plate no. 8784

In the Old Palace, Kandy, Ceylon (Sri Lanka)

oilImpressionisminteriorinteriorfiguressculpturesarchitecturetableflowers

what to study here

It shows how one dominant blue key, with a small warm accent in the figures, can still describe deep architectural space and keep it readable.

The main lesson here is how a nearly monochrome blue interior stays readable and inhabited. The vision analysis describes a mid-blue mass running from deep slate blue in the shadows to a luminous light blue in the lit wall planes. Squint and it breaks into three bands: dark foreground figures, a bright blue middle ground, and slightly warmer highlights on the white details. Study how the two seated figures, in burgundy-green and pale pink, are the only strong warm note. They sit against the cool walls and set the entry point, and the eye then travels back through receding arches and doorways to green foliage and a red flowering plant. Look at how the white relief sculptures are modulated to gray-blue rather than left pure white, so they sit on the wall. Edges are mostly soft, with the reliefs dissolving into shadow, while the drapery strokes follow the fabric folds. Copy the value structure first, then the temperature contrast. Note that the input offers no firm information on the original support or pigments.

key decision

North kept the interior in a single blue key and reserved the darkest values and the warmest colors for the two foreground figures, which sets the entry point and separates foreground from the receding space.

From the record

Dimensions: 25.3 cm high × 35.1 cm wide
Institution: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Library, Art & Archives
Location: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Library, Art & Archives
Materials: oil paint, paper

Wikidata item Q119132166

recreation guide

Marianne North’s *In the Old Palace, Kandy, Ceylon* (1880) is a botanical and landscape study executed in oil on cardboard, consistent with her extensive body of work created during her travels to document global flora (Source 7). North is characterized by critics of her time for her 'freedom of hand, the purity and brilliancy of colour and the accurate draughtsmanship' (Source 7). Unlike traditional studio painters who might rely on heavy impasto or complex glazing for atmospheric depth, North’s practice was driven by the need for accurate botanical representation and portability, leading to a direct, vibrant application of paint. The work reflects her dedication to capturing the specific light and color of distant locations, such as Ceylon (Sri Lanka), where she spent time painting in 1875 (Source 7).

estimated time

10-15 hours over 3-4 sessions

materials

5 items

steps

5 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (tube)	Primary medium for color application	—
Linseed oil or similar drying oil	Medium to manipulate paint consistency and drying time	Stand oil or refined linseed oil
Cardboard or stiff paper support	North famously painted on cardboard to facilitate transport and display in her gallery (Source 7)	Heavyweight illustration board or mounted cardboard
Brushes (various sizes)	For detailed botanical rendering and broader landscape strokes	—
Palette knife	For mixing colors and potentially applying thicker passages if needed	—

preparation

surface prep

North typically painted on cardboard (Source 7). The surface should be prepared with a gesso or acrylic ground suitable for paper/cardboard to prevent warping and provide tooth for the oil paint. While specific priming recipes for North are not detailed in the sources, standard practice for oil on paper supports involves sealing the surface to prevent the oil from degrading the paper fibers.

underdrawing

North is noted for 'accurate draughtsmanship' (Source 7). An underdrawing is likely essential to establish the precise botanical forms and architectural lines of the palace interior. Use a light charcoal or thinned oil wash to map out the composition, ensuring the placement of plants and structural elements is botanically and architecturally correct before applying color.

underpainting

The sources do not explicitly describe North’s use of grisaille or monochrome underpainting. However, general oil painting practice often involves establishing values early. Given North’s emphasis on 'brilliancy of colour' (Source 7), she likely worked relatively directly (alla prima) or with minimal underpainting to preserve color intensity, rather than building up through multiple opaque layers which can dull hues. If an underpainting is used, it should be thin and neutral to avoid muddying the subsequent vibrant glazes or scumbles.

color palette

Vibrant Greens

Viridian, Sap Green, Yellow Ochre

Botanical foliage, consistent with North’s focus on plant life

Warm Earth Tones

Raw Umber, Burnt Sienna, Yellow Ochre

Palace architecture, soil, and shadows, reflecting the tropical setting

Bright Accents

Cadmium Yellow, Alizarin Crimson, Ultramarine Blue

Flowers and sky, aligning with the 'purity and brilliancy of colour' noted in critiques (Source 7)

White

Titanium White or Zinc White

Highlights and mixing lighter tones; historically, lead white was common but modern equivalents are safer (Source 3)

composition

North’s compositions are characterized by a dense, immersive arrangement of flora, often filling the frame to emphasize the abundance of nature. While specific compositional rules for this painting are not detailed in the sources, her general practice involved capturing the 'flora of distant countries' with a focus on the plants themselves (Source 7). The interior setting of the Old Palace likely serves as a structured backdrop to the organic forms of the plants. The composition should balance the rigid lines of the architecture with the curving, natural lines of the vegetation, creating a rhythmic contrast (Source 6 discusses the rhythmic power of lines in composition generally).

step by step

underdrawing→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the architectural elements of the palace and the major plant forms using a light hand. Ensure botanical accuracy, as North was known for her precise draughtsmanship (Source 7).
Tip — Keep lines light to avoid showing through the final paint layers.
Conté crayon or thinned oil wash

first pass

step 02
Apply broad washes of color to establish the general tones of the background and foreground. Work from dark to light, or light to dark, depending on the desired effect. North’s 'freedom of hand' suggests a confident, direct application (Source 7).
Tip — Avoid overworking the paint; maintain the freshness of the initial strokes.
Alla prima or wet-on-wet

refining

step 03
Add details to the plants and architectural features. Use smaller brushes for fine botanical details. If needed, use glazing techniques to deepen shadows or enrich colors, as glazing is a traditional method for achieving depth and luminosity (Source 1).
Tip — Ensure underlying layers are dry before glazing to prevent muddying (Source 1).
Glazing and scumbling

finishing

step 04
Review the overall harmony and contrast. Adjust any areas where the color balance feels off. North’s work is noted for its 'purity and brilliancy of colour' (Source 7), so ensure that highlights are crisp and colors are vibrant.
Tip — Step back frequently to assess the overall effect.
Color correction

varnishing

step 05
Once the painting is completely dry, apply a protective varnish. This will enhance the depth of the colors and protect the surface, consistent with traditional oil painting practices (Source 1).
Tip — Use a high-quality damar or synthetic varnish.
Varnishing

critical techniques

Glazing

Applying transparent layers of color over dry underpainting to achieve depth and luminosity. This technique was used by old masters and can be employed to enrich the colors in the foliage and shadows (Source 1).

Scumbling

Applying semi-opaque paint over a darker ground to create texture and subtle color variations, such as a 'grey bloom' (Source 1). This can be useful for rendering the texture of leaves or stone.

Direct Painting (Alla Prima)

North’s 'freedom of hand' suggests a direct approach to painting, allowing for vibrant, fresh colors and efficient workflow, suitable for her travel-based practice (Source 7).

common pitfalls

→Overworking the paint, which can dull the 'brilliancy of colour' that characterizes North’s work (Source 7).
→Using incompatible mediums that may yellow or crack over time; linseed oil is a standard, but lighter colors may benefit from safflower or walnut oil to prevent yellowing (Source 3).
→Neglecting the accuracy of botanical details, which is central to North’s reputation as a consummate artist (Source 7).
→Applying glazes over wet underpainting, which can lead to muddied colors and technical failure (Source 1).

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 Marianne North in 1880 are not detailed in the sources, though general oil painting practices of the time are described.
·The exact composition and visual details of *In the Old Palace, Kandy, Ceylon* are not described in the provided sources, so the recreation relies on general knowledge of North’s style and the title’s implications.
·North’s specific brushwork techniques (e.g., brush types, stroke direction) are not detailed, though her 'freedom of hand' is noted.

grounded in

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

The Practice of Oil Painting — COLOURING A MONOCHROME↗
- Glazing and Scumbling — applied to Techniques for glazing and scumbling to achieve depth and texture
The Practice and Science of Drawing — ILLUSTRATING SOME OF THE LINES...↗
- Composition — applied to General principles of compositional rhythm and line

cross-referenced from

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

Wikipedia bio — Marianne North — part 2↗
- Biography — applied to Context of North’s travels, materials (cardboard), and critical reception ('freedom of hand', 'brilliancy of colour')
Wikipedia: Oil painting — Oil painting — part 4↗
- Materials — applied to Information on drying oils, pigments, and modern equivalents

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 enters from the upper left, illuminating white neoclassical relief sculptures and architectural details against cool blue walls and a vaulted ceiling. Two seated figures in jewel-toned robes occupy the immediate foreground—a woman in burgundy-green on the left, pale pink-clad on the right—creating a warm focal point that reads against the cool interior. The eye enters at the figures but is pulled deep into space by a series of receding arches, glimpses of doorways, and botanical elements (green foliage and a red flowering plant) visible in the middle distance. The composition uses classical symmetry broken by the intimate human presence.

value structure

The darkest darks are the figures' garments and shadows beneath furniture; the lightest lights are the white relief sculptures and architectural trim. A cohesive mid-blue dominates, ranging from deeper slate-blue in shadows to luminous light blue in lit wall planes. Squint and you see three distinct bands: dark foreground figures, brilliant blue middle ground, and slightly warmer highlights on white details. The value separation keeps the space readable despite atmospheric subtlety.

observed palette and mixes

#80a1bb
Cerulean + Titanium White + touch Raw Umber
Mid-tone blue walls, primary color mass
#8eb2cc
Cerulean + Titanium White + Cadmium Yellow light
Lighter blue wall planes and ceiling catching direct light
#5f7f98
Cerulean + Raw Umber + Ultramarine
Deeper blue shadows within arches and recesses
#b2c3d0
Titanium White + Cerulean + touch Cadmium Yellow
Highlights on white sculptures and fabric; luminous ceiling details
#4c535e
Raw Umber + Ultramarine + Cadmium Red
Dark shadows in folds and beneath figures
#83888f
Raw Umber + Titanium White + Ultramarine
Mid-gray shadow transitions on white stone reliefs

edges and brushwork

Edges are predominantly soft and blended, with atmospheric transitions between planes rather than crisp boundaries—the sculptor reliefs dissolve at their edges into shadow. Brushwork is visible but controlled: directional strokes follow drapery and architectural form, especially evident in the figures' robes where sweeping curves suggest fabric weight. White highlights are applied with confident, loose marks that read as light catching relief sculpture and clothing folds.

a working sequence

01
Establish the blue foundation
Lay in a thin wash of mid-tone blue (#80a1bb) across the entire canvas to establish the dominant color temperature and value. This unifies the space immediately. Allow this to dry or work wet-into-wet to block the major architecture—the vaulted ceiling and back wall should read as a single receding plane despite value shifts.
02
Block the dark figures and shadows
Using Raw Umber + Ultramarine, paint the two seated figures as simplified silhouettes. Establish the burgundy robes on the left and the darker foreground shadows. This creates immediate spatial separation—the figures jump forward against the cool receding space. Don't render details; just claim the value territory.
03
Carve space with architectural shadow
Deepen the blue in recessed areas—under arches, within the doorway frame, and in shadow zones. Use #5f7f98 (darker blue mix). Notice the arch on the left is cooler in shadow; the recesses on the right suggest distance. These darks begin articulating the three-dimensional structure without overworking.
04
Establish white relief elements
Block in the white neoclassical sculptures and architectural trim with #b2c3d0. Lay these shapes boldly across the blue—they're the primary light carriers. Pay attention to which edges are hard (the raised relief edges catching light) versus soft (shadow edges dissolving into the blue wall). Don't yet refine details; establish presence and placement.
05
Warm and model the figures
Return to the foreground figures. Introduce warm mid-tones—pale peachy-pink for the right figure's fabric, burgundy-red with green undertones for the left. Begin suggesting form with directional brushwork following drapery folds. Keep faces and hands minimal; emphasize the sculptural quality of their seated poses. The red flowers and blue table settings can be roughed in now as color accents.
06
Atmospheric depth and reflected light
Soften edges where the walls recede; allow subtle green vegetation hints to appear in the middle-distance doorway and right side. Introduce warm touches (yellow ochre) into the blue walls in lit areas to suggest reflected warmth from the figures and environment. The ceiling should show subtle variations—warmer near the light source (upper left), cooler receding rightward.
07
Refine highlights and integrate
Brighten highlights on the white sculptures with pure Titanium White or very light blue (#b2c3d0), but apply sparingly—suggest light rather than paint every surface. Add definition to the architectural trim. Soften any harsh transitions by glazing or blending. Step back frequently; the painting should feel atmospheric and unified, not sculptural and separate.

where studies of this painting go wrong

Treating the blue walls as uniform—they must shift subtly between lit planes, shadows, and recessed areas, or the space flattens into a backdrop instead of reading as deep architecture.
Overworking the figures or rendering their faces in detail—this painting lives in suggestion and loose brushwork; tight rendering kills the impressionistic energy and makes them look pasted onto the scene.
Letting the white reliefs become pure white instead of modulating their value as they turn away from light; they should sit solidly on the wall, not float off it.
Losing the warm-cool color temperature balance; if the cool blues dominate without sufficient warm undertones in lights and figures, the space becomes cold and disconnected rather than intimate and inhabited.

measured difficulty