plate no. 7080
Death of Don Miguel de Mahara
recreation guide
This recreation guide addresses the painting 'Death of Don Miguel de Mahara' by Carlos Saenz de Tejada, an oil work classified within the Art Nouveau (Modern) illustration genre. While specific visual details of the composition are not provided in the source texts, the technical approach is grounded in classical oil painting practices described in 'The Practice of Oil Painting' and color theory from 'Laws of Contrast of Colour'. The artist’s work likely benefits from a disciplined approach to color harmony and contrast, utilizing traditional pigments and mediums such as linseed oil and turpentine to achieve depth and luminosity. The process emphasizes the separation of tonal structure (grisaille) from color application (glazing and scumbling), a method historically favored by old masters and recommended for achieving rich, transparent effects in oil painting.
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions (allowing for drying times between glazing layers)
materials
10 items
steps
7 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Two whites (e.g., Lead White and Zinc White) | For mixing tints and highlights; two whites allow for different drying times and opacity levels. | Titanium White and Zinc White |
| Yellow Ochre | Earth tone for underpainting and warm mid-tones. | Natural Yellow Ochre |
| Light Red / Vermilion / Rose Madder | For flesh tones and warm accents; Rose Madder is noted for glazing. | Quinacridone Rose or Alizarin Crimson (for transparency) |
| Cobalt Blue | Cool shadows and atmospheric effects. | Cobalt Blue |
| Emerald Green / Oxide of Chromium | Green tones for foliage or drapery if applicable. | Viridian or Chromium Oxide Green |
| Raw and Burnt Umber | Earth tones for shadows and underpainting. | Raw Umber and Burnt Umber |
| Ivory Black | Deep shadows and neutralizing colors. | Ivory Black or Mars Black |
| Spirits of Turpentine | Thinner for the first painting to ensure a 'dead' dry finish that is absorbent for subsequent layers. | Odorless Mineral Spirits |
| Linseed Oil | Medium for glazing and scumbling to create transparent and semi-opaque layers. | Stand Linseed Oil or Refined Linseed Oil |
| Oil of Copavia (optional) | Historical medium mentioned by Reynolds for first and second paintings; acts as a slow-drying varnish medium. | Gum Mastic or Dammar Varnish mixed with oil |
preparation
surface prep
Prepare a rigid panel or canvas with a traditional gesso ground. The sources imply a preference for surfaces that can support multiple layers of glazing without becoming 'soapy' or overly absorbent in a way that ruins the paint film. Ensure the surface is smooth enough for fine illustration details but textured enough to hold the oil medium.
underdrawing
Given the genre is 'illustration' and the style is Art Nouveau, precise line work is likely important. However, the sources do not specify Saenz de Tejada's underdrawing method. A charcoal or thinned umber underdrawing is recommended to establish the composition before applying the monochrome underpainting.
underpainting
Create a grisaille (monochrome) underpainting using black, white, and possibly umber. This step establishes the tonal values of the composition. The source advises mentally extracting red and yellow colors to focus on the underlying structure (Source 2). This layer must be completely dry before proceeding to color.
color palette
White
Two whites (Lead/Zinc and Titanium/Zinc)
Highlights and mixing tints
Yellow Ochre
Natural Yellow Ochre
Warm earth tones and underpainting
Red Tones
Vermilion, Light Red, Rose Madder
Flesh tones and warm glazes
Blue Tones
Cobalt Blue
Cool shadows and sky elements
Green Tones
Emerald Green, Oxide of Chromium
Vegetation or cool accents
Brown/Black
Raw Umber, Burnt Umber, Ivory Black
Shadows and depth
composition
The sources do not describe the specific composition of 'Death of Don Miguel de Mahara'. However, general principles of composition suggest using lines to direct the eye toward the center and avoiding strong right angles at the corners that might distract the viewer (Source 8). The artist likely employed simultaneous contrast to harmonize colors inherent to the subject (Source 3).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the composition lightly with charcoal or thinned umber, focusing on the placement of figures and key elements.
Tip — Ensure the drawing is secure but not too dark, as it will be covered by the underpainting.
Underdrawing
underpainting
step 02
Apply a monochrome grisaille using black, white, and umber to establish all tonal values. Mentally extract red and yellow colors to focus on form and light.
Tip — Ensure this layer is completely dry before proceeding. This prevents muddying the subsequent color layers.
Grisaille
first pass
step 03
Set your palette with the recommended pigments. For the first color application, use turpentine alone as a thinner to avoid darkening the color and creating a 'soapy' surface.
Tip — Turpentine dries 'dead' and leaves the paint slightly absorbent, which helps subsequent oil layers adhere better.
Direct Painting (4 prima)
refining
step 04
Apply glazes (transparent coats of color) and scumbles (semi-opaque layers) using linseed oil. Focus on adding yellow and red tones as they occur in nature.
Tip — Glazing adds depth and luminosity, while scumbling can create a 'grey bloom' or coldness over darker grounds.
Glazing and Scumbling
step 05
Pay attention to simultaneous contrast. Adjust colors based on their interaction with adjacent hues, ensuring that the lightest tones are not lowered and darkest tones are not heightened unintentionally.
Tip — The eye may perceive colors inaccurately due to mixed contrast; step back frequently to assess true color relationships.
Simultaneous Contrast
finishing
step 06
Complete the painting by refining details and ensuring harmony between inherent colors (flesh, hair) and chosen colors (draperies, background).
Tip — Use the law of contrast to harmonize colors that are not inherent to the model, such as background elements.
Color Harmony
varnishing
step 07
Once the painting is fully dry, apply a varnish to protect the surface and enhance the depth of the glazes.
Tip — Ensure the painting is completely dry to prevent trapping solvents.
Varnishing
critical techniques
Glazing
Applying transparent coats of color over a dry underpainting to achieve depth and luminosity, as practiced by old masters.
Scumbling
Applying semi-opaque paint over a darker ground to create cool tones or a 'grey bloom' effect.
Simultaneous Contrast
Adjusting colors based on their interaction with adjacent hues to ensure accurate perception and harmony.
Turpentine Thinning
Using turpentine alone for the first painting to prevent darkening and create an absorbent surface for subsequent layers.
common pitfalls
- →Using too much oil in the first layers, which can darken the color and make the surface 'soapy' (Source 1).
- →Applying glazes before the underpainting is completely dry, leading to muddied colors (Source 2).
- →Ignoring simultaneous contrast, resulting in inaccurate color perception and disharmony (Source 3).
- →Failing to distinguish between inherent colors (fixed by the model) and chosen colors (at the painter's discretion), leading to compositional imbalance (Source 4).
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 'Death of Don Miguel de Mahara' (e.g., figure poses, background elements, clothing patterns) are not described in the sources.
- ·Carlos Saenz de Tejada's specific personal habits or deviations from the general techniques described in the sources are not documented.
- ·The exact year of creation is not available, making it difficult to pinpoint specific period conventions beyond the general 'Art Nouveau' label.
grounded in
The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.
The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- CHAPTER XV PAINTING IN COLOUR DIRECT FROM LIFE — applied to Palette setup, use of turpentine for first painting, and avoiding 'soapy' surfaces.
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Grisaille underpainting, glazing, and scumbling techniques.
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315-318 — applied to Understanding simultaneous contrast and mixed contrast for accurate color perception.
- 324 — applied to Distinguishing between inherent and chosen colors for composition harmony.
The Practice and Science of Drawing↗
- ILLUSTRATING SOME OF THE LINES... — applied to General composition principles regarding line direction and corner treatment.
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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