plate no. 1055
Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini's Scala Regia in the Apostolic Palace, Vatican, drawing by Leitch, engraving by E. Challis
William Leighton Leitch, 1835
recreation guide
This artwork is an oil painting by William Leighton Leitch, created in 1835, depicting the Scala Regia in the Apostolic Palace, Vatican. Leitch was a master Scottish landscape watercolourist and illustrator who also worked in oils, known for works marked by 'graceful composition,' 'pure colour,' and 'brilliant effects of atmosphere' (Source 7). While Leitch is primarily documented as a watercolourist and Drawing Master to Queen Victoria (Source 8), this specific piece is identified as an oil painting in the Romantic style. The subject is an interior architectural scene, likely derived from his travels in Italy between 1833 and 1837, during which he made numerous sketches (Source 8). The painting reflects the 19th-century academic tradition of oil painting, which emphasized careful preparation, layering, and the expressive capacity of the medium to capture atmospheric effects rather than mere mechanical reproduction (Source 5).
estimated time
20-30 hours over 6-8 sessions
materials
8 items
steps
7 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Canvas or linen panel | Support for the oil painting | Primed cotton or linen canvas |
| Charcoal or thinned paint | For the initial sketch/underdrawing | Vine charcoal or raw umber thinned with solvent |
| Linseed oil | Medium to mix with paint for binding and drying control | Refined linseed oil |
| Mineral spirits or turpentine | Solvent to thin paint for underpainting and cleaning brushes | Odorless mineral spirits (OMS) or gum turpentine |
| Oil paints (Black, Ultramarine, White, Red, Yellow) | Primary pigments for grisaille and glazing | Artist-grade oil paints in these hues |
| Oil of Copavia (historical) or Dammar varnish | Medium for glazing and increasing transparency/sheen | Dammar varnish or stand oil |
| Paintbrushes | Application of paint | Hog bristle and sable brushes |
| Palette knives and rags | Scraping, mixing, and adjusting paint texture | Flexible palette knives and lint-free cloths |
preparation
surface prep
The surface should be prepared to accept oil paint. While specific priming details for this exact work are not in the sources, traditional oil painting techniques of the period involved preparing a ground that allows for proper adhesion. The artist likely used a standard white or neutral ground to facilitate the 'fat over lean' layering process described in traditional techniques (Source 1).
underdrawing
Traditional oil painting techniques often begin with the artist sketching the subject onto the canvas with charcoal or thinned paint (Source 1). Given Leitch’s background as a master draughtsman and illustrator (Source 7), a precise charcoal or thinned paint underdrawing would be essential to establish the architectural lines of the Scala Regia before applying paint.
underpainting
A grisaille (monochrome underpainting) is recommended. The sources describe a method where the artist mentally extracts red and yellow colours, painting the underlayer in black, ultramarine, and white (Source 2). This monochrome layer establishes the light and shade (chiaroscuro) and outline basis, which is crucial for holding the picture together (Source 6). This layer must be completely dry before proceeding.
color palette
Black
Ivory Black or Lamp Black
Grisaille underpainting and shadows
Ultramarine
Natural Ultramarine
Grisaille underpainting and cool shadows
White
Lead White or Zinc White
Grisaille highlights and mixing
Red
Vermilion or Red Lake
Glazing and scumbling to add warmth and local color
Yellow
Yellow Ochre or Chrome Yellow
Glazing and scumbling to add warmth and local color
composition
Leitch’s works are characterized by 'graceful composition' (Source 7). In this interior scene, the composition likely relies on the strong outline basis of the architecture, consistent with the academic tradition where outline forms hold the picture together (Source 6). The artist would aim to express the 'emotional idea' and atmospheric effects rather than just mechanical deception (Source 5).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the architectural details of the Scala Regia onto the canvas using charcoal or thinned paint.
Tip — Ensure lines are light enough to be covered or integrated into the underpainting.
Initial Sketch
underpainting
step 02
Create a grisaille using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia or linseed oil. Establish the full range of values from dark shadows to bright highlights.
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow tones; focus on form and light structure.
Grisaille
first pass
step 03
Allow the grisaille to dry completely. This may take several days to weeks depending on thickness and environment.
Tip — Oil paint dries by oxidation, not evaporation; ensure it is dry to the touch before glazing.
Drying
refining
step 04
Apply transparent glazes of red and yellow tones over the dry grisaille. Use a mixture of varnish and oil to achieve transparency.
Tip — Glazing adds depth and color richness without obscuring the underlying value structure.
Glazing
step 05
Use scumbling (semi-opaque paint) to adjust highlights and cool tones, particularly over darker grounds to create a 'grey bloom' if desired.
Tip — Scumbling allows the underlying painting to show through, creating complex optical mixes.
Scumbling
finishing
step 06
Apply final layers following the 'fat over lean' rule: each subsequent layer should contain more oil than the previous one to prevent cracking.
Tip — Monitor the oil content in your mixtures to ensure proper drying and stability.
Fat over Lean
step 07
Adjust texture and form using palette knives or rags if necessary, taking advantage of the long drying time of oil paint.
Tip — Oil paint remains wet longer, allowing for changes in color, texture, or form.
Manipulation
critical techniques
Fat over Lean
A basic rule of oil paint application where each additional layer contains more oil than the layer below to allow proper drying and prevent cracking.
Glazing
Applying a transparent coat of color over a dry underpainting to add depth and luminosity, similar to tinting an engraving.
Scumbling
Applying semi-opaque paint over a dry layer, allowing the underlying painting to show through, often used to create cool tones or grey blooms.
Grisaille
Painting a monochrome underlayer (typically black, white, and ultramarine) to establish values and form before adding color.
common pitfalls
- →Applying lean layers over fat layers, which can cause the painting to crack and peel (Source 1).
- →Attempting to glaze before the underpainting is completely dry, which can muddy the colors and disrupt the layering (Source 2).
- →Focusing too much on mechanical deception rather than the expressive capacity of the medium and the emotional idea (Source 5).
- →Over-modeling or becoming too tied down to the outline, which can make the work appear timid or small (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 pigments used by Leitch for this particular 1835 work are not listed in the sources; general 19th-century academic pigments are inferred.
- ·The exact dimensions and canvas type of this specific painting are not provided.
- ·Leitch’s specific oil painting technique is less documented than his watercolor work; the guide relies on general 19th-century oil painting practices and the artist’s known compositional style.
- ·Details of the Scala Regia’s specific architectural features visible in the painting are not described in the sources, so the guide focuses on the general interior genre.
grounded in
The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.
The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Grisaille underpainting, glazing, and scumbling techniques.
- ON COPYING — applied to Advice on avoiding over-modeling and being too tied to outlines.
The Practice and Science of Drawing↗
- XX MATERIALS — applied to Philosophy of using oil paint for expressive capacity rather than mere deception.
- STUDY BY WATTEAU — applied to Importance of outline basis and chiaroscuro in composition.
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Oil painting — part 2 — applied to Underdrawing, fat over lean rule, drying times, and use of solvents/mediums.
Wikipedia bio — William Leighton Leitch↗
- part 2 — applied to Artist’s style (graceful composition, pure colour, atmospheric effects).
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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