plate no. 8783

Pons, Charente-Maritime

Albert Marquet, 1901

oilPost-Impressionismcityscapebuildingsstreetfiguresskytownshadows

recreation guide

Albert Marquet’s *Pons, Charente-Maritime* (1901) represents a pivotal moment in his transition from the intense, saturated hues of Fauvism toward a more nuanced, impressionistic approach to landscape and cityscape painting. While Marquet is often associated with the Fauve movement, by 1901 he was already developing a style characterized by a sophisticated handling of light and color contrast, rather than pure chromatic explosion. The work is a cityscape, a genre that requires balancing architectural forms with atmospheric effects, likely utilizing the principles of simultaneous contrast to harmonize the inherent colors of the built environment with the sky and water reflections. The distinctive quality of this period in Marquet’s work lies in his 'feeling for colour,' particularly its weight, lightness, and saturation, which critics have described as astounding. Unlike the flat, decorative planes of early Fauvism, Marquet’s cityscapes from this era often exhibit a structural clarity achieved through careful tonal gradation. The painting likely employs a method where the underlying structure is established before color is applied, allowing for a luminous quality that avoids the heaviness often associated with opaque oil application. This approach aligns with the broader Post-Impressionist interest in the optical effects of color juxtaposition rather than local color alone.

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/Red Ochre)	Primary palette for establishing tonal structure and subsequent glazing	—
Oil of Copavia (or modern stand oil/linseed oil blend)	Medium for the first and second paintings to ensure fluidity and transparency	Stand oil or a mix of linseed oil and odorless mineral spirits
Varnish	Mixed with oil for later glazing stages to increase transparency and depth	Dammar varnish or synthetic resin varnish
Canvas or panel	Support for the oil painting	Linen canvas primed with gesso

preparation

surface prep

The surface should be prepared to accept a monochrome underpainting. While specific priming methods for this exact canvas are not detailed in the sources, the technique described involves a dry grisaille (monochrome) base. Therefore, the ground should be neutral and absorbent enough to allow the initial monochrome layer to dry thoroughly before glazing. A traditional oil ground or a well-sealed gesso ground is appropriate, ensuring it is completely dry to prevent cracking during the glazing process (Source 1).

underdrawing

Marquet’s preparatory methods are not explicitly detailed in the provided sources. However, consistent with the Post-Impressionist practice of focusing on broad masses and tonal relationships, the underdrawing is likely minimal or integrated into the underpainting phase. The focus is on the 'alphabet of our art' and sound craftsmanship, suggesting a direct approach to form rather than intricate preliminary sketching (Source 7).

underpainting

The underpainting should be a grisaille (monochrome) layer. The artist must mentally extract red and yellow colors, translating what would remain in nature if these two colors were not present. This establishes the tonal structure and chiaroscuro without the interference of hue. This layer must be allowed to dry completely before proceeding (Source 1).

color palette

Ultramarine

Pure ultramarine blue

Part of the initial monochrome underpainting along with black and white to establish tone

White

Lead white or zinc white

Establishing highlights and mid-tones in the monochrome underpainting

Black

Ivory black or lamp black

Establishing shadows and dark tones in the monochrome underpainting

Yellow tones

Yellow ochre, cadmium yellow, or chrome yellow

Glazing and scumbling over the dry grisaille to introduce warmth and light, particularly in sunlit areas of the cityscape

Red tones

Vermilion, red ochre, or cadmium red

Glazing and scumbling to add depth and warmth to shadows and architectural details, mimicking the effect of watercolor tinting

composition

The composition of *Pons, Charente-Maritime* is a cityscape, which inherently involves the arrangement of buildings, sky, and likely water or street elements. While specific compositional moves for this painting are not described in the sources, Marquet’s general practice involves a strong sense of spatial organization. The artist likely utilized the principles of simultaneous contrast to harmonize the colors inherent to the cityscape (buildings, sky) with those chosen for atmospheric effect. The composition would aim for a 'true gradation of light' through the juxtaposition of tones, where the highest tones are enfeebled and the lowest tones heightened at their boundaries, creating a cohesive visual structure (Source 2).

step by step

underpainting→first pass→drying→refining→finishing

underpainting

step 01
Create a grisaille (monochrome) underpainting using only black, ultramarine, and white. Mentally exclude red and yellow hues to establish the fundamental tonal values and chiaroscuro of the cityscape.
Tip — Ensure the tonal range is complete, from deepest shadows to brightest highlights, as this layer dictates the final luminosity.
Grisaille

first pass

step 03
Begin glazing and scumbling with oil. Apply yellow and red tones transparently over the dry grisaille, similar to tinting an engraving with watercolors. Use oil of copavia as a medium.
Tip — Glazing is a transparent coat of color. It allows the underlying monochrome structure to show through, creating depth.
Glazing

drying

step 02
Allow the grisaille layer to dry completely. This is critical to prevent mixing of the underpainting with subsequent glazes.
Tip — Do not rush this step; a wet underpainting will muddy the transparent glazes.
Drying

refining

step 04
As mastery is gained, mix varnish with oil for subsequent glazing layers. This increases transparency and allows for finer adjustments to color saturation and tone.
Tip — Use scumbling (semi-opaque painting) over darker grounds to create coldness or grey blooms, enhancing atmospheric effects.
Varnish Glazing

finishing

step 05
Refine the juxtaposition of colors to exploit simultaneous contrast. Ensure that adjacent tones enhance each other, with light tones appearing lighter next to dark ones, creating a natural gradation of light.
Tip — Focus on the boundaries between colors to ensure the optical effect of contrast is achieved, rather than blending colors physically.
Simultaneous Contrast

critical techniques

Glazing and Scumbling

Glazing involves applying a transparent coat of color over a dry underpainting, while scumbling is a semi-opaque application that allows the underlying layer to show through. This method was practiced by old masters and is effective for achieving luminosity and complex tonal relationships without muddying the colors. It allows the artist to build up color intensity and depth gradually.

Simultaneous Contrast

This principle dictates that colors placed side-by-side affect each other. In a cityscape, this means that the tone of a building facade will appear lighter or darker depending on the adjacent sky or shadow. Understanding this law allows the artist to create a harmonious composition where colors are inherent to the object but enhanced by their context.

Monochrome Underpainting

Starting with a grisaille (black, white, ultramarine) allows the artist to resolve all tonal problems before introducing color. This separates the task of value structure from color harmony, leading to a more coherent final image.

common pitfalls

→Applying glazes before the underpainting is completely dry, which leads to muddying and loss of transparency.
→Ignoring the principles of simultaneous contrast, resulting in flat or disharmonious color relationships.
→Over-modeling or becoming too tied to outlines, which can detract from the broad masses and atmospheric effects characteristic of Marquet’s style.
→Using opaque colors exclusively, which fails to capture the luminous quality achieved through glazing and scumbling.

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 details of the cityscape of Pons, such as the exact arrangement of buildings, the presence of water, or specific architectural features, are not described in the sources.
·Marquet’s specific brushwork style for this particular painting (e.g., stroke direction, thickness) is not detailed.
·The exact proportions and dimensions of the painting are not provided.
·The specific lighting conditions (time of day, weather) depicted in the painting are not described.

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, scumbling, and medium usage
- ON COPYING — applied to General craftsmanship and avoidance of over-modeling
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 6. Put beside each other two flat tints... — applied to Color harmony and simultaneous contrast in the final stages