plate no. 1971

Expulsion of Heliodorus from the Temple (detail)

frescoHigh Renaissancehistory paintingfigurescrowdreligiousarchitectureclothingportrait

recreation guide

The Expulsion of Heliodorus from the Temple (1512) is a High Renaissance history painting executed in buon fresco. As a history painting, it depicts a narrative moment from the Bible, characterized by a large number of figures and dynamic action (Source 6). Raphael was renowned for his extensive preparatory drawings, often creating multiple variants to refine poses and compositions before scaling them up for the final work (Source 7). The artwork exemplifies the 'grand manner' of the High Renaissance, absorbing influences from contemporaries like Michelangelo while maintaining Raphael’s cohesive style (Source 8).

estimated time

Several weeks to months, depending on wall size, due to the strict daily time limits of fresco painting (7-9 hours of working time per day) (Source 1).

materials

6 items

steps

7 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Lime plaster (arriccio and intonaco)	The structural base and painting surface. Arriccio is the rough underlayer; intonaco is the thin, smooth top layer applied daily.	Hydraulic lime plaster or traditional slaked lime plaster.
Alkaline-resistant pigments	Colors must withstand the high pH of wet lime. Ground in water, they become part of the wall via carbonatation.	Natural earth pigments (ochres, umbers), mineral pigments (ultramarine, azurite), and lime-stable synthetic pigments.
Water	Vehicle for the pigment. No binder is required as the lime acts as the binder.	Distilled or clean tap water.
Soot (spolvero)	Used to transfer pricked cartoon drawings onto the plaster via pouncing.	Charcoal powder or commercial pounce powder.
Sinopia pigment (red earth)	Used for sketching compositions directly on the arriccio underlayer.	Red ochre or raw sienna.
Blind stylus	A tool for scratching lines into wet plaster to create indentations without leaving visible marks, aiding in depth illusion.	A smooth, hard-pointed tool (e.g., bone folder or polished wood).

preparation

surface prep

The wall must first be prepared with a rough, thick undercoat of plaster known as arriccio (Source 3). This layer is allowed to dry for several days. If painting over an existing fresco, the surface must be roughened for adhesion (Source 1).

underdrawing

Raphael likely sketched the composition on the arriccio using sinopia (red pigment) or charcoal (Source 1, Source 3). He also extensively used a 'blind stylus' to scratch lines into the plaster, leaving only indentations to guide the painting and enhance the illusion of depth (Source 7). Additionally, full-size cartoons were likely pricked and pounced with soot (spolvero) to transfer main lines onto the wet intonaco (Source 1, Source 7).

underpainting

In buon fresco, there is no traditional underpainting layer. The pigment is applied directly to the wet intonaco. However, Raphael may have used lime as a binding medium for some pigments to slow drying and extend working time (Source 3).

color palette

Reds and Earth Tones

Red ochre, vermilion (if lime-stable), raw sienna

General use in Raphael's palette for drapery and skin tones. Specifics for this painting are not detailed in sources.

Blues

Ultramarine or azurite

General use in High Renaissance frescoes for skies and drapery. Specifics for this painting are not detailed in sources.

Whites and Highlights

White lead (used a secco) or lime wash

Highlights and adjustments. Note: Pure white is difficult in buon fresco; often added a secco.

composition

As a history painting, the composition likely features a large number of figures depicting a narrative moment (Source 6). Raphael characteristically refined poses through extensive preparatory drawings, borrowing figures from stock drawings to achieve grace and variety (Source 7). The composition would have been scaled up from cartoons and transferred via pouncing (Source 7).

step by step

underdrawing→first pass→refining→finishing

underdrawing

step 01
Apply the arriccio (rough underlayer) to the wall and allow it to dry for several days.
Tip — Ensure the surface is stable before proceeding.
Arriccio application
step 02
Sketch the composition on the arriccio using sinopia (red pigment) or charcoal. Alternatively, prick full-size cartoons and pounce them with soot to transfer lines.
Tip — Raphael also used a blind stylus to scratch guiding lines into the plaster.
Sinopia / Spolvero

first pass

step 03
Apply a thin, smooth layer of fresh lime plaster (intonaco) to the section to be painted that day (the giornata).
Tip — Only apply as much plaster as can be painted in 7-9 hours.
Giornata
step 04
Begin painting within one hour of applying the intonaco. Use alkaline-resistant pigments ground in water.
Tip — Work quickly; the plaster dries in 10-12 hours.
Buon Fresco

refining

step 05
Scrape indentations into wet plaster in specific areas (e.g., eyes, folds) to increase the illusion of depth and accentuate forms.
Tip — This technique was used by Raphael and Michelangelo to make eyes seem deeper and more pensive.
Scraping indentations

finishing

step 06
Allow the plaster to dry and undergo carbonatation, fixing the pigment in a protective lime crust.
Tip — Do not paint over dried intonaco with buon fresco; remove unpainted plaster if mistakes are made.
Carbonatation
step 07
If necessary, apply corrections or details using fresco-secco (pigments mixed with organic binders or lime water on dry plaster).
Tip — This allows for retouching but is less durable than buon fresco.
Fresco-secco

critical techniques

Buon Fresco

Painting with water-ground pigments on wet lime plaster. The pigment becomes an integral part of the wall through carbonatation.

Giornata

Dividing the painting into daily sections based on the amount of plaster that can be applied and painted before it dries.

Blind Stylus

Scratching lines into wet plaster to create invisible guides and enhance depth illusion, a technique Raphael used extensively.

Spolvero (Pouncing)

Transferring pricked cartoon drawings to the wall using soot powder to create dotted guidelines.

common pitfalls

→Painting on dried plaster with buon fresco technique (pigments will not adhere properly).
→Applying too much intonaco for one day, leading to unfinished sections that must be scraped off.
→Using non-alkaline-resistant pigments, which may fade or react poorly with the lime.
→Making mistakes in buon fresco, which require scraping off the wet plaster or correcting a secco (less durable).

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 palette details for the Expulsion of Heliodorus are not provided in the sources.
·Exact dimensions and layout of the specific wall sections for this painting are not detailed.
·Specific preparatory drawings for this particular work are not described in the sources, though Raphael's general practice is noted.

cross-referenced from

Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.

Wikipedia: Fresco — Fresco — part 2↗
- Fresco — applied to Buon fresco process, giornata, scraping indentations, sinopia, spolvero
Wikipedia: Fresco — Fresco — part 1↗
- Fresco — applied to Chemical process of carbonatation, materials
Wikipedia: Buon fresco — Buon fresco — part 1↗
- Buon fresco — applied to Definition of buon fresco, arriccio, intonaco, durability
Wikipedia: Fresco-secco — Fresco-secco — part 1↗
- Fresco-secco — applied to A secco technique for corrections
Wikipedia bio — Raphael — part 11↗
- Raphael — applied to Preparatory drawings, blind stylus, cartoons, pouncing
Wikipedia: History painting — History painting — part 1↗
- History painting — applied to Genre definition, narrative content