the sources, so their inclusion and depiction are inferred from general stylistic traits.

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 Grisaille underpainting, glazing, and scumbling techniques.
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 6. Put beside each other two flat tints... — applied to Chiaroscuro and simultaneous contrast principles.
- 315. As to the advantages the painter will find in it... — applied to Color harmony and perception adjustments.

cross-referenced from

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

Wikipedia: Landscape painting↗
- Landscape painting — part 2 — applied to Perspective and composition in cityscapes.
Wikipedia bio — Giovanni Battista Piranesi↗
- part 3 — applied to Piranesi’s style, use of light/shade, and inclusion of figures.
- part 4 — applied to Neoclassical context and influence of Roman ruins.