plate no. 6952
Church in Unterach on the Attersee
Gustav Klimt, 1916
recreation guide
Gustav Klimt’s 'Church in Unterach on the Attersee' (1916) represents the artist’s late landscape period, distinct from his earlier 'golden phase' characterized by gold leaf and symbolic allegory (Source 3). While Klimt is best known for his erotic symbolism and Art Nouveau decorative styles, he produced a significant body of landscape work, often painting en plein air to capture the natural light and color of the Austrian countryside (Source 3). This specific work falls within his later years, where he moved away from the heavy ornamentation of his university ceiling paintings toward a more direct, though still stylized, representation of nature. The painting utilizes oil on canvas, a medium that allows for the rich, dense color and layering techniques Klimt employed to achieve depth and luminosity (Source 5).
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions
materials
5 items
steps
6 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints (various pigments) | Primary medium for color application | — |
| Linseed oil or poppy seed oil | Binder and medium for thinning paints and creating glazes | Cold-pressed linseed oil |
| Turpentine | Thinner for initial washes and cleaning brushes | Odorless mineral spirits |
| Canvas | Support surface | Primed linen or cotton canvas |
| Varnish (optional) | Final protection and unification of sheen | Dammar or synthetic resin varnish |
preparation
surface prep
Prepare a standard oil-primed canvas. Klimt’s later landscapes were executed in oil, which requires a stable, non-absorbent ground to allow for the layering techniques described in historical oil painting practices (Source 5). While specific priming recipes for this exact 1916 work are not detailed in the sources, the general practice of the period involved preparing the canvas with gesso or oil primer to ensure the paint adheres properly and allows for the 'richer and denser color' advantages of oil (Source 5).
underdrawing
The sources do not explicitly describe Klimt’s underdrawing method for this specific landscape. However, given his background in architectural decoration and his precise, decorative style, it is likely he employed a careful initial sketch to establish the composition’s structural elements, such as the church and the lake’s horizon. In his earlier works, he was known for detailed preparatory sketches, but for his later landscapes, he may have worked more directly from observation. Without specific evidence, assume a light, loose underdrawing in charcoal or thinned oil to block in major forms.
underpainting
Consider using a grisaille (monochrome underpainting) to establish values before applying color. Source 1 describes a method where the artist creates a grisaille, mentally extracting red and yellow tones, and then glazes and scumbles color over it. While this source discusses general old master techniques, Klimt’s mastery of layering and his Art Nouveau sensibility align with the use of transparent layers to build luminosity. This technique allows for the 'grey bloom' and coldness effects mentioned in Source 1, which can be useful for depicting the atmospheric qualities of a lakeside scene.
color palette
Greens and Blues
Ultramarine, viridian, phthalo blue, sap green
Depicting the water of the Attersee and the surrounding foliage, consistent with the naturalistic yet stylized approach of his landscapes.
Whites and Grays
Titanium white, lead white (historically), gray mixtures
The church structure and sky, providing contrast to the vibrant colors of the landscape.
Earth Tones
Burnt sienna, umber, ochre
The land and architectural details, grounding the composition.
Reds and Yellows
Cadmium red, yellow ochre, cadmium yellow
Accents in the foliage or architectural details, applied via glazing as per Source 1’s description of adding these tones back into the composition.
composition
The composition likely features the church as a central or focal point, situated against the backdrop of the Attersee. Klimt’s landscapes are known for their flat, decorative quality, often minimizing deep perspective in favor of pattern and color relationships. While the specific layout of 'Church in Unterach on the Attersee' is not detailed in the sources, Klimt’s general practice involved arranging elements to create a harmonious, almost mosaic-like surface (Source 3). The horizon line is likely placed to balance the sky and water, with the church acting as a vertical anchor.
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing
underdrawing
step 01
Lightly sketch the main compositional elements: the church, the shoreline, and the horizon line. Focus on the placement of the church as the focal point.
Tip — Keep lines loose and adjustable; this is a guide, not a final outline.
Blocking in
underpainting
step 02
Apply a monochrome grisaille layer using black, ultramarine, and white (as suggested in Source 1) to establish the value structure of the painting. This step mentally extracts the red and yellow tones, focusing on the underlying forms and light.
Tip — Ensure this layer is completely dry before proceeding to avoid muddying the subsequent glazes.
Grisaille
first pass
step 03
Begin applying color using glazing and scumbling techniques. Glaze transparent layers of color over the dry grisaille, particularly for the blues and greens of the water and sky. Scumble semi-opaque layers for the lighter areas, such as the church walls.
Tip — Glazing adds depth and luminosity, while scumbling can create texture and 'coldness' or 'grey bloom' effects (Source 1).
Glazing and Scumbling
refining
step 04
Add the red and yellow tones back into the composition, as described in Source 1. These colors were mentally extracted in the grisaille stage and are now reintroduced to bring warmth and vibrancy to the foliage and architectural details.
Tip — Apply these colors thinly and transparently to maintain the luminosity of the underlying layers.
Color Glazing
finishing
step 05
Refine details and adjust contrasts. Klimt’s later landscapes often feature a decorative, patterned quality. Ensure the transitions between areas are smooth and the overall composition feels harmonious.
Tip — Step back frequently to assess the overall balance of color and value.
Detailing
varnishing
step 06
Once the painting is completely dry (which may take several weeks or months), apply a final varnish to protect the surface and unify the sheen.
Tip — Use a high-quality varnish suitable for oil paintings.
Varnishing
critical techniques
Glazing
Applying transparent coats of color over a dry underpainting to build depth and luminosity. This technique is central to the old master methods described in Source 1 and is consistent with Klimt’s layered approach to color.
Scumbling
Applying semi-opaque paint over a darker ground to create texture and subtle color variations, such as a 'grey bloom'. This technique helps in rendering atmospheric effects and light reflections on the water.
Layering
Building up the painting in multiple layers, starting with a monochrome underpainting and adding color gradually. This allows for greater control over value and color intensity, leveraging the advantages of oil paint for 'richer and denser color' (Source 5).
common pitfalls
- →Applying color before the underpainting is completely dry, which can lead to muddied colors and ruined glazes (Source 1).
- →Overworking the paint, which can destroy the delicate transparency of the glazes and the texture of the scumbles.
- →Ignoring the value structure established in the grisaille, leading to a flat or unconvincing final image.
- →Using too much medium, which can cause the paint to become unstable or yellow excessively over time (Source 5).
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 palette used by Klimt for this 1916 work is not detailed in the sources.
- ·Exact compositional layout of 'Church in Unterach on the Attersee' is not described in the provided passages.
- ·Klimt’s specific underdrawing technique for this landscape is not explicitly documented in the sources.
- ·The extent to which Klimt used gold leaf or other decorative materials in this specific landscape is not mentioned, though it is known he moved away from this in his later landscapes.
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 (grisaille), glazing, and scumbling techniques
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia bio — Gustav Klimt↗
- part 1 — applied to Artist’s style, landscape practice, and move away from gold leaf in later works
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- part 1 — applied to General oil painting materials, advantages of oil, and varnishing
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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