plate no. 2559
Lollichon Field
Paul Gauguin, 1886
recreation guide
Lollichon Field (1886) represents a transitional moment in Paul Gauguin’s career, situated between his Impressionist beginnings and the development of his distinct Synthetist style. While the specific visual details of this particular landscape are not described in the provided sources, the work belongs to a period where Gauguin was moving away from the optical realism of Impressionism toward a more structured, symbolic approach. By 1886, Gauguin was beginning to experiment with flat areas of color and bold outlines, influenced by folk art and Japanese prints, which would later crystallize into Cloisonnism (Source 3). The painting likely reflects his early attempts to capture the 'soul of nature' rather than just its surface appearance, emphasizing major forms and upright lines to define shape and contour (Source 7).
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions
materials
4 items
steps
5 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints (Ultramarine, White, Black, Yellow Ochre, Vermilion) | Primary palette for underpainting and glazing | Standard artist-grade oil paints |
| Oil of Copavia (or modern linseed oil/walnut oil) | Medium for the first and second paintings, as per Reynolds' method cited in historical context | Stand oil or linseed oil |
| Canvas | Support for the oil painting | Linen or cotton canvas, primed |
| Varnish | Mixed with oil for later glazing stages to gain mastery over transparency | Dammar or synthetic resin varnish |
preparation
surface prep
The canvas should be prepared with a neutral ground. While Gauguin’s specific ground for this 1886 work is not detailed, historical practice for oil painting of this era often involved a white or light neutral ground to facilitate the layering of transparent colors. The sources suggest a method where the initial preparation involves mentally extracting red and yellow colors to create a monochrome base (Source 1).
underdrawing
Gauguin’s early work was largely self-taught and informal, shaped by associations with Impressionists like Pissarro (Source 8). By 1886, he was beginning to emphasize major forms and upright lines to clearly define shape and contour, moving away from the loose brushwork of pure Impressionism (Source 7). The underdrawing should likely be minimal, focusing on the structural lines of the landscape elements rather than detailed sketching.
underpainting
The underpainting should be executed as a grisaille (monochrome) using black, ultramarine, and white, mixed with oil of copavia (or a similar medium). This step involves mentally extracting red and yellow colors to translate what would be left in nature if those colors were not present (Source 1). This creates a tonal foundation for the subsequent color layers.
color palette
Ultramarine
Pure ultramarine blue
Underpainting and sky tones; part of the initial monochrome base
White
Lead white or zinc white
Underpainting highlights and mixing with ultramarine/black for the grisaille
Black
Ivory black or lamp black
Underpainting shadows and defining contours in the grisaille
Yellow Ochre/Vermilion
Yellow and red earth tones
Glazing and scumbling over the dry grisaille to introduce warmth and local color
Green
Mixed from blue and yellow, or natural green earth
Landscape foliage; Gauguin later used analogous colors for muted effects (Source 7)
composition
While specific compositional details of Lollichon Field are not provided, Gauguin’s general practice during this period involved arranging elements into a coherent composition that emphasized major forms (Source 7). He began to dispense with subtle gradations of color and classical perspective, favoring flat areas of color and bold outlines (Source 3). The composition should likely feature a wide view with the sky included, consistent with landscape painting traditions (Source 5).
step by step
underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing
underpainting
step 01
Create a grisaille underpainting using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia. Focus on establishing the tonal values of the landscape, mentally excluding red and yellow hues.
Tip — Ensure the grisaille is completely dry before proceeding to color layers.
Grisaille
first pass
step 02
Apply transparent glazes of yellow and red tones over the dry grisaille. Use oil as the medium initially. This mimics tinting an engraving with watercolors.
Tip — Glazing is a transparent coat of color that allows the underlying painting to show through.
Glazing
refining
step 03
Use scumbling techniques to add semi-opaque layers, particularly over darker grounds to create coldness or grey blooms. Mix varnish and oil for greater mastery over transparency.
Tip — Scumbling allows the underlying painting to make itself felt through the semi-opaque layer.
Scumbling
step 04
Introduce flat areas of color and bold outlines to define shapes, moving away from subtle gradations. Emphasize major forms and upright lines.
Tip — Avoid classical perspective; focus on the essence of the objects rather than optical realism.
Cloisonnism/Synthetism
finishing
step 05
Adjust color harmonies using analogous colors to achieve a muted effect, or complementary colors for contrast, ensuring the composition stimulates the imagination like music.
Tip — Gauguin sought to create symphonies and harmonies with no counterparts in reality.
Color Harmony
critical techniques
Glazing and Scumbling
Used to build up color layers over a monochrome underpainting. Glazing provides transparency, while scumbling adds semi-opaque texture. This method was practiced by old masters and is recommended for achieving depth and tonal variation.
Cloisonnism
Characterized by flat areas of pure color separated by heavy black outlines. Gauguin adopted this style to express the essence of objects, dispensing with subtle gradations and classical perspective.
Analogous Color Harmony
Gauguin used analogous colors in close proximity to achieve a muted effect, moving toward non-representational color that has independent vitality.
common pitfalls
- →Applying color before the grisaille is completely dry, which can muddy the transparent glazes.
- →Using too much opaque paint in the glazing stage, which defeats the purpose of the transparent layering technique.
- →Relying on subtle gradations of color and classical perspective, which Gauguin was actively moving away from in favor of flat areas and bold outlines.
- →Ignoring the emotional and symbolic intent of the colors, treating them merely as descriptive rather than expressive.
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 Lollichon Field (e.g., exact layout of the field, presence of figures or structures) are not described in the sources.
- ·The exact pigment palette used by Gauguin for this specific 1886 work is not detailed; the guide infers from general practice and historical methods.
- ·The specific underdrawing technique for this painting is not documented; the guide assumes a minimal approach based on his transition from Impressionism.
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 Underpainting and glazing techniques
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia bio — Paul Gauguin↗
- part 6 — applied to Cloisonnism and stylistic evolution
- part 7 — applied to Use of analogous colors and emphasis on major forms
- part 1 — applied to General biographical context and self-taught background
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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