plate no. 9049
Cottages on Mount Sainte Marguerite
Paul Gauguin, 1888
recreation guide
Cottages on Mount Sainte Marguerite (1888) is a Post-Impressionist landscape by Paul Gauguin, executed in oil on panel. This work falls within the period where Gauguin’s style was evolving toward Cloisonnism and Synthetism, characterized by flat areas of color and a departure from classical perspective and subtle gradations (Source 6). The painting utilizes the medium’s capacity for richer, denser color and layering, typical of oil painting on wood panel which had been a standard support since the Renaissance (Source 4). As a landscape, it depicts natural scenery with a coherent composition, likely emphasizing the spiritual or essential nature of the view rather than strict topographical accuracy, consistent with the Western tradition’s shift toward subjective interpretation in the late 19th century (Source 5).
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions
materials
6 items
steps
5 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Wood panel | Support surface, consistent with Gauguin’s use of panel for this period and the historical precedent for oil painting on wood (Source 4). | MDF or plywood panel primed with gesso |
| Oil paints | Primary medium, allowing for richer color and layering (Source 4). | High-quality tube oil paints |
| Linseed oil or poppy seed oil | Binder/medium to adjust consistency and drying time (Source 4). | Stand oil or pure linseed oil |
| Turpentine | Thinner for initial layers or glazes (Source 4). | Odorless mineral spirits |
| Palette knife | For mixing paints and potentially applying thick textures, as oil paint can be molded into different textures (Source 3, Source 4). | Standard palette knife |
| Brushes | Application of paint, varying sizes for different areas (Source 3). | Hog bristle or synthetic brushes |
preparation
surface prep
The panel should be prepared with a ground suitable for oil painting. While specific ground recipes for this exact painting are not detailed in the sources, oil painting on panel traditionally involves a gesso or chalk-based ground to provide a stable surface for the oil binder (Source 4). Gauguin’s use of panel suggests a rigid support, which allows for smoother, flatter color application characteristic of his move toward Cloisonnism (Source 6).
underdrawing
Gauguin’s evolution toward Cloisonnism involved bold outlines and flat areas of color, often dispensing with subtle gradations (Source 6). While specific underdrawing techniques for this landscape are not explicitly described in the sources, the emphasis on 'linear construction of composition' (Source 3) suggests that a clear structural outline may have been established before color application. However, Gauguin’s later Synthetist approach often minimized preliminary sketching in favor of direct color placement. It is likely that any underdrawing was minimal or integrated into the first layer of paint to maintain the flatness of the forms.
underpainting
Oil painting allows for the use of layers (Source 4). Gauguin’s technique often involved building up color to achieve harmony and contrast. An underpainting (imprimatura) may have been used to establish tonal values, but given the move toward flat color areas, it might have been a thin, transparent layer rather than a detailed grisaille. The sources note that painters must appreciate modifications of tone and color from contiguous colors (Source 1), suggesting that the underpainting would serve to establish these relationships early.
color palette
Earth tones (ochres, umbers)
Natural earth pigments
Likely used for the cottages and earth, consistent with landscape painting traditions (Source 5).
Greens and Blues
Chromes, viridian, ultramarine
Vegetation and sky/mountain, essential for landscape depiction (Source 5). Gauguin’s use of color was influenced by the law of simultaneous contrast, where colors affect each other (Source 1).
Complementary accents
Reds, oranges
To create contrast and harmony, as per the law of simultaneous contrast where contiguous colors modify each other’s appearance (Source 1).
composition
The composition likely arranges natural scenery—mountains, cottages, vegetation—into a coherent whole (Source 5). Gauguin’s style during this period moved away from classical perspective, instead focusing on the essence of the objects and using flat areas of color (Source 6). The arrangement may emphasize the spiritual or symbolic element of the landscape, a trend in Western art becoming more explicit with Romanticism and Post-Impressionism (Source 5). Specific details of the cottage placement or mountain shape are not described in the sources, so the composition should be approached as a general landscape structure typical of the genre.
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing
underdrawing
step 01
Lightly sketch the main compositional elements: the mountain, cottages, and vegetation. Focus on the linear construction of the composition (Source 3).
Tip — Keep lines loose; Gauguin’s style moved away from detailed realism (Source 6).
Contour drawing
underpainting
step 02
Apply a thin layer of paint to establish basic tonal values and color relationships. Use the law of simultaneous contrast to consider how adjacent colors will affect each other (Source 1).
Tip — Avoid darkening colors with black, which can shift hue; use complements instead (Source 2).
Imprimatura
first pass
step 03
Block in flat areas of color for the sky, mountain, and cottages. Gauguin’s Cloisonnist style involves reducing images to areas of pure color (Source 6).
Tip — Ensure colors are harmonized according to their inherent nature and contiguous influences (Source 1).
Flat color application
refining
step 04
Refine the edges and adjust color contrasts. Use bold outlines if consistent with the Cloisonnist style (Source 6). Adjust lightness by mixing with white or complements, not just black (Source 2).
Tip — Watch for hue shifts when lightening or darkening colors (Source 2).
Simultaneous contrast adjustment
finishing
step 05
Add final details and textures. Oil paint can be molded into different textures depending on plasticity (Source 4). Ensure the composition conveys the essence of the landscape rather than strict topographical accuracy (Source 5).
Tip — Balance form and color equally, as in Synthetism (Source 6).
Impasto or glazing
critical techniques
Simultaneous Contrast
Gauguin and other Post-Impressionists used the law of simultaneous contrast to enhance color vibrancy and harmony. Contiguous colors modify each other’s appearance, so painters must perceive and imitate these modifications (Source 1).
Cloisonnism
Characterized by flat areas of color separated by bold outlines, reducing the image to its essential forms and dispensing with subtle gradations (Source 6).
Color Mixing with Complements
To darken or lighten colors without shifting hue, use complementary colors rather than black or white alone (Source 2).
common pitfalls
- →Darkening colors with black, which can cause hue shifts toward greenish or bluish tones (Source 2).
- →Lightening colors with white, which can cause hue shifts toward blue, especially with reds and oranges (Source 2).
- →Over-detailing the landscape, which contradicts Gauguin’s move toward expressing the essence of objects rather than realistic representation (Source 6).
- →Ignoring the effect of contiguous colors on each other, leading to disharmonious color relationships (Source 1).
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 Gauguin for this painting is not detailed in the sources.
- ·Exact compositional layout of the cottages and mountain is not described in the sources.
- ·Specific underdrawing or underpainting techniques for this particular work are not explicitly documented in the provided passages.
- ·The role of weather or specific atmospheric conditions in the composition is not detailed.
grounded in
The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- Simultaneous Contrast — applied to Color mixing and harmony steps
The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- The French School — applied to Materials and compositional analysis
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia: Color theory↗
- Color mixing principles — applied to Avoiding hue shifts when adjusting value
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Oil painting technique — applied to Medium properties and layering
Wikipedia: Landscape painting↗
- Landscape art traditions — applied to Genre context and composition
Wikipedia bio — Paul Gauguin↗
- Artistic evolution — applied to Style (Cloisonnism/Synthetism) and approach to form
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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