plate no. 3482

Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos

oil, canvasRomanticismportraitportraitfigurechairtablestatuebooks

recreation guide

Francisco Goya’s *Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos* (1798) is a portrait executed during his tenure as First Court Painter, a period marked by his access to the royal collection and his development of a style that balanced academic rigor with emerging Romantic sensibilities. While the specific visual details of Jovellanos’s attire or expression are not described in the provided sources, the work belongs to a genre where Goya was known for his 'disinclination to flatter,' often revealing psychological depth rather than mere idealization (Source 4). The painting likely reflects Goya’s mature handling of oil paint, utilizing techniques such as impasto and glazing which he found limiting in tapestry cartoons but essential for capturing complex color shifts and texture in his painted works (Source 7).

estimated time

40-60 hours over 8-12 sessions

materials

5 items

steps

5 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (traditional palette)	Primary medium for the portrait.	—
Canvas	Support for the oil painting.	Linen or cotton canvas, primed with oil ground.
Oil of Copavia (or modern damar/resin medium)	Medium for glazing and scumbling, as referenced in Reynolds’ method which Goya’s contemporaries and predecessors utilized.	Damar varnish or stand oil mixed with turpentine.
Black, Ultramarine, White	Core pigments for the initial monochrome or grisaille underpainting, consistent with the methods described for old masters.	Ivory Black, Natural Ultramarine, Titanium White.
Red and Yellow earth tones/ochres	For glazing and scumbling to introduce local color and warmth.	Venetian Red, Yellow Ochre.

preparation

surface prep

The canvas should be prepared with an oil ground to allow for the 'vast capacity of oil paint' to approach an illusion of natural appearances without losing the vitality of the medium (Source 8). Goya’s practice involved working on supports that allowed for impasto and glazing, techniques he felt were unsuited to the flatness of tapestry cartoons (Source 7).

underdrawing

Goya’s preparatory methods for this specific portrait are not detailed in the sources. However, as a 'sound craftsman' (Source 1), he likely employed a careful underdrawing to establish proportions, though he may have left it flexible to allow for the 'informal' and personal insight he claimed to gain through his artistic process (Source 7).

underpainting

A grisaille or monochrome underpainting is recommended, using black, ultramarine, and white with oil of copavia as a medium, a method established by Sir Joshua Reynolds and practiced by old masters (Source 2). This preparation involves 'mentally extracting the red and yellow colours' to establish form and value before introducing local color (Source 2).

color palette

Black

Ivory Black or Lamp Black

Underpainting and deep shadows, consistent with the monochrome preparation described.

Ultramarine

Natural Ultramarine

Underpainting and cool shadows, providing a base for glazing.

White

Lead White (historical) or Titanium White (modern)

Highlights and mixing with ultramarine/black for the grisaille.

Red/Yellow Tones

Vermilion, Red Ochre, Yellow Ochre

Glazing and scumbling to introduce warmth and local color, particularly in flesh tones and clothing.

composition

Specific compositional details of *Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos* are not described in the sources. However, Goya’s portraits from this period are characterized by a psychological intensity and a lack of flattering idealization (Source 4). The composition likely emphasizes the sitter’s presence and character rather than decorative background elements, consistent with his role as a court painter who painted 'notable people of the kingdom' (Source 4).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the figure lightly on the prepared canvas, focusing on accurate proportions and gesture. Avoid rigid outlines that may hinder later modeling.
Tip — Ensure the drawing is not too 'tied down' to allow for the freedom of oil paint (Source 1).
Preparatory Drawing

underpainting

step 02
Apply a monochrome layer using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia. Establish the full range of values from dark to light.
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors to focus on form and light (Source 2).
Grisaille/Monochrome Underpainting

first pass

step 03
Once the grisaille is dry, begin glazing and scumbling with oil. Apply transparent coats of red and yellow tones to introduce local color.
Tip — Glazing is a transparent coat; scumbling is semi-opaque. Use these to tint the engraving-like underpainting (Source 2).
Glazing and Scumbling

refining

step 04
Refine the flesh tones and clothing details, paying attention to the 'modifications of the light on the model' and the 'simultaneous contrast of colours' between adjacent areas.
Tip — Be aware that contiguous colors affect each other; the eye may see a tint resulting from the complementary of the neighboring color (Source 3).
Color Contrast Application

finishing

step 05
Add final highlights and deep shadows, ensuring the 'vitality possessed by the medium' is evident. Avoid over-modeling to prevent 'smallness' or timidity.
Tip — Goya used impasto and glazing to capture complex texture, which he found lacking in tapestry work (Source 7).
Impasto and Detailing

critical techniques

Glazing and Scumbling

Used to introduce color over a dry monochrome underpainting. Glazing provides transparency, while scumbling offers semi-opaque texture, allowing the underlying painting to show through (Source 2).

Simultaneous Contrast

Understanding that colors appear different when placed next to each other due to complementary influences. This helps in accurately perceiving and imitating light modifications (Source 3).

Impasto

Goya applied impasto to capture texture and complex color shifts, a technique he valued in oil painting but could not use in tapestry cartoons (Source 7).

common pitfalls

→Over-modeling or being too 'tied down to outline,' which leads to timidity and smallness (Source 1).
→Ignoring the 'simultaneous contrast of colours,' leading to inaccurate color perception where contiguous colors modify each other (Source 3).
→Attempting to deceive the eye into seeing 'real nature' rather than expressing feeling through the vitality of the medium (Source 8).
→Using a medium that does not allow for the necessary texture and color shifts, as Goya found tapestry cartoons limiting (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 the portrait (clothing, jewelry, background) are not described in the sources.
·Goya’s exact pigment palette for this specific work is not detailed; the guide infers from general old master practices and Reynolds’ methods.
·The specific underdrawing technique (e.g., charcoal vs. chalk) is not specified for this portrait.
·The exact drying times and layering sequence for Goya’s specific workflow in 1798 are not provided.

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 Underdrawing and avoiding over-modeling.
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Grisaille underpainting and glazing/scumbling techniques.
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315-318 — applied to Color perception and simultaneous contrast during refining.
The Practice and Science of Drawing↗
- XX MATERIALS — applied to Importance of medium vitality and avoiding mere deception.

cross-referenced from

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

Wikipedia bio — Francisco Goya↗
- part 4 — applied to Context of Goya’s role as court painter and his disinclination to flatter.
- part 7 — applied to Goya’s use of impasto and glazing in oil vs. tapestry.

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

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