plate no. 1004

Fest Unter Dem Maibaum

oilBaroquelandscapelandscapetreesskyfiguresbuildingsclouds

recreation guide

This recreation guide addresses Salomon van Ruysdael’s *Fest Unter Dem Maibaum* (Maypole Festival), a Baroque landscape. While the specific visual inventory of this particular canvas is not detailed in the provided sources, the artist is identified as a leading figure in the 'classical' phase of Dutch landscape art, characterized by vigorous contrasts of solid form against the sky and light against shade (Source 5). The work likely features a wide view with elements arranged into a coherent composition, potentially including a sky and weather elements, consistent with the definition of landscape painting where the main subject is a wide view (Source 3). The artist’s practice involved building up paintings through these contrasts, often singling out specific elements like trees or structures to anchor the scene (Source 5).

estimated time

40-60 hours over 8-12 sessions

materials

4 items

steps

5 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (Ultramarine, White, Black, Red, Yellow earth tones)	Primary medium for the grisaille underpainting and subsequent glazing/scumbling layers.	High-quality artist-grade oil paints; Ultramarine Blue, Titanium White, Ivory Black, Red Ochre, Yellow Ochre.
Oil of Copavia (or modern stand oil/linseed oil)	Medium for the first and second paintings, as noted in Reynolds' description of the method.	Stand oil or refined linseed oil for glazing; avoid fast-drying alkyds for traditional layering.
Canvas or Panel	Support for the oil painting.	Linen canvas primed with oil ground or gesso.
Varnish	Mixed with oil for later glazing stages to gain mastery over transparent coats.	Dammar varnish or synthetic resin varnish.

preparation

surface prep

Prepare a rigid support (panel or stretched canvas) with a ground suitable for oil painting. While the specific ground for this artwork is not described, the method cited involves painting with oil of copavia, implying a stable, non-absorbent or moderately absorbent ground that allows for glazing. The surface should be smooth enough to allow for the 'vigorous contrasts' and detailed finish characteristic of the classical phase (Source 5).

underdrawing

Begin with a contour drawing to establish the mass and volume of the landscape elements, such as the maibaum (maypole), trees, and figures. Contour drawing emphasizes the outlined shape and three-dimensional perspective rather than minor details, serving as a strong foundation for the painting (Source 8). This approach helps in organizing the 'wide view' into a coherent composition before applying paint (Source 3).

underpainting

Execute a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia. This step involves mentally extracting red and yellow colors to establish the tonal structure and form. The grisaille should be allowed to dry completely before proceeding. This method is supported by the practice of old masters and specifically cited by Sir Joshua Reynolds regarding the first and second paintings (Source 4).

color palette

Ultramarine

Pure Ultramarine Blue

Used in the initial grisaille underpainting along with black and white to establish values and shadows.

White

Lead White or Titanium White

Used in the grisaille for highlights and mixed with ultramarine/black for mid-tones.

Black

Ivory Black or Lamp Black

Used in the grisaille for deep shadows and defining forms.

Red and Yellow Tones

Red Ochre, Yellow Ochre, Vermilion (transparent)

Applied as glazes and scumbles over the dry grisaille to introduce color, particularly in foliage, sky, and figures.

composition

The composition should avoid exact bisections of the picture space and ensure the horizon line does not divide the artwork into two equal parts; instead, position it to emphasize either the sky or the ground, likely showing more sky if atmospheric effects are prominent (Source 7). The prominent subject, such as the maypole or a key tree, should be off-center to create a dynamic balance, potentially balanced by smaller satellite elements like figures or animals (Source 7). The arrangement should guide the viewer's eye around all elements before leading out of the picture, preventing the work from becoming a mere pattern (Source 7). Consistent with Salomon van Ruysdael’s style, the composition likely relies on vigorous contrasts of solid form against the sky and light against shade (Source 5).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the main landscape elements using contour lines to define mass and volume, focusing on the maypole, trees, and sky boundaries.
Tip — Focus on the outlined shape and three-dimensional perspective rather than minor details.
Contour Drawing

underpainting

step 02
Apply a monochrome grisaille using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia. Establish the light and shadow structure.
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors; focus on tonal values.
Grisaille Underpainting

first pass

step 03
Allow the grisaille to dry completely. Begin glazing and scumbling with oil, applying yellow and red tones as they occur in nature.
Tip — Glazing is a transparent coat; scumbling is semi-opaque. Use these to tint the underlying monochrome.
Glazing and Scumbling

refining

step 04
Build up the painting through vigorous contrasts of solid form against the sky and light against shade, characteristic of the classical phase.
Tip — Single out key elements like trees or the maypole to anchor the composition.
Contrast Modeling

finishing

step 05
Refine details and atmospheric effects. If necessary, use varnish mixed with oil for final glazes to achieve depth and luminosity.
Tip — Ensure previous layers are dry to prevent muddying.
Varnish Glazing

critical techniques

Glazing and Scumbling

Glazing involves applying a transparent coat of color over a dry underpainting, while scumbling uses semi-opaque paint to allow the underlying layer to show through. This method was practiced by old masters to achieve depth and color richness without mixing all pigments on the palette.

Contrast of Form and Sky

Building the painting through vigorous contrasts of solid form against the sky and light against shade, a hallmark of the 'classical' phase of Dutch landscape art.

Contour Drawing

Using line to emphasize mass and volume, providing a structural foundation for the painting before color application.

common pitfalls

→Over-modeling or being too tied down to the outline, which can result in a stiff appearance. Copying works that encourage departure from strict outlines can help correct this (Source 1).
→Tendency to smallness or getting lost in minor details too early. Focus on broad masses and coherent composition first (Source 1, Source 3).
→Applying glazes before the underpainting is completely dry, which can lead to muddying and loss of transparency (Source 4).
→Dividing the picture space exactly in half or placing the horizon line centrally, which can create a static and uninteresting composition (Source 7).

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 *Fest Unter Dem Maibaum* such as the exact number of figures, their clothing, or the specific layout of the maypole are not described in the sources.
·The exact year of creation is not available, making it difficult to pinpoint the precise evolution of the artist's style at that moment.
·Specific pigment recipes for Salomon van Ruysdael are not provided; the guide relies on general old master practices and Reynolds' cited method.
·The specific atmospheric conditions or weather depicted in this particular painting are not detailed.

grounded in

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

The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- ON COPYING — applied to Warnings against over-modeling and tendency to smallness; advice on correcting weaknesses.
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Grisaille underpainting, glazing, scumbling, use of oil of copavia.

cross-referenced from

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

Wikipedia: Composition (visual arts)↗
- Composition (visual arts) — part 1 — applied to Definition of composition and elements of design.
- Composition (visual arts) — part 6 — applied to Horizon line placement, off-center subjects, guiding the viewer's eye.
Wikipedia: Landscape painting↗
- Landscape painting — part 1 — applied to Definition of landscape painting, inclusion of sky and weather, coherent composition.
Wikipedia bio — Salomon van Ruysdael↗
- Salomon van Ruysdael — part 8 — applied to Classical phase characteristics, vigorous contrasts, solid form against sky.
Wikipedia: Contour drawing↗
- Contour drawing — part 1 — applied to Underdrawing technique to establish mass and volume.