plate no. 5580
Assouan, Morning
recreation guide
Albert Marquet’s 'Assouan, Morning' is a landscape work executed in oil, reflecting his transition from early Fauvism to a more restrained, impressionist style characterized by atmospheric observation (Source 7). The artwork belongs to the marina or landscape genre, depicting the surface of the earth and atmospheric conditions, likely focusing on the interplay of light and water typical of Marquet’s harbor scenes (Source 4). The distinctive quality of this piece lies in its handling of color contrast and tone, where the artist likely employed techniques to harmonize inherent colors of the subject with chosen atmospheric effects, avoiding arbitrary coloration in favor of observed modifications of light (Source 3).
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions
materials
4 items
steps
5 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints (Ultramarine, Black, White, Yellow, Red tones) | Primary pigments for grisaille and glazing | Standard artist-grade oil paints |
| Oil of Copavia (or modern linseed/stand oil) | Medium for the first and second paintings as per historical method | Stand oil or refined linseed oil |
| Varnish | Mixed with oil for later glazing stages to gain mastery over transparency | Dammar varnish or modern painting medium |
| Canvas or Panel | Support for the oil painting | Primed linen or cotton canvas |
preparation
surface prep
The surface should be prepared to accept oil layers. While specific priming details for this exact canvas are not in the sources, the technique described involves a dry ground for glazing. The artist likely used a traditional oil ground suitable for the 'old masters' method referenced, ensuring the surface is stable for the application of transparent coats (Source 1).
underdrawing
Marquet’s later style moved away from the bold outlines of Fauvism toward a more integrated approach. While contour drawing emphasizes mass and volume through lines (Source 8), Marquet’s mature work often subsumes line into color and tone. It is likely that any underdrawing was minimal or integrated into the initial tonal sketch, consistent with his impressionist phase (Source 7).
underpainting
The process likely begins with a monochrome preparation, specifically a grisaille. The artist mentally extracts red and yellow colors, translating what would remain in nature if these two colors were not present. This creates a structural foundation of value and form before color is introduced (Source 1).
color palette
Ultramarine
Pure pigment
Part of the initial black/blue/white grisaille mixture
Black
Pure pigment
Part of the initial grisaille mixture
White
Pure pigment
Part of the initial grisaille mixture
Yellow tones
Transparent yellow glazes
Applied via glazing and scumbling after the grisaille is dry
Red tones
Transparent red glazes
Applied via glazing and scumbling after the grisaille is dry
composition
The composition likely adheres to the principles of landscape painting, depicting atmospheric conditions and the surface of the earth (Source 4). Marquet characteristically focused on the harmony of colors inherent to the nature of the objects, such as the water and sky, while allowing for chosen colors in the background or accessories to balance the composition (Source 3). The arrangement likely utilizes simultaneous contrast to enhance the perception of light modifications on the model (Source 2).
step by step
underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing
underpainting
step 01
Create a grisaille underpainting using only black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia. Mentally extract red and yellow colors to establish the tonal structure.
Tip — Ensure the grisaille is completely dry before proceeding.
Monochrome preparation
first pass
step 02
Apply transparent coats of yellow and red tones using oil as a medium. This is the 'glazing' stage, similar to tinting an engraving with watercolors.
Tip — Observe how the underlying grisaille affects the color temperature.
Glazing
refining
step 03
Use scumbling, a semi-opaque painting technique, over the glazes. This allows the underlying painting to show through, creating a grey bloom or coldness when employed over a darker ground.
Tip — Watch for the interaction between the semi-opaque layer and the transparent glaze.
Scumbling
step 04
Adjust colors based on the law of simultaneous contrast. Ensure that contiguous colors modify each other correctly, preventing the eye from seeing inaccurate tints due to fatigue or mixed contrast.
Tip — Check if the lightest tone is lowered and the darkest heightened as expected by contrast laws.
Simultaneous Contrast
finishing
step 05
If mastery is gained, mix varnish with oil for final glazing layers to deepen the color and unify the surface.
Tip — Use sparingly to avoid muddying the colors.
Varnish Glazing
critical techniques
Glazing and Scumbling
Glazing involves transparent coats of color, while scumbling is semi-opaque. Marquet’s style, influenced by old masters, likely utilized these to build depth and luminosity without mixing colors directly on the palette.
Simultaneous Contrast
The artist must account for how adjacent colors affect each other’s appearance. This is crucial for accurately rendering the modifications of light on the marina scene.
Monochrome Underpainting
Starting with a grisaille (black, ultramarine, white) allows the artist to focus on value and form before introducing the complexity of red and yellow hues.
common pitfalls
- →Applying glazes before the grisaille is completely dry, which can lead to cracking or muddying.
- →Ignoring simultaneous contrast, resulting in colors that appear inaccurate or fatiguing to the eye.
- →Overusing scumbling over dark grounds, which may create an unintended coldness or grey bloom.
- →Mixing red and yellow into the initial grisaille, violating the principle of extracting these colors for later glazing.
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 brushwork details unique to Marquet’s hand in this particular painting are not described in the sources.
- ·The exact proportions of the marina elements (boats, buildings, water) are not specified, requiring the artist to rely on general compositional principles.
- ·The specific year of creation is not available, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact evolution of his style at that moment.
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
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315-318 — applied to Color harmony and simultaneous contrast adjustments
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia: Albert Marquet↗
- Biography — applied to Contextualizing the artist’s style transition from Fauvism to Impressionism
Wikipedia: Landscape painting↗
- Genre definitions — applied to Understanding the marina/landscape genre context
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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