plate no. 1405

Landscape with Horsemen near Amersfoort

oilBaroquelandscapelandscapetreesskyfigureshorsemenarchitecture

recreation guide

Salomon van Ruysdael’s *Landscape with Horsemen near Amersfoort* is a quintessential example of 17th-century Dutch Baroque landscape painting. While the specific visual details of this particular canvas are not described in the provided sources, the work belongs to a tradition where the sky is almost always included and weather serves as a key compositional element (Source 2). The artist’s practice is characterized by a technical mastery that allows for the realistic depiction of atmospheric phenomena, a skill noted by early critics like Houbraken who praised his ability to render falling water and the sea with freshness and force (Source 3). The painting likely employs the optical principles of simultaneous contrast, where colors modify one another based on their juxtaposition, creating a luminous effect that imitates nature’s intensities better than pigment alone could achieve (Source 1, Source 7).

estimated time

40-60 hours over 8-12 sessions

materials

4 items

steps

6 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (Ultramarine, White, Black, Red Ochre, Yellow Ochre)	Primary palette for underpainting and glazing	High-quality artist-grade oils; Ultramarine Blue, Titanium White, Ivory Black, Natural Red Ochre, Yellow Ochre
Linseed oil or Oil of Copavia	Medium for glazing and scumbling	Stand oil or refined linseed oil; Oil of Copavia is a historical resinous oil, modern equivalents include damar varnish mixed with oil
Canvas or Panel	Support for the painting	Linen canvas primed with oil ground
Charcoal or Black Chalk	Underdrawing and contour sketching	Vine charcoal or compressed charcoal

preparation

surface prep

The surface should be prepared with an oil ground, consistent with the practice of old masters who used oil grounds to facilitate the glazing techniques described. Sir Joshua Reynolds, a noted admirer of the Dutch school’s freshness, described his own method using oil of copavia as a medium, implying a compatible ground that accepts transparent layers (Source 8). The ground should be neutral or slightly warm to allow for the extraction of red and yellow tones during the grisaille phase, as suggested by the monochrome coloring technique (Source 8).

underdrawing

Use contour drawing to establish the mass and volume of the landscape elements rather than focusing on minor details. This technique emphasizes the outlined shape and three-dimensional perspective, which is essential for capturing the 'freshness and force' associated with Ruysdael’s landscapes (Source 4). The drawing should guide the eye through the composition, ensuring that the sky and weather elements are integrated from the start, as they are central to the landscape genre (Source 2).

underpainting

Employ a grisaille (monochrome underpainting) using black, ultramarine, and white. This method allows the artist to establish values and forms without the distraction of color. As noted in the practice of oil painting, this preparation involves mentally extracting red and yellow colors to translate what would remain in nature if those hues were absent (Source 8). This aligns with Reynolds’ method of using black, ultramarine, and white for the first and second paintings (Source 8).

color palette

Ultramarine

Pure Ultramarine Blue

Sky, shadows, and cool tones in the landscape; used in the grisaille and as a glaze

White

Lead White or Titanium White

Highlights, clouds, and mixing with ultramarine for the grisaille

Black

Ivory Black or Lamp Black

Shadows, tree trunks, and defining contours in the grisaille

Red Ochre

Natural Red Ochre

Glazing warm tones, earth, and horsemen’s clothing; applied via scumbling or glazing

Yellow Ochre

Glazing warm light, foliage highlights, and atmospheric effects

composition

The composition should include a wide view with the sky as a dominant element, as is typical for landscape painting where weather is an integral part of the scene (Source 2). The arrangement should create a coherent composition where elements are balanced to guide the viewer’s eye. While specific details of *Landscape with Horsemen near Amersfoort* are not provided, Ruysdael’s general practice involves realistic depictions of natural scenery, possibly including topographical elements if the location is specific (Source 2). The composition should avoid being a mere 'enumeration of hill and dale' by integrating atmospheric effects and light modifications (Source 3).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the main contours of the landscape, focusing on the mass and volume of trees, sky, and figures. Use continuous lines to suggest depth and distance.
Tip — Do not focus on minor details; emphasize the outlined shape and three-dimensional perspective (Source 4).
Contour drawing

underpainting

step 02
Apply a grisaille using black, ultramarine, and white. Establish the light and shadow values of the entire composition.
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors to focus on form and value (Source 8).
Grisaille

first pass

step 03
Once the grisaille is dry, begin glazing and scumbling with oil. Apply yellow and red tones as they occur in nature, similar to tinting an engraving with watercolors.
Tip — Use transparent coats of color (glazing) and semi-opaque painting (scumbling) to build up color intensity (Source 8).
Glazing and Scumbling

refining

step 04
Adjust colors based on simultaneous contrast. If a color appears too pronounced, soften it by surrounding it with objects of the same color but more intense. If a color needs more brilliancy, surround it with its complementary color.
Tip — Remember that red beside blue verges on orange, and blue beside red verges on green. Use this to modify the aspect of colors without changing the pigment (Source 1).
Simultaneous Contrast

finishing

step 05
Refine the atmospheric effects, ensuring that the sky and weather elements are integrated. Check for color harmony, using complementary or analogous colors to create pleasing contrasts.
Tip — Ensure that the colors are harmonious and that the light modifications are accurately perceived and imitated (Source 7).
Color Harmony

varnishing

step 06
Apply a final varnish to protect the painting and enhance the depth of the glazes.
Tip — Use a varnish compatible with the oil medium used in glazing.
Varnishing

critical techniques

Simultaneous Contrast

Used to modify the appearance of colors by juxtaposing them with their complements. This technique allows the artist to increase the brilliancy of a color or soften it without changing the pigment itself (Source 1, Source 7).

Glazing and Scumbling

Glazing involves applying transparent coats of color, while scumbling involves semi-opaque painting. These techniques were widely practiced by old masters to achieve depth and luminosity (Source 8).

Contour Drawing

Used in the underdrawing phase to establish the mass and volume of the subject, emphasizing the outlined shape and three-dimensional perspective (Source 4).

common pitfalls

→Failing to account for simultaneous contrast, leading to colors that appear dull or inaccurate when viewed together (Source 7).
→Over-modeling or being too tied down to the outline, which can result in a stiff and lifeless appearance (Source 5).
→Ignoring the importance of the sky and weather in the composition, which are essential elements of landscape painting (Source 2).
→Using opaque colors instead of glazes, which can result in a muddy and lackluster finish (Source 8).

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 *Landscape with Horsemen near Amersfoort* are not described in the sources, so the recreation relies on general practices of Salomon van Ruysdael and the Baroque landscape tradition.
·The exact pigment palette used by Ruysdael for this specific painting is not provided, so the palette is inferred from general period practices and the techniques described in the sources.
·The specific compositional layout of the horsemen and landscape elements is not detailed, so the composition notes are based on general landscape painting principles.

grounded in

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

The Science of Painting↗
- 4. When two colours separated by more than two others — applied to Simultaneous contrast and color modification techniques
The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- ON COPYING — applied to Advice on copying and avoiding over-modeling
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Grisaille, glazing, and scumbling techniques
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315. As to the advantages the painter will find in it — applied to Simultaneous contrast and color perception

cross-referenced from

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

Wikipedia: Landscape painting↗
- Landscape painting — part 1 — applied to Composition principles and the importance of sky and weather
Wikipedia bio — Salomon van Ruysdael↗
- part 7 — applied to Artist’s reputation and technical mastery
Wikipedia: Contour drawing↗
- Contour drawing — part 1 — applied to Underdrawing technique
Wikipedia: Harmony (color)↗
- Harmony (color) — part 1 — applied to Color harmony principles