plate no. 0392

Family on the Barricades, 1848

oil, woodRealismportraitfiguresportraitsfamilyhistoricalclothingfaces

what to study here

It shows how a tight, compressed value range and a loose background can push one weathered face forward from a crowd of heads.

Study how the painter builds expression from a narrow value range. The vision analysis reports no pure black and no pure white. The background is a neutral gray-brown close in value to the mid-tones on the faces, so the flesh reads as light against a shallow space. Squint and you get three groups: cool background shadow, warm mid-tone flesh, and small islands of pale highlight on foreheads and cheekbones. The older man's face is the focal point. It is modeled with deep contours, and a darker band under the jaw and cheekbone. Edges around the nose, jaw and eye socket are firm, while the background is handled more loosely. The woman in blue profile and the youth in gray-blue are kept inside the mid-tone range so they sit behind him. Heads are packed with no empty space between them, which makes the picture feel close and tight. Copy the face alone first, and check where you are holding back highlights.

key decision

Keeping the background nearly the same value as the face mid-tones, with pale highlights saved for the older man's forehead and cheekbones, so modeling rather than contrast carries the expression.

recreation guide

Honoré Daumier’s 'Family on the Barricades' (1854) is a work of oil on wood that exemplifies his transition from caricature to serious painting, characterized by a 'searching truthfulness' and 'powerful directness' (Source 2). While Daumier is associated with Realism, he did not strictly adhere to its ideology; rather, his realism was a 'second nature' derived from his life and critical viewpoint on class distinctions (Source 2). The work likely reflects his habit of exploring subjects repetitively to exhaust their thematic potential, a method he applied to various social scenes including working people and political events (Source 2). As a painter of the mid-19th century, Daumier utilized oil painting techniques that allowed for 'greater flexibility, richer and denser color, and the use of layers' (Source 1). The choice of a wood panel aligns with historical practices where oil painting was commonly executed on wood panels, particularly before canvas became the exclusive standard for all formats, though Daumier’s specific choice here may also relate to the durability and texture preferred for his vigorous brushwork.

estimated time

40-60 hours over 8-12 sessions

materials

6 items

steps

6 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Wood panel	Support surface, consistent with the artwork's medium 'oil, wood'	Plywood or MDF panel primed for oil, or traditional poplar/linden panel
Linseed oil	Primary drying oil binder for pigments, providing flexibility and rich color	Refined linseed oil
Turpentine	Thinner for paint and cleaner for brushes	Odorless mineral spirits or pure gum turpentine
Oil paints (earth tones, ochres, umbers, whites, blacks)	Pigments for the realistic depiction of figures and barricades	Standard tube oil paints
Charcoal or charcoal pencil	For laying out the design on the prepared panel	Vine charcoal or compressed charcoal
Gesso or size	To seal the wood and create a painting ground	Acrylic gesso or rabbit-skin glue with chalk gesso

preparation

surface prep

The wood panel should be planed and sanded smooth. Historically, wood panels were coated with a mixture of animal-skin glues and resin, covered with linen, and then layered with gesso to create a smooth, hard surface (Source 8). For a recreation, apply a modern acrylic gesso or traditional chalk gesso over a size layer to seal the wood and provide a tooth for the oil paint. Daumier’s vigorous style suggests a surface that can withstand heavy impasto without cracking.

underdrawing

The design was likely laid out in charcoal, as was the usual ancient and early modern technique for panel painting (Source 8). Daumier, coming from a background in lithography and caricature, likely employed a confident, direct drawing method. The sources do not specify if he used a grid or transfer method, but his 'tireless and prolific' nature suggests a rapid, expressive underdrawing (Source 3).

underpainting

Daumier likely employed a tonal underpainting (imprimatura) to establish the light and shadow values before applying color. This is consistent with the 'use of layers' advantage of oil painting (Source 1). Given his association with the Barbizon school and his desire for 'truthfulness,' he may have used a neutral gray or brown wash to block in the composition, allowing for the 'wider range from light to dark' that oil permits (Source 1).

color palette

Raw Umber

Natural earth pigment

General use in this artist's palette for shadows and underpainting

Yellow Ochre

Natural earth pigment

General use in this artist's palette for skin tones and earthy backgrounds

Lead White or Titanium White

White pigment

Highlights and mixing lighter tones

Black (Ivory or Lamp Black)

Carbon-based pigment

Deep shadows and defining forms

Red Ochre/Venetian Red

Iron oxide pigment

General use in this artist's palette for warm tones and clothing

composition

Daumier’s compositions often featured 'working people on the streets of Paris' and 'working class at leisure' (Source 2). While specific details of 'Family on the Barricades' are not described in the sources, his general practice involved treating subjects with a 'point of view critical of class distinctions' (Source 2). The composition likely emphasizes the human figure over landscape, consistent with his domain being 'the human figure and not landscapes' (Source 2). The arrangement probably reflects his 'Romantic' temperament combined with 'Realist' approach, avoiding idealized poses in favor of candid, perhaps 'uncouth' or direct representations (Source 2).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the composition on the prepared wood panel using charcoal. Focus on the placement of figures and the structure of the barricades.
Tip — Keep lines loose and expressive, reflecting Daumier’s caricature background.
Charcoal layout

underpainting

step 02
Apply a thin wash of thinned oil paint (e.g., raw umber) to establish the overall tonal values. This utilizes the oil’s capacity for layers and a wide range from light to dark.
Tip — Allow this layer to dry sufficiently before proceeding.
Imprimatura

first pass

step 03
Block in the main colors and forms using thicker paint. Daumier’s style is characterized by 'powerful directness' and 'searching truthfulness,' so avoid over-blending at this stage.
Tip — Focus on the mass of the figures rather than fine details.
Blocking in

refining

step 04
Add layers of paint to refine the forms and expressions. Daumier often painted the same subject repetitively to exhaust the theme, suggesting a process of iterative refinement rather than a single perfect execution.
Tip — Use the flexibility of oil paint to adjust values and colors.
Layering

finishing

step 05
Add final highlights and dark accents. Daumier’s work was noted for its 'uncouthness' which was accepted in his prints but perhaps more refined in his paintings, yet still retaining a raw energy.
Tip — Ensure the 'richer and denser color' characteristic of oil painting is achieved.
Glazing and scumbling

varnishing

step 06
Once the painting is fully dry, apply a varnish made from oil boiled with resin (such as pine resin or frankincense) to provide protection and texture.
Tip — Ensure the painting is completely dry to avoid trapping solvents.
Varnishing

critical techniques

Layering

Oil painting allows for the use of layers, which Daumier likely exploited to build up the 'richer and denser color' and 'wider range from light to dark' (Source 1).

Direct Brushwork

Daumier’s 'powerful directness' and 'searching truthfulness' suggest a vigorous, unpolished application of paint, avoiding the 'meretricious attempt to deceive the eye' in favor of expressive symbols (Source 2, Source 7).

Panel Preparation

Using a wood panel prepared with gesso provides a hard, smooth surface suitable for the detailed yet robust handling of oil paint (Source 8).

common pitfalls

→Over-blending the paint, which would lose the 'directness' and 'truthfulness' characteristic of Daumier’s style (Source 2).
→Ignoring the layering potential of oil, resulting in flat, less 'dense' color (Source 1).
→Attempting to create a photorealistic illusion rather than an expressive representation, which contradicts the principle that art is an 'expression of feeling' and not a substitute for nature (Source 7).
→Failing to allow layers to dry properly, leading to cracking or muddiness, especially on a wood panel (Source 8).

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 used in 'Family on the Barricades' is not described in the sources.
·Exact dimensions of the wood panel are not provided.
·Specific brush types or sizes used by Daumier are not detailed.
·The specific arrangement of figures in 'Family on the Barricades' is not described, so the composition notes are generalized from his other works.

grounded in

The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.

The Practice and Science of Drawing↗
- XX MATERIALS — applied to Philosophy of material use and avoiding mere illusion

cross-referenced from

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

Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Oil painting — part 1 — applied to Materials, layering, varnishing, and advantages of oil medium
Wikipedia bio — Honore Daumier↗
- Honore Daumier — part 6 — applied to Style, realism, directness, and repetitive exploration of subjects
- Honore Daumier — part 1 — applied to Background, prolific nature, and social commentary
Wikipedia: Panel painting↗
- Panel painting — part 4 — applied to Wood panel preparation and underdrawing techniques

Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.

read from the painting

observed from the image, not the label

6 dominant colors, measured

what the eye sees

Light streams from the upper left, modeling the weathered face of an older man into sharp relief against a softly graduated gray-brown background. His three-quarter profile dominates center-left, surrounded by a woman in blue profile (lower left), a youth in gray-blue (lower right), and shadowed figures receding behind. The eye travels first to the older man's face—its deep contours and expressive modeling pull focus immediately—then discovers the other faces arranged tightly around him. The composition is claustrophobic and intimate, with no empty space between heads.

value structure

The painting employs a compressed range: no pure black, no pure white. The darkest darks sit in the background (a neutral grayish-brown nearly the same value as mid-tones on faces), forcing the lighter flesh tones to read as highlights against a shallow spatial depth. A secondary dark band shadows the underside of the older man's jaw and cheekbone. Squint to see three value groups: cool shadow on background, warm mid-tone flesh everywhere, and small islands of pale highlight on foreheads and cheekbones. This restraint forces expression through subtle modeling rather than dramatic contrast.

observed palette and mixes

#4c353d
Raw Umber + touch Ultramarine Blue
Shadow core of background, deepest form shadows on the older man's face
#5f4e4f
Burnt Sienna + Ultramarine Blue
Mid-background tone, softer shadow areas
#6a615e
Raw Umber + Titanium White
Lighter background gradation, upper portion
#846d60
Burnt Sienna + Raw Umber + small Cadmium Red
Shadow and halftone on faces, warmer modeling tones
#9d8878
Cadmium Red + Raw Umber + Titanium White
Mid-tone flesh across all faces, the working temperature
#cdb6a2
Titanium White + Cadmium Red + touch Raw Umber
Highlights on the woman's face (left), upper forehead and cheekbones of the older man
#d4704f
Cadmium Red + Burnt Sienna
The warm red fabric visible on the older man's shoulder/background figure clothing

edges and brushwork

Edges are firm and deliberate, especially around facial features—the nose, jaw, and eye socket are traced with dark lines that define anatomy. This is portraiture, not landscape; every edge around a face carries meaning. The brushwork itself is not visible as gesture; instead, value transitions suggest form. The background is handled more loosely, almost transparently, with subtle directional strokes that never compete with the faces.

a working sequence

01
Establish the value underpainting
Thin your Raw Umber and Ultramarine Blue with solvent and block in the entire background as a mid-dark wash, leaving only the head silhouettes bare. Work loosely—this is just anchoring value, not detail. Pay attention to how the background is fractionally lighter in the upper portion; don't make it uniform.
02
Map the heads and basic features
Using a mid-flesh tone (Raw Umber + Cadmium Red + White), lay in the oval masses of each head: older man center-left (three-quarter view, largest), woman left profile (smaller, more delicate), boy lower right (angular, younger proportions). Mark eye placement, nose length, and jaw angle with thin dark lines—these are your anchors.
03
Model the older man's face
This face is the focal point. Build from dark shadow (Burnt Sienna + Umber, no white) along the shadow side of the face (his right side), then layer warmer mid-tones across the form. Use a size 4 brush to suggest the deep nasal labial fold and cheekbone structure. His face is heavily lined; these wrinkles should read as shadow edges, not drawn lines. Leave the palest highlight for last—his left temple and forehead catch light sharply.
04
Develop the woman and boy's faces
The woman's face on the left is in three-quarter profile, cooler in shadow, lighter overall. Build it with the same layering approach but use less shadow depth—her face is smoother, younger. The boy's face (lower right) is leaner and more angular; let the shadow structure emphasize cheekbone and jaw. Both faces need to recede slightly behind the older man; resist overworking them.
05
Establish clothing and warm accents
Mix your Cadmium Red with Burnt Sienna to paint the warm reddish fabric visible on the older man (upper shoulder area, and the garment behind). Paint the woman's blue-gray garment with Ultramarine + touch Cadmium Red + White. The boy wears cool gray-blue; keep it darker than the woman's. These colors should feel like they recede into shadow, not stand out brightly.
06
Refine facial modeling and edges
Return to the faces with a size 2 brush. Sharpen the dark edges defining the older man's nose, mouth, and eye socket. Soften some edges on the woman and boy. Adjust flesh tones where they meet shadow—these should be warm (add a touch of Cadmium Red to your shadow mix) so the face doesn't look ashy. Layer a pale glaze over the highlighted areas to unify skin luminosity.
07
Atmospheric background and final pulls
Soften the background by dry-brushing subtle horizontal variations in the upper portion—it should feel like diffuse light or distant space. Darken background around the older man's head to push him forward. Step back and check: the older man should read as closest and brightest; the others should feel slightly recessed. Pull the eye toward his face by ensuring his highlights are the clearest and his shadow modeling the most precise.
08
Final color and unity check
View the work from arm's length. Adjust any face that looks too isolated or too pale—a light glaze of Burnt Sienna in shadow can warm and unify. Ensure the red fabric and blue clothing read clearly without dominating. The painting should feel like one warm, atmospheric whole, not separate portrait heads. Let drying time be your guide before declaring it complete.

where studies of this painting go wrong

The older man's face has complex surface geometry—deep-set eyes, a large prominent nose, and heavy planes. Oversimplifying these into smooth transitions will flatten the drama; respect every shadow edge and plane shift.
The light-on-dark contrast tempts you to make faces too bright. Resist—the woman's pale face and boy's lighter cheekbones should still sit within the warm mid-tone range. Only the highlights on the older man's forehead and temple get pale.
The atmospheric background is subtle and nearly uniform, but it's doing crucial work to compress space and push faces forward. If you make it too detailed, textured, or varied, it competes with the heads and breaks the mood.
Facial proportions and angle relationships are critical here. If the older man's head tilts wrong or the woman's profile is misread, the composition feels off even if individual faces are well-painted. Spend extra care on the initial head placement.

measured difficulty