plate no. 6182
New Market Square in Vitoria
recreation guide
This recreation guide addresses the painting 'New Market Square in Vitoria' by Carlos Saenz de Tejada, a work classified within the Social Realism style and the genre of genre painting. Genre painting is defined as the depiction of aspects of everyday life, portraying ordinary people engaged in common activities, often with realistic, imagined, or romanticized elements (Source 3). While specific visual details of this particular market scene are not described in the provided sources, the artist’s adherence to Social Realism suggests a focus on the truthful representation of social conditions and daily labor, distinguishing it from history paintings or portraits where individual identity is paramount (Source 3). The medium is oil, which allows for a vast capacity to approach an illusion of natural appearances, though the artist must balance this with the vital expression of the medium itself to avoid mere deception (Source 4).
estimated time
40-60 hours over 8-12 sessions
materials
5 items
steps
6 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints (Ultramarine, Black, White, Red, Yellow) | Primary pigments for grisaille underpainting and subsequent glazing/scumbling | — |
| Oil of Copavia (or modern linseed/walnut oil) | Medium for the first and second paintings, as cited in Reynolds' method | Stand oil or pure linseed oil |
| Varnish | Mixed with oil for later glazing stages to gain mastery over transparent coats | Dammar varnish |
| Canvas or Panel | Support for the oil painting | Linen canvas primed with gesso |
| Charcoal or Graphite | Underdrawing to establish composition and forms | Vine charcoal |
preparation
surface prep
The surface should be prepared to accept oil paint, which possesses 'vital qualities peculiar to itself' (Source 4). While specific priming methods for Saenz de Tejada are not detailed, the tradition of oil painting often involves a ground that allows for the 'glazing and scumbling' techniques described. The artist must ensure the ground is suitable for the 'transparent coat of colour' known as glazing (Source 1).
underdrawing
The artist should begin with a sound underdrawing to establish the 'organization of an artwork' (Source 5). Since genre painting depicts ordinary people in common activities, the drawing must accurately capture the 'visual path' and 'shape' of these figures and the market environment (Source 5). The sources do not specify Saenz de Tejada's preparatory methods, so a standard charcoal sketch to define the 'positive' and 'negative' space is recommended (Source 5).
underpainting
A grisaille (monochrome) underpainting is recommended. The artist should mentally 'extract the red and yellow colours' and translate what would be left in nature if these colors were not present (Source 1). This monochrome layer establishes the values and forms before color is introduced. Sir Joshua Reynolds' method, cited as a standard for established painters, uses black, ultramarine, and white for the first and second paintings (Source 1).
color palette
Ultramarine
Pure Ultramarine
Grisaille underpainting and cool shadows
Black
Ivory Black or Lamp Black
Grisaille underpainting and darkening tones
White
Titanium or Lead White
Grisaille underpainting and lightening tones
Red
Vermilion or Cadmium Red
Glazing and scumbling to reintroduce warmth and local color
Yellow
Yellow Ochre or Cadmium Yellow
Glazing and scumbling to reintroduce warmth and local color
composition
The composition should organize the 'elements of design' such as line, shape, color, texture, value, form, and space (Source 5). In genre painting, the focus is on the interaction of ordinary people and their environment, so the composition should guide the viewer's eye through the 'common activities' depicted (Source 3). The artist should avoid 'smallness' and ensure the 'broad masses' are well-defined, as advised in copying exercises for improving compositional strength (Source 8).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the market scene, focusing on the ordinary people and their activities. Define the positive and negative spaces.
Tip — Ensure the 'visual path' leads the eye through the scene naturally.
Drawing
underpainting
step 02
Create a grisaille using black, ultramarine, and white. Mentally extract red and yellow to establish values.
Tip — This layer should be quite dry before proceeding.
Grisaille
first pass
step 03
Apply the first painting with oil of copavia (or similar medium) using the grisaille palette to refine forms.
Tip — Follow Reynolds' method of using oil of copavia for the first and second paintings.
Direct Painting
refining
step 04
Glaze and scumble with oil, introducing red and yellow tones. Glazing is a transparent coat; scumbling is semi-opaque.
Tip — Scumbling over a darker ground tends to coldness, producing a 'grey bloom'.
Glazing and Scumbling
finishing
step 05
Adjust colors using complementary mixing to avoid hue shifts. Darken with complements rather than black to maintain hue integrity.
Tip — Adding black to yellows/oranges/reds can shift them toward green/blue; use complements instead.
Color Mixing
varnishing
step 06
Apply varnish mixed with oil for final glazes if mastery is achieved, enhancing depth and luminosity.
Tip — This step requires sufficient mastery to handle the mixed medium.
Varnish Glazing
critical techniques
Glazing
A transparent coat of color applied over a dry underpainting to modify hue and value without obscuring the underlying form.
Scumbling
A semi-opaque painting technique where the underlying painting makes itself felt, often used to create a 'grey bloom' or coldness over darker grounds.
Complementary Mixing
Using opposite colors to darken or neutralize without shifting hue, avoiding the pitfalls of adding black or white which can cause unwanted hue shifts.
common pitfalls
- →Adding black to warm colors (yellows, oranges, reds) can cause them to shift toward green or blue, ruining the local color (Source 2).
- →Over-modeling or being too tied down to the outline can lead to 'smallness' in the painting; copying works like Reynolds' portraits can help check this tendency (Source 8).
- →Attempting to deceive the eye into thinking it is looking at real nature rather than a painted symbol can result in a lack of 'vital expression' (Source 4).
- →Scumbling over a darker ground can inadvertently introduce coldness or a 'grey bloom' if not carefully controlled (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 visual details of 'New Market Square in Vitoria' (e.g., exact figures, architecture, lighting conditions) are not described in the sources.
- ·Carlos Saenz de Tejada's specific personal habits or deviations from general Social Realist practices are not detailed.
- ·The exact year of creation is not available, limiting period-specific material analysis.
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 avoiding 'smallness' and improving finish
The Practice and Science of Drawing↗
- XX MATERIALS — applied to Importance of medium and avoiding mere deception
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia: Color theory↗
- Color theory — part 6 — applied to Color mixing principles and avoiding hue shifts
Wikipedia: Genre painting↗
- Genre painting — part 1 — applied to Definition and context of genre painting
Wikipedia: Composition (visual arts)↗
- Composition (visual arts) — part 1 — applied to Compositional elements and organization
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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