plate no. 0177

Portrait of a Courtesan

oil, canvasBaroqueportraitportraitfigurewomanclothingflowersjewelry

recreation guide

Portrait of a Courtesan (1597) by Caravaggio is a seminal work of the Baroque style, characterized by its intense realism and dramatic use of light. The artwork exemplifies Caravaggio’s signature technique of tenebrism, where he darkens shadows and transfixes the subject in a blinding shaft of light to create acute physical and psychological reality (Source 6, Source 7). Unlike many contemporaries who relied on extensive preparatory drawings, Caravaggio likely worked directly onto the canvas with great speed, using live models to capture the vividness of a crucial moment (Source 6, Source 7). The painting serves as a portrait genre piece, intended to achieve a recognizable likeness of the sitter, reflecting the period's shift toward memorializing specific individuals with high fidelity (Source 2).

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

5 items

steps

6 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints	Primary medium for the painting	High-quality artist-grade oil paints
Canvas	Support surface	Linen or cotton canvas, primed
Brushes	Application of paint and scoring guides	Hog bristle brushes of various sizes
Medium (e.g., oil of copavia or linseed oil)	To adjust viscosity and drying time, as used by old masters	Stand oil or linseed oil
Varnish	For glazing and finishing, as practiced by old masters	Dammar or synthetic resin varnish

preparation

surface prep

The canvas should be prepared to accept oil paint. While specific ground recipes for this exact painting are not detailed in the sources, Caravaggio worked directly on canvas (Source 6, Source 7). A standard oil ground is appropriate. The artist likely did not use a complex multi-layered ground typical of Venetian schools but rather a straightforward preparation to allow for rapid work (Source 6).

underdrawing

Caravaggio likely did not use a detailed underdrawing. Sources indicate he scored basic guides directly onto the canvas with the end of the brush handle and very few of his drawings have survived, suggesting a preference for working directly on the canvas (Source 6, Source 7). The artist should sketch lightly with the brush handle or a charcoal stick, focusing on major proportions rather than intricate line work.

underpainting

A monochrome underpainting (grisaille) may be employed to establish tonal values before applying color. This technique involves extracting red and yellow colors to translate what would be left in nature, creating a foundation for glazing and scumbling (Source 3). This aligns with the old masters' practice of building up layers, though Caravaggio’s speed suggests this might be a simplified or skipped step in favor of direct painting. If used, it should be allowed to dry completely before glazing (Source 3).

color palette

Deep Shadows

Black, Ultramarine, and White (as per Reynolds' method cited in Source 3)

Establishing the oscuro (shadows) and darkening the background, consistent with Caravaggio's tenebrism (Source 6, Source 7)

Bright Highlights

White and light tints of local colors

Transfixing the subject in a blinding shaft of light (Source 6)

Flesh Tones

Red and yellow tones applied via glazing and scumbling

Modeling the face and hands, using transparent coats of color over the underpainting (Source 3)

Clothing Colors

Local colors adjusted with complements to avoid hue shifts when darkening

Rendering the courtesan's attire, ensuring colors remain saturated without shifting toward green or blue when darkened (Source 8)

composition

The composition likely focuses on the sitter's face and upper body, typical of portrait painting which aims for a recognizable likeness (Source 2). Caravaggio’s style often features a dramatic contrast between light and shadow, with the subject emerging from darkness (Source 6, Source 7). The arrangement should emphasize the psychological reality of the subject, capturing a moment of vividness (Source 6). Specific compositional details like diagonal lines or circular structures are more associated with Titian (Source 5) and should not be assumed for Caravaggio without direct evidence.

step by step

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

underdrawing

step 01
Score basic guides directly onto the canvas with the end of the brush handle to establish proportions.
Tip — Avoid detailed line work; focus on major forms.
Direct drawing on canvas

underpainting

step 02
Apply a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) to establish tonal values, excluding red and yellow tones.
Tip — Ensure the underpainting is completely dry before proceeding.
Grisaille

first pass

step 03
Begin applying oil paint, focusing on broad masses and the dramatic lighting.
Tip — Work rapidly, as Caravaggio did, to capture the vividness of the moment.
Direct painting

refining

step 04
Glaze and scumble with oil, applying yellow and red tones transparently over the underpainting.
Tip — Use glazing for transparent color and scumbling for semi-opaque effects, allowing the underlying painting to show through.
Glazing and Scumbling

finishing

step 05
Refine the likeness and details, ensuring the psychological reality of the subject is conveyed.
Tip — Focus on the acute observation of physical and psychological reality.
Realistic observation

varnishing

step 06
Apply a final varnish to protect the painting and enhance the depth of the glazes.
Tip — Use a mixture of varnish and oil if needed for final adjustments.
Varnishing

critical techniques

Tenebrism

Darkening the shadows and transfixing the subject in a blinding shaft of light to create dramatic contrast and psychological intensity.

Glazing and Scumbling

Applying transparent coats of color (glazing) and semi-opaque layers (scumbling) over a dry underpainting to build up color and depth, a method practiced by old masters.

Direct Painting

Working rapidly from live models, scoring guides directly onto the canvas, and forgoing extensive preparatory drawings.

common pitfalls

→Over-modeling or being too tied down to outlines, which can lead to a smallness in the painting. Copying works like Reynolds’s 'Portraits of Two Gentlemen' can help check this tendency (Source 1).
→Darkening colors by adding black, which can cause hue shifts (e.g., yellows shifting toward green). Use complementary colors to neutralize and darken without shifting hue (Source 8).
→Failing to allow the underpainting to dry completely before glazing, which can muddy the colors (Source 3).
→Neglecting the psychological reality of the subject, focusing only on physical likeness. Caravaggio’s work is noted for its acute observation of both physical and psychological states (Source 6, 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 pigments used by Caravaggio for this painting are not detailed in the sources.
·Exact dimensions and aspect ratio of the canvas are not provided.
·Specific details of the courtesan's clothing, jewelry, or background objects are not described in the sources, so they cannot be accurately recreated based on the provided text.
·The exact medium mixture (e.g., ratio of oil to varnish) used by Caravaggio is not specified, though Reynolds' method is cited as an example of old master practice (Source 3).

grounded in

The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.

The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- ON COPYING — applied to Advice on avoiding over-modeling and smallness in painting
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Techniques of glazing, scumbling, and using a grisaille underpainting

cross-referenced from

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

Wikipedia: Portrait painting↗
- Portrait painting — part 1 — applied to Understanding the intent and history of portrait painting
Wikipedia bio — Caravaggio↗
- Caravaggio — part 17 — applied to Caravaggio's use of tenebrism, direct painting, and live models
- Caravaggio — part 1 — applied to Caravaggio's style, tenebrism, and working methods
Wikipedia: Color theory↗
- Color theory — part 6 — applied to Guidance on mixing colors and avoiding hue shifts when darkening