plate no. 1472

Church in Cassone

Gustav Klimt, 1913

oil, canvasArt Nouveau (Modern)cityscapebuildingstreeswatercityscapearchitecturecypress trees

recreation guide

Gustav Klimt’s 'Church in Cassone' (1913) represents a departure from his famous 'Golden Phase' toward a more naturalistic, though still stylized, cityscape genre. While Klimt is best known for integrating gold leaf and Byzantine-inspired mosaics into his portraits and allegories (Source 2), his later works, including landscapes and cityscapes, often employed a flatter, decorative approach consistent with Art Nouveau principles. This painting likely utilizes the flatness and decorative patterning characteristic of his Secessionist period, where the boundary between figure and ground is often dissolved into ornamental design. Unlike his earlier works which relied heavily on metallic leaf, this oil-on-canvas piece would rely on the manipulation of color contrast and glazing to achieve its luminous, textured effect.

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

5 items

steps

6 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (Ultramarine, White, Black, Yellow Ochre, Red Ochre)	For creating the initial grisaille underpainting and subsequent glazes	—
Oil of Copavia or Linseed Oil	Medium for the first and second paintings to ensure proper flow and drying	Stand oil or walnut oil
Canvas	Support for the oil painting	Linen or cotton canvas, sized
Painting Varnish	To seal the underdrawing or as a medium for glazing	Dammar varnish
White Palette	To ensure correct judgment of color transparency and lightness	Glass or white plastic palette

preparation

surface prep

The canvas should be sized with cheese paste or an excellent size to create a white, impervious ground. A white palette is advised to allow for correct judgment of the transparency of colors and to keep the tones light, ensuring the sizing has the same effect on the canvas as on the palette (Source 8). The surface must be clean and dry before beginning.

underdrawing

The outline may be done in watercolors or oils. If using watercolors on a sized canvas, one very even coat of painting varnish should be laid over it; this varnish will partly soak in with the sizing, allowing the oil painting to continue even before it is fully dry, a process attributed to Paul Veronese (Source 8). Alternatively, the sketch can be done directly in oil.

underpainting

A grisaille (monochrome) underpainting is recommended. The artist should mentally extract red and yellow colors, translating what would be left in nature if these two colors were not present. This creates a neutral foundation for subsequent glazing (Source 1). This step establishes the chiaroscuro and value structure before color is introduced.

color palette

Ultramarine

Pure pigment

Part of the initial black/blue/white grisaille underpainting

White

Lead white or Titanium white

Highlighting and mixing in the grisaille stage

Black

Ivory black or Lamp black

Shadows and depth in the grisaille stage

Yellow Ochre

Natural earth pigment

Glazing to introduce warm tones, consistent with the 'yellow and red tones' mentioned in glazing instructions

Red Ochre/Venetian Red

Natural earth pigment

Glazing to introduce warm tones, consistent with the 'yellow and red tones' mentioned in glazing instructions

composition

Klimt’s work is characterized by flatness and decoration, principles of Art Nouveau (Source 2). In cityscapes, he likely employed a decorative approach where architectural forms are simplified into geometric shapes and patterns. The composition likely emphasizes the juxtaposition of tones to produce chiaroscuro, where the tint of the highest tone is enfeebled and the lowest tone heightened at the line of juxtaposition, creating a true gradation of light (Source 3). The artist likely devoted himself to great effects, allowing many small details to result spontaneously from the contrast of color and tone (Source 3).

step by step

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

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the composition on the sized canvas using watercolors or thin oil. If using watercolors, apply a coat of painting varnish to seal it.
Tip — Ensure the varnish soaks in properly to prevent oil from penetrating too deeply into the sizing.
Veronese's method

underpainting

step 02
Create a grisaille using only black, ultramarine, and white. Mentally exclude red and yellow hues to establish the value structure.
Tip — Focus on the gradation of light and shadow without worrying about local color.
Monochrome preparation

first pass

step 03
Once the grisaille is quite dry, begin glazing and scumbling with oil. Introduce yellow and red tones as they occur in the scene, similar to tinting an engraving with watercolors.
Tip — Use oil of copavia as a medium for the first and second paintings to ensure proper handling.
Glazing and Scumbling

refining

step 04
Apply transparent coats of color (glazing) to build up luminosity. Use semi-opaque painting (scumbling) over darker grounds to create coldness or grey blooms where necessary.
Tip — Be aware that scumbling over a darker ground tends to coldness, which can be used to create atmospheric effects.
Old Master technique

finishing

step 05
Refine the juxtaposition of colors to enhance simultaneous contrast. Ensure that the highest and lowest tones interact correctly at their boundaries to produce chiaroscuro.
Tip — Check that the gradation of light is true and that the decorative flatness is maintained without losing structural integrity.
Law of Contrast

varnishing

step 06
Apply a final varnish to protect the painting and unify the surface sheen.
Tip — Ensure the painting is completely dry before varnishing to prevent trapping solvents.
Standard oil painting practice

critical techniques

Glazing

A transparent coat of color applied over a dry underpainting to build up luminosity and depth. Klimt likely used this to achieve the rich, layered colors characteristic of his style.

Scumbling

A semi-opaque painting technique where the underlying painting makes itself felt. Used to create coldness or grey blooms, particularly over darker grounds.

Chiaroscuro via Contrast

Produced by the juxtaposition of different tones of the same color or distinct colors. The highest tone is enfeebled and the lowest heightened at the boundary, creating a true gradation of light.

common pitfalls

→Applying glazes before the underpainting is completely dry, which can lead to muddiness or cracking.
→Ignoring the principle of simultaneous contrast, resulting in flat or dull color interactions.
→Using too much medium in the initial layers, which can prevent proper drying and adhesion of subsequent layers.
→Failing to mentally extract red and yellow in the grisaille stage, leading to a weak value structure.

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 color choices for 'Church in Cassone' are not detailed in the sources; the palette is inferred from general oil painting practices and Klimt's known use of earth tones in landscapes.
·The exact composition of the church and surrounding elements is not described in the sources, so the recreation relies on general Art Nouveau compositional principles.
·Klimt's specific brushwork for this particular cityscape is not documented; the guide assumes a smooth, layered approach consistent with glazing techniques.

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
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 6. Put beside each other two flat tints — applied to Composition and color contrast
The Science of Painting↗
- CHAPTER IX. OUTLINE AND EXECUTION OF A PICTURE IN OILS — applied to Surface preparation and underdrawing