plate no. 4839

Karl Josef Berkmuller

oil, canvasNeoclassicismportraitportraitfiguremanclothingpaperwriting

what to study here

It gives a clear example of a luminous face held against near-black surroundings, with edge softness used to rank the face, collar and hands.

The lesson here is value control in a dark portrait. The vision analysis describes a young man, three-quarter view, left of center, lit from the upper left. The face is a single luminous shape against a near-black brown background and dark jacket. Squint and you get three groups: the dark mass of figure and ground, the face, and the white collar, cuffs and document. The analysis notes no mid-tone passages bridging these groups, so the transitions read as deliberate steps. The hands rest on a light document at the table edge and form a secondary focus. Brushwork is described as nearly invisible, with soft edges where the cheek and jaw turn into shadow, a slightly harder jacket edge, and the sharpest but still softened edges at the collar. Strokes follow the form of the face, visible mainly across forehead and cheek. Study how the face stays the lightest, most important shape while the collar and document stay subordinate. Also study how soft and hard edges are distributed to direct the eye from face to hands. Try a small value study of the three groups before any color work.

key decision

The painter separated the lit face from a nearly black ground and jacket, with no bridging mid-tones. White collar, cuffs and document are kept as lesser accents echoing the face.

recreation guide

This recreation guide addresses the painting of 'Karl Josef Berkmuller' by Franz Xaver Winterhalter, dated 1830. As a Neoclassical portrait, the work relies on the disciplined use of oil paint to achieve a likeness that serves as a record of the sitter's appearance (Source 7). The distinctive quality of such works from this period lies in the layering of transparent and semi-opaque colors to create depth and richness, a method that was standard practice among old masters despite modern prejudice against it (Source 1). The artist’s approach likely involves a rigorous understanding of materials, ensuring that the medium’s capacity for illusion is balanced with the expressive vitality of the paint itself (Source 8).

estimated time

40-60 hours over 8-12 sessions, allowing for drying times between glaze layers

materials

6 items

steps

5 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Canvas or wood panel	Support for the oil painting	Linen canvas primed with gesso or oil ground
Linseed oil or poppy seed oil	Binder for pigments; provides flexibility and rich color	Refined linseed oil or walnut oil
Turpentine	Thinner for initial washes and cleaning	Odorless mineral spirits or pure gum turpentine
Oil of Copavia (or modern damar resin varnish)	Medium for first and second paintings to ensure proper drying and gloss	Damar varnish mixed with oil
Pigments: Black, Ultramarine, White, Red, Yellow	Core palette for grisaille and subsequent glazing	Ivory black, French ultramarine, Titanium white, Cadmium red/yellow or Alizarin crimson/Yellow ochre
Varnish	Final protection and unification of sheen	Stand oil or resin-based varnish

preparation

surface prep

Prepare a rigid support such as canvas or wood panel. The surface should be primed to accept oil paint. While specific ground recipes for Winterhalter are not detailed in the sources, the general practice of the period involved preparing a surface that allows for the 'vast capacity of oil paint' to create illusion without losing the vitality of the medium (Source 8). Ensure the ground is smooth to facilitate the fine finish characteristic of Neoclassical portraiture.

underdrawing

Begin with a sketch using pencil, charcoal, or thin oil to establish the general form and rough likeness of the sitter (Source 6). In portrait painting, it is common to complete the face first to ensure the likeness is captured while the sitter is present or while the reference is fresh (Source 6). If the sitter's time is limited, a complete sketch may be done beforehand (Source 6).

underpainting

Execute a grisaille (monochrome underpainting) using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia or a similar medium (Source 1). This step involves mentally extracting red and yellow colors to establish the tonal structure of the painting (Source 1). Allow this layer to dry completely before proceeding. This method aligns with the practice of Sir Joshua Reynolds and other old masters who used a limited palette for the initial structure (Source 1).

color palette

Black

Ivory black or lamp black

Grisaille underpainting and shadows

Ultramarine

Natural ultramarine

Grisaille underpainting and cool shadows

White

Lead white or titanium white

Grisaille underpainting and highlights

Red

Vermilion or lake pigments

Glazing and scumbling to add warmth and flesh tones

Yellow

Yellow ochre or lead-tin yellow

Glazing and scumbling to add warmth and highlights

composition

The composition likely focuses on the sitter's head and hands, which were often painted by the master, while clothing and background might be handled by apprentices or specialists (Source 6). The background may be simple or dark to emphasize the sitter, consistent with portrait conventions that prioritize the likeness and social status of the subject (Source 6). Symbolic elements may be included to encode the sitter's character or occupation, though specific details for this painting are not described in the sources (Source 6).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→refining→finishing→varnishing

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the general form and rough likeness of the sitter on the prepared surface using pencil, charcoal, or thin oil.
Tip — Focus on the face first to capture the likeness accurately.
Initial sketching

underpainting

step 02
Apply a grisaille using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia. Establish the tonal values without red or yellow.
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors to focus on form and light.
Grisaille

refining

step 03
Allow the grisaille to dry completely. Then, glaze and scumble with oil (or varnish and oil mixed) to add red and yellow tones.
Tip — Glazing is a transparent coat; scumbling is semi-opaque. Use these to tint the painting like watercolors on an engraving.
Glazing and Scumbling

finishing

step 04
Refine the details, particularly in the face and hands, ensuring the likeness is recognizable and the colors are harmonious.
Tip — Avoid over-modeling; check for balance between broad masses and finish.
Detailing

varnishing

step 05
Apply a final varnish to protect the painting and unify the sheen.
Tip — Ensure the painting is fully dry before varnishing.
Varnishing

critical techniques

Glazing

Applying a transparent coat of color over a dry underpainting to build depth and richness. This was a common practice among old masters.

Scumbling

Applying a semi-opaque layer of paint over a darker ground to create coldness or grey blooms, allowing the underlying painting to show through.

Grisaille

Creating a monochrome underpainting using black, ultramarine, and white to establish form and value before adding color.

common pitfalls

→Over-modeling or becoming too tied to the outline, which can make the painting appear stiff. Copying works like Reynolds’s 'Portraits of Two Gentlemen' can help correct this tendency (Source 2).
→Neglecting the drying time between layers, which can lead to cracking or muddiness. The grisaille must be quite dry before glazing (Source 1).
→Attempting to deceive the eye completely rather than expressing the vitality of the medium. Oil paint should be used as a painted symbol, not just a substitute for nature (Source 8).
→Using too much red and yellow in the initial underpainting, which undermines the structural integrity of the grisaille method (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 details of the sitter's clothing, jewelry, or background elements are not described in the sources and must be inferred from the original artwork or historical records.
·The exact proportions and dimensions of the canvas are not provided.
·Winterhalter's specific personal variations on the grisaille technique are not detailed; the guide relies on general old master practices cited in the sources.
·The specific lighting conditions and pose of the sitter are not described in the sources.

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 correcting over-modeling and improving finish
The Practice and Science of Drawing↗
- XX MATERIALS — applied to Philosophy of using oil paint as an expressive medium rather than mere deception

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, drying oils, and varnishing
Wikipedia: Portrait painting↗
- Portrait painting — part 5 — applied to Order of painting (face first), use of sketches, and division of labor
- Portrait painting — part 1 — applied to Purpose of portraiture and likeness

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

A three-quarter portrait of a young man positioned left of center, looking slightly toward the viewer. Light streams from the upper left, creating a luminous face against an almost black-brown background and a dark jacket. The figure's hands rest on a light document at a table edge, creating a secondary focus. The sharp value separation between the brightly lit face and the surrounding darkness is the primary compositional move, with the white collar and cuffs acting as supplementary bright accents that echo this lighting scheme.

value structure

Extreme value separation defines this painting: nearly black background and jacket create a holding ground for the face, which occupies a mid-to-light value range despite appearing brilliant by contrast. The hands and document sit at intermediate values. When squinted, you see three distinct value groups: the dark mass of the figure and background, the face as a single luminous shape, and white fabric accents. There are no mid-tone passages that bridge these groups—the transitions are orchestrated, not gradual.

observed palette and mixes

#150c06
Mars black + raw umber + burnt sienna (1:2:1)
Deepest background shadows, the folds and recesses of the dark jacket
#231409
Burnt umber + ultramarine blue (2:1)
Mid-dark background, jacket body where it recedes
#311e0f
Raw umber + burnt sienna + touch of ochre (2:1:1)
Jacket lit side, background variation where warmer
#5c3b21
Burnt sienna + raw umber + ochre (1:1:1)
Hair shadows, jacket modeling, warm mid-tones
#a6714a
Yellow ochre + burnt sienna + cadmium red light (2:2:1) + white
All skin tones, the face and hands, achieving that warm but naturalistic complexion
#ffffff
Titanium or lead white with minimal ochre tint
The collar, cuffs, and document surface—keep these cool-white, not warm

edges and brushwork

Winterhalter employs nearly invisible brushwork throughout. The face shows soft, almost imperceptible edges where form turns, especially where the cheek and jaw meet shadow. The jacket's edge against the background is slightly harder but still controlled. The white collar has the sharpest edges, but even these are slightly softened. Brushstrokes follow the form of the face, particularly visible in directional work across the forehead and cheek, but they never dominate—the illusion of form matters far more than the mark.

a working sequence

01
Establish the dark ground and proportions
Tone your canvas with a warm mid-dark brown (burnt umber + raw sienna, thinned with turpentine) to mid-gray value. Once dry, lightly sketch the head position, the shoulders, the table edge, and the document plane with charcoal. Focus on the head's proportional relationship to the body and the angle of the shoulders—this figure is not frontal; he leans slightly. Mark where the light hits the face (upper left) so you remember this is your brightening direction.
02
Block the value foundation
Mix a very dark, near-black wash (Mars black + burnt umber) and block in the entire background and jacket as one continuous dark shape. This establishes your value anchor. Leave the face area and white collar/cuffs untouched. The background should feel heavy and nearly uniform at this stage—resist adding variation yet. Use broad strokes and let it dry completely.
03
Establish the face construction
Block in the face as a single warm tan shape (yellow ochre + burnt sienna + white, no detail yet). Pay close attention to the proportions: the eyes sit roughly at the midpoint, the nose at about one-third down from the brow. The left side of the face (his left, viewer's right) receives full light; the right side is in shadow but not black. Get the structure and likeness locked before refining values.
04
Model the face with subtle value transitions
This is the hardest step. Using a small round brush and thin glazes, begin adding modeling to the face. The forehead catches full light; darken very slightly as it turns away. The cheek, especially on the lit side, should be warmer and slightly brighter. The eye sockets, the under-cheek shadow, and the jaw edge all require shadow—but shadow here is never pure black, only a cooler, darker version of the skin tone (add a touch of ultramarine to your mixture). Build this slowly; it's easy to overdo. Look constantly at how much value separation actually exists on the face.
05
Paint the collar, cuffs, and hands
Using cool white (titanium white with the barest touch of ochre), paint the white collar and visible cuff edges. These should read as luminous against both the face and the dark jacket. They're not the brightest thing—the forehead is—but they're close. Then paint the hands resting on the document. The hands receive warm light from above; model their form carefully, showing the underlying anatomy (knuckles, tendons) while keeping them warm in tone. The visible ring on the finger should just suggest itself, not dominate.
06
Paint the document and table edge
The document is a light cream or pale tan, sitting in the pool of light at the table edge. Paint its shape and foreshortening carefully—it's not facing straight up but angled toward the viewer. Use a light ochre or tan (raw ochre + white) and let it recede in value slightly from the white fabric but remain lighter than the hands. The table edge below is darker, in shadow from the figure's mass.
07
Refine background and atmospheric depth
Now that the figure is established, return to the background. While keeping it very dark overall, add subtle variation: warmer in some areas (add raw sienna to your base dark mix), cooler in others (add ultramarine). The background behind the head should have the slightest warmth to push the cool-lit face forward. Pay special attention to any architectural suggestion on the left (the corner edge visible at the left margin). Keep this soft and suggestive, not sharp.
08
Edge control and final refinement
Step back frequently. Review your value relationships: the face should read as a cohesive light shape, the jacket as dark, the white collar as bright but not isolated. Soften edges where the face meets shadow (use a dry brush to feather them). Sharpen the edge of the collar slightly where it contrasts most with the dark jacket. Check that your hand and document are in proper spatial relationship to the table. Add final accents: a touch of reflected light in the shadow side of the face where the jacket's top catches light, perhaps a subtle highlight on the document's edge. Resist adding arbitrary detail; this portrait relies on restraint.

where studies of this painting go wrong

Painting the face too dark or making it muddy—the face is the light, the reference point; if it doesn't read as luminous against the jacket, all your proportions will feel wrong.
Overworking facial transitions and losing the soft, naturalistic modeling—Winterhalter's technique hides itself; too-visible blending or too-many-edges will look labored.
Neglecting the hands or painting them as generic appendages—they're positioned prominently, rest on a visible object, and reveal the sitter's calm confidence; their proportions and lighting demand the same care as the face.
Making the white collar glow unrealistically or blow out the surrounding values—cool white, not cream, but still subordinate to the face as the brightest element.
Losing sight of the overall value structure by over-rendering detail—this portrait succeeds through restraint and clear separation, not accumulation of minute marks.

measured difficulty