plate no. 2548
Notre-Dame in Winter
Albert Marquet, 1902
recreation guide
Albert Marquet’s 'Notre-Dame in Winter' (1902) is a cityscape executed in oil, situated within the Post-Impressionist style. While specific visual details of the cathedral’s architecture or the exact winter conditions are not described in the provided sources, the work represents a topographical view where the primary purpose is to depict a specific place with buildings prominently featured (Source 4). Marquet’s approach likely involves a focus on the atmospheric effects of the season, utilizing color contrasts to harmonize the inherent tones of the urban landscape (Source 2). The composition would adhere to principles of visual ordering, ensuring that the central visual elements relate to the whole artwork without exact bisections of space (Source 7).
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions
materials
4 items
steps
6 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints (Ultramarine, Black, White, Yellow, Red tones) | Primary pigments for underpainting and glazing | Titanium White (substitute for Lead White if avoiding toxicity), Ultramarine Blue, Ivory Black, Cadmium Yellow, Alizarin Crimson |
| Linseed oil or Oil of Copavia | Medium for mixing paints and glazing | Stand Linseed Oil or Galkyd |
| Varnish | Mixed with oil for later glazing stages to gain mastery over transparency | Dammar Varnish or Synthetic Resin Varnish |
| Canvas or Linen support | Surface for oil painting | Primed Linen Canvas |
preparation
surface prep
The surface should be prepared to accept oil paint. While specific priming methods for Marquet are not detailed in the sources, the use of linen as a support is historically consistent with oil painting traditions (Source 5). The ground should be neutral to allow for the subsequent monochrome underpainting.
underdrawing
Contour drawing techniques may be employed to establish the mass and volume of the cathedral and surrounding structures, focusing on the outlined shape rather than minor details (Source 8). This helps in defining the positive and negative spaces within the cityscape composition (Source 3).
underpainting
A grisaille (monochrome underpainting) is likely used, mentally extracting red and yellow colors to establish the tonal structure (Source 1). This method involves painting with black, ultramarine, and white, potentially using oil of copavia as a medium, as suggested by Sir Joshua Reynolds’ method which aligns with old master practices referenced in the sources (Source 1).
color palette
Ultramarine
Pure Ultramarine Blue
Underpainting and cool tones in the winter sky and shadows
White
Lead White (historically) or Titanium White (modern)
Highlights and mixing with ultramarine for the grisaille
Black
Ivory Black or Lamp Black
Underpainting and deep shadows
Yellow tones
Yellow ochre or Cadmium Yellow
Glazing and scumbling to introduce warmth and light
Red tones
Vermilion or Alizarin Crimson
Glazing and scumbling to introduce warmth and contrast
composition
The composition should avoid exact bisections of the picture space and ensure the horizon line does not divide the artwork into two equal parts (Source 7). The prominent subject, Notre-Dame, should be off-centre unless a symmetrical composition is desired, balanced by smaller satellite elements (Source 7). The direction of the viewer's eye should lead around all elements before leading out of the picture, creating a coherent composition (Source 7).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the main contours of the cathedral and surrounding buildings, focusing on mass and volume rather than fine details.
Tip — Ensure the lines convey form, weight, and space.
Contour drawing
underpainting
step 02
Create a grisaille using black, ultramarine, and white. Mentally extract red and yellow colors to establish the tonal values.
Tip — Allow the grisaille to dry completely before proceeding.
Monochrome underpainting
first pass
step 03
Begin glazing with oil, applying transparent coats of yellow and red tones where they occur in the scene.
Tip — Treat the glazing like tinting an engraving with watercolors.
Glazing
refining
step 04
Use scumbling, a semi-opaque painting technique, over darker grounds to create coldness and grey blooms.
Tip — Observe how the underlying painting shows through the semi-opaque layer.
Scumbling
finishing
step 05
Adjust color contrasts to harmonize the composition, ensuring that juxtaposed colors enhance each other through simultaneous contrast.
Tip — Be aware that the lightest tone will be lowered and the darkest heightened when juxtaposed.
Simultaneous contrast
varnishing
step 06
Apply a final varnish mixed with oil if needed, to unify the glazes and protect the surface.
Tip — Ensure the painting is completely dry before varnishing.
Varnishing
critical techniques
Glazing
Applying transparent coats of color to build up luminosity and depth, particularly for yellow and red tones.
Scumbling
Using semi-opaque paint over darker grounds to create coldness and grey blooms, allowing the underlying layer to show through.
Simultaneous Contrast
Utilizing the law of simultaneous contrast to harmonize colors and enhance the perception of light and dark tones.
common pitfalls
- →Failing to let the grisaille dry completely before glazing, which can muddy the colors.
- →Ignoring the effects of simultaneous contrast, leading to inaccurate color perception and harmony.
- →Overworking the scumbling layer, which can obscure the underlying tonal structure.
- →Placing the horizon line in the exact center, dividing the composition unequally.
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 Notre-Dame’s architecture and the exact winter conditions are not described in the sources.
- ·Marquet’s specific palette choices for this particular painting are not detailed, only general pigments are inferred.
- ·The exact brushwork and stroke direction characteristic of Marquet’s style are not covered in the provided 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
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 6. Put beside each other two flat tints... — applied to Color harmony and contrast adjustments
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia: Composition (visual arts)↗
- part 1 and part 6 — applied to Compositional structure and balance
Wikipedia: Landscape painting↗
- part 1 — applied to Understanding the genre as a topographical view
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- part 4 — applied to Materials and medium selection
Wikipedia: Contour drawing↗
- part 1 — applied to Underdrawing technique
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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