plate no. 6610
At the Old Suzdal
recreation guide
Boris Kustodiev’s 'At the Old Suzdal' is a cityscape executed in oil on canvas, reflecting the artist’s association with the Art Nouveau (Modern) style. While specific visual details of the Suzdal architecture or street layout are not described in the provided sources, the work belongs to the genre of cityscapes, which depict urban landscapes and paved areas (Source 4). Kustodiev’s general practice is characterized by rich, dense color and a mastery of light, consistent with the advantages of oil painting which allow for a wider range from light to dark and greater flexibility in layering (Source 5). The recreation should focus on the structural integrity of the cityscape and the optical interaction of colors, rather than specific narrative elements which are not documented in the sources.
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions
materials
5 items
steps
6 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints (Ultramarine, Black, White, Red, Yellow) | Primary pigments for grisaille underpainting and subsequent glazing/scumbling | — |
| Linseed oil or Oil of Copavia | Medium for mixing paints and creating glazes | Stand oil or refined linseed oil |
| Turpentine | Thinner for initial layers and cleaning | Odorless mineral spirits |
| Canvas | Support for the oil painting | Primed linen or cotton canvas |
| Varnish | For final protection and enhancing depth of glazes | Dammar or synthetic resin varnish |
preparation
surface prep
Prepare a standard oil-primed canvas. Kustodiev’s work relies on the 'richer and denser color' capabilities of oil on a prepared surface (Source 5). Ensure the ground is smooth to allow for the precise application of glazes and scumbles described in traditional oil painting practices.
underdrawing
No specific underdrawing technique for Kustodiev is detailed in the sources. However, as a cityscape, the composition likely relies on strong linear elements to define the 'hardscapes' and architectural forms (Source 4). A light charcoal or thinned oil sketch is recommended to establish the 'visual path' and 'shape' of the urban environment (Source 6).
underpainting
Create a monochrome grisaille underpainting using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia (Source 1). This step involves 'mentally extracting the red and yellow colours' to establish the value structure of the cityscape without chromatic interference (Source 1). This aligns with the method described by Sir Joshua Reynolds, which Kustodiev’s era would have respected as a foundational technique for old-master style oil painting (Source 1).
color palette
Ultramarine
Pure pigment
Grisaille underpainting and cool shadows
Black
Pure pigment
Grisaille underpainting and deep shadows
White
Pure pigment
Grisaille underpainting and highlights
Red
Pure pigment
Glazing and scumbling to introduce warmth and local color
Yellow
Pure pigment
Glazing and scumbling to introduce warmth and local color
composition
The composition is a cityscape, focusing on the 'surface of the Earth' and 'paved areas' typical of urban landscapes (Source 4). While specific placement of buildings is not described, the artist likely utilized the 'elements of design' such as line and shape to organize the visual space (Source 6). The style is Art Nouveau, which often emphasizes decorative lines and organic forms, though the sources do not detail Kustodiev’s specific compositional rules for this piece.
step by step
underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing
underpainting
step 01
Mix black, ultramarine, and white with oil of copavia to create a monochrome grisaille. Paint the entire cityscape in values only, ignoring red and yellow hues.
Tip — Ensure the grisaille is completely dry before proceeding. This establishes the tonal foundation.
Grisaille
first pass
step 02
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. It allows the underlying grisaille to show through, creating depth.
Glazing
refining
step 03
Use scumbling to apply semi-opaque layers of color, particularly over darker grounds to create coldness or grey blooms if needed.
Tip — Scumbling allows the underlying painting to make itself felt. Be cautious of 'coldness' when scumbling over dark areas.
Scumbling
step 04
Adjust color harmony by considering simultaneous contrast. Ensure that adjacent colors do not inadvertently shift each other’s perceived hue due to optical mixing.
Tip — The eye may see a tint resulting from the peculiar color and the complementary of the adjacent object. Adjust tones to harmonize the composition.
Simultaneous Contrast
finishing
step 05
If colors appear too dark or shifted, avoid adding black to darken yellows/oranges/reds as this shifts hue toward green/blue. Instead, use complementary colors to neutralize and darken without hue shift.
Tip — Adding black to warm colors can cause undesirable hue shifts. Use complements for neutralization.
Color Mixing
varnishing
step 06
Apply a final varnish mixed with oil if desired, to protect the painting and enhance the luminosity of the glazes.
Tip — Varnish provides protection and texture, enhancing the 'richer and denser color' of the oil medium.
Varnishing
critical techniques
Glazing and Scumbling
Used to build color over a monochrome underpainting. Glazing adds transparent color, while scumbling adds semi-opaque texture. This method was practiced by old masters and is cited as effective for achieving depth and luminosity.
Simultaneous Contrast
Understanding that adjacent colors affect each other’s perception. The painter must account for this to accurately represent the 'modifications of the light' and harmonize the composition.
Complementary Darkening
Instead of using black to darken warm colors (which shifts hue), use complementary colors to neutralize and darken. This preserves the integrity of the hue.
common pitfalls
- →Adding black to yellow, orange, or red paints to darken them, which causes a hue shift toward green or blue (Source 3).
- →Ignoring simultaneous contrast, leading to inaccurate color perception where adjacent colors alter each other’s apparent tint (Source 2).
- →Applying glazes before the grisaille is completely dry, which can muddy the underpainting (Source 1).
- →Over-modeling or becoming too tied to outlines, which can result in a 'smallness' or lack of broad mass (Source 8).
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 'At the Old Suzdal' such as building styles, street layout, or figures are not described in the sources.
- ·Kustodiev’s specific brushwork style for this particular painting is not detailed; only general oil painting techniques are provided.
- ·The exact year of creation is not available, limiting precise period-specific material analysis.
- ·No information on the specific canvas size or aspect ratio.
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
- ON COPYING — applied to Warning against over-modeling and smallness
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: Color theory↗
- Color theory — part 6 — applied to Mixing pigments and avoiding hue shifts when darkening
Wikipedia: Landscape painting↗
- Landscape painting — part 13 — applied to Genre classification as cityscape/hardscape
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Oil painting — part 1 — applied to General advantages of oil medium and materials
Wikipedia: Composition (visual arts)↗
- Composition (visual arts) — part 1 — applied to General compositional elements like line and shape
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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