Portait of Maria Teresa de Borbón y Vallabriga

surface prep

Prepare a canvas support. While specific ground recipes for Goya in 1783 are not detailed in the sources, the general practice of the period involved preparing a surface suitable for oil painting, which allows for the layering techniques described in the sources (Source 5). The ground should be neutral to allow for the 'grisaille' (monochrome) underpainting method described in Source 1.

underdrawing

The sources do not specify Goya’s underdrawing technique for this specific portrait. However, general advice for copying and painting suggests that a sound craftsman must first master the 'alphabet of our art' (Source 6). It is likely that a light charcoal or thinned oil sketch was used to establish proportions, consistent with standard 18th-century portraiture practices, though this is inferred from general period conventions rather than explicit source text.

underpainting

Execute a monochrome underpainting (grisaille). According to Source 1, the artist should mentally extract red and yellow colors, translating what would be left in nature if these colors were not present. This creates a value structure using black, ultramarine, and white (Source 1). This layer must be allowed to dry completely before proceeding.

Glazing and Scumbling

Used to build color over a monochrome underpainting. Glazing adds transparent color, while scumbling adds semi-opaque texture and tone. This method was practiced by old masters generally (Source 1).

Simultaneous Contrast

Understanding that adjacent colors affect each other’s perception. The painter must appreciate modifications of tone and color received from contiguous colors to harmonize the composition (Source 2).

Chiaroscuro

Creating true gradation of light by juxtaposing tones. The highest tone is enfeebled and the lowest heightened at the boundary, creating depth and volume (Source 3).