plate no. 6852

Marusia by the sea

David Burliuk, 1949

oil, canvasPost-Impressionismportraitportraitflowersseaskyboatstill life

recreation guide

David Burliuk’s 1949 oil painting 'Marusia by the sea' is a portrait of his wife, Marusia, who was a central figure in his life and artistic output. Burliuk, a key figure in Russian Futurism and Neo-Primitivism, frequently depicted Marusia throughout his career, with early portraits dating back to 1909 set against Crimean coastal backdrops (Source 6). By 1949, Burliuk was living in the United States, having settled in Hampton Bays, Long Island, where he continued to paint for two decades (Source 4). While the specific visual details of this 1949 work are not explicitly described in the provided sources, the painting belongs to a genre of portraits that Burliuk considered one of his two lifelong dreams, alongside depicting his adopted country (Source 6). The work likely reflects his mature style, which evolved from his earlier avant-garde experiments into a more established post-impressionist or neo-primitivist approach, characterized by bold color choices and expressive forms.

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

5 items

steps

6 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (primary colors: red, yellow, blue, plus white and black)	For building the monochrome underpainting and subsequent glazes/scumbles	High-quality artist-grade oil paints
Canvas	Support for the oil painting	Linen or cotton canvas, primed
Oil of copavia (or modern equivalent medium)	Medium for the first and second paintings in the grisaille stage	Linar oil or stand oil
Varnish	Mixed with oil for later glazing stages to gain mastery over transparency	Dammar varnish or synthetic resin varnish
Brushes	For applying underpainting, glazes, and scumbles	Hog bristle and sable brushes

preparation

surface prep

The canvas should be prepared with a standard oil ground. While specific preparation methods for this 1949 work are not detailed, Burliuk’s training at the Royal Academy in Munich and Kazan/Odessa schools suggests adherence to traditional academic preparation (Source 6). The surface should be smooth enough to allow for the glazing and scumbling techniques described in traditional oil painting practices (Source 1).

underdrawing

Burliuk’s preparatory methods for this specific work are not documented in the sources. However, given his academic training and the emphasis on sound craftsmanship in oil painting traditions, a light underdrawing in charcoal or thinned oil is likely to establish the composition of the portrait and the sea background (Source 2).

underpainting

The painting likely begins with a monochrome underpainting, or grisaille. According to traditional oil painting practices relevant to Burliuk’s technique, this stage involves mentally extracting red and yellow colors to establish the tonal structure using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia (Source 1). This grisaille serves as the foundation for subsequent color layers.

color palette

Black, Ultramarine, White

Pure pigments

Creating the initial grisaille underpainting to establish tones and forms (Source 1)

Red and Yellow tones

Transparent red and yellow oils

Glazing and scumbling over the dry grisaille to introduce color, mimicking the effect of tinting an engraving (Source 1)

Complementary colors

Dependent on local colors

Adjusting hues and neutralizing colors without shifting hue, consistent with color theory principles Burliuk would have known (Source 7)

composition

Specific compositional details of 'Marusia by the sea' are not provided in the sources. However, Burliuk’s earlier portrait of Marusia from 1909 was set against a background of flowers and rocks on the Crimean coast (Source 6). It is plausible that the 1949 work maintains a similar focus on the figure against a natural, coastal backdrop, consistent with his lifelong theme of depicting his wife and landscapes (Source 6). The composition likely emphasizes the relationship between the figure and the environment, a hallmark of his portraiture.

step by step

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

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the composition of Marusia and the sea background lightly on the primed canvas.
Tip — Ensure proportions are correct, as this will guide the tonal underpainting.
Underdrawing

underpainting

step 02
Create a grisaille using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia. Mentally extract red and yellow colors to focus on tonal values.
Tip — This stage establishes the light and shadow structure without color distractions (Source 1).
Grisaille

first pass

step 03
Allow the grisaille to dry completely. Then, apply transparent glazes of red and yellow tones using oil as a medium.
Tip — Glazing involves applying a transparent coat of color over the dry underpainting (Source 1).
Glazing

refining

step 04
Use scumbling, a semi-opaque painting technique, to adjust tones and add texture, particularly over darker grounds to create coldness or grey blooms.
Tip — Scumbling allows the underlying painting to show through, adding depth and complexity (Source 1).
Scumbling

finishing

step 05
Refine color contrasts and harmonies, considering the law of simultaneous contrast to ensure colors interact correctly with adjacent tones.
Tip — Be aware that colors appear different when viewed together due to simultaneous contrast (Source 3).
Color Harmony

varnishing

step 06
Apply a final varnish to protect the painting and unify the surface sheen.
Tip — Ensure the painting is completely dry before varnishing.
Varnishing

critical techniques

Glazing and Scumbling

Burliuk’s technique likely involves glazing transparent colors over a dry grisaille and scumbling semi-opaque layers to build depth and tone, a method practiced by old masters and relevant to his academic training (Source 1).

Simultaneous Contrast

Understanding how adjacent colors affect each other’s appearance is crucial for harmonizing the composition, especially in a portrait with a complex background like the sea (Source 3).

Color Neutralization

Using complementary colors to darken or neutralize hues without shifting them, ensuring accurate color representation (Source 7).

common pitfalls

→Applying glazes before the underpainting is completely dry, which can lead to muddiness and loss of detail (Source 1).
→Ignoring simultaneous contrast, resulting in colors that appear unbalanced or inaccurate when viewed together (Source 3).
→Over-modeling or being too tied to outlines, which can make the painting appear stiff; copying works like Reynolds’s portraits can help correct this tendency (Source 2).
→Adding black to darken colors, which can cause unwanted hue shifts; using complementary colors is a safer method (Source 7).

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 the 1949 painting 'Marusia by the sea' (e.g., Marusia’s pose, clothing, exact background elements) are not described in the sources.
·Burliuk’s specific palette choices for this late period are not detailed, though his general use of bold colors is implied by his Futurist background.
·The exact dimensions and canvas type of the original work are not provided.
·Burliuk’s personal notes or sketches for this specific painting are not included 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 Underpainting, glazing, and scumbling techniques
- ON COPYING — applied to Advice on correcting compositional weaknesses and craftsmanship
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315-318 — applied to Color harmony and simultaneous contrast

cross-referenced from

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

Wikipedia bio — David Burliuk↗
- part 4 — applied to Biographical context of Burliuk’s later years in the US
- part 2 — applied to Burliuk’s history of painting Marusia and his academic training
Wikipedia: Color theory↗
- part 6 — applied to Color mixing and neutralization techniques