plate no. 9058
Circus Matinee
Laura Knight, 1938
recreation guide
Laura Knight’s *Circus Matinee* (1938) is a genre painting that reflects her documented fascination with marginalized communities, specifically circus performers and Romani people, during the late 1930s (Source 4). As a painter in the figurative, realist tradition who embraced English Impressionism, Knight likely approached this subject with a focus on capturing the atmosphere and everyday life of her subjects rather than idealized historical narratives (Source 3, Source 4). The work fits within her broader practice of painting amidst the world of theatre and performance, utilizing oil to render scenes that were popular with the middle class for their familiar and often sentimental subject matter (Source 3, Source 4).
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 earth tones) | Primary pigments for grisaille underpainting and subsequent glazing/scumbling | — |
| Linseed oil or Oil of Copavia | Medium for thinning paint and creating glazes; historically used by Reynolds and recommended for traditional oil practice | Stand oil or pure linseed oil |
| Varnish | Mixed with oil for later glazing stages to increase transparency and flow | Dammar varnish or synthetic resin varnish |
| Canvas or Panel | Support for the oil painting | Linen canvas primed with gesso |
| Charcoal or thinned paint | Initial sketching of the composition | Vine charcoal or diluted oil wash |
preparation
surface prep
The surface should be prepared to accept oil paint. While specific priming methods for this exact 1938 work are not detailed in the sources, traditional oil painting practice involves a stable ground. Knight worked in oils throughout her career, implying a standard professional preparation suitable for layering techniques (Source 4, Source 8).
underdrawing
Traditional oil painting techniques often begin with the artist sketching the subject onto the canvas with charcoal or thinned paint (Source 8). Given Knight’s realist tradition, a careful underdrawing would likely be employed to establish the figures and setting before applying paint.
underpainting
The process likely involves creating a monochrome underpainting, known as a grisaille. The artist should mentally extract red and yellow colors, translating what would be left in nature if these two colors were not present, using black, ultramarine, and white (Source 1). This establishes the tonal values before color is introduced.
color palette
Ultramarine
Pure ultramarine pigment
Part of the initial monochrome grisaille underpainting along with black and white
Black
Bone black or ivory black
Establishing dark values in the grisaille underpainting
White
Lead white or titanium white
Establishing highlights and mid-tones in the grisaille underpainting
Red and Yellow tones
Vermilion, cadmium red, yellow ochre, cadmium yellow
Glazing and scumbling over the dry grisaille to introduce color, mimicking the tinting of an engraving
composition
As a genre painting, the composition likely depicts ordinary people engaged in common activities, possibly with figures to whom no specific identity is attached, distinguishing it from portraiture (Source 3). Knight’s work in this period often involved painting from life or studies, such as her work with Gypsy communities at racecourses, suggesting a focus on capturing candid or posed moments of everyday life within the circus context (Source 4, Source 6).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the composition onto the canvas using charcoal or thinned paint to establish the figures and setting.
Tip — Ensure the proportions and placement of figures are correct before applying paint.
Initial sketching
underpainting
step 02
Create a grisaille underpainting using black, ultramarine, and white. Mentally extract red and yellow colors to focus on tonal values.
Tip — This step establishes the light and shadow structure of the painting.
Grisaille
first pass
step 03
Allow the grisaille to dry completely. This is crucial before applying subsequent layers.
Tip — Rushing this step can lead to muddying of colors or cracking.
Drying
refining
step 04
Apply transparent coats of color (glazing) and semi-opaque layers (scumbling) using oil as a medium. Introduce red and yellow tones as they occur in the scene.
Tip — Glazing adds depth and richness, while scumbling can create coldness or grey blooms over darker grounds.
Glazing and Scumbling
finishing
step 05
Continue layering colors, potentially mixing varnish with oil for greater transparency and flow, similar to tinting an engraving with watercolors.
Tip — Ensure each layer contains more oil than the previous one to prevent cracking (fat over lean rule).
Layering with varnish/oil mix
varnishing
step 06
Apply a final varnish to protect the painting and unify the surface sheen.
Tip — Wait until the painting is fully dry to the touch, which can take weeks.
Varnishing
critical techniques
Glazing
Applying a transparent coat of color over a dry underpainting to build up luminosity and depth. This was a method practiced by old masters and recommended for achieving rich tones.
Scumbling
Applying a semi-opaque layer of paint through which the underlying painting shows. When used over a darker ground, it tends to create coldness or grey blooms.
Fat over Lean
Ensuring each additional layer of paint contains more oil than the layer below to allow proper drying and prevent cracking.
common pitfalls
- →Applying color before the grisaille underpainting is completely dry, which can lead to muddying or cracking.
- →Violating the 'fat over lean' rule by applying layers with less oil on top of layers with more oil, causing the paint film to crack and peel.
- →Over-modeling or becoming too tied down to outlines, which can result in a small, timid appearance rather than the broad masses characteristic of successful genre painting.
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 *Circus Matinee* such as exact clothing patterns, facial expressions, or room layout are not described in the provided sources.
- ·The exact palette used by Knight for this specific 1938 work is not detailed, though general practices are inferred.
- ·Whether Knight used a specific type of canvas or panel for this work is not mentioned.
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
- ON COPYING — applied to General advice on mastering medium and avoiding over-modeling
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia: Genre painting↗
- Genre painting — part 1 — applied to Understanding the genre and subject matter
Wikipedia bio — Laura Knight↗
- Laura Knight — part 1 — applied to Artist's style, medium, and interest in circus performers
- Laura Knight — part 7 — applied to Context of painting marginalized communities in the late 1930s
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Oil painting — part 2 — applied to General oil painting techniques, fat over lean rule, and drying times
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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