plate no. 1375

Portrait of a Man

oilBaroqueportraitportraitmanhatclothinghandcollar

what to study here

It shows how a mostly black canvas can carry a convincing, warm face through disciplined value grouping and controlled edges.

Start with the value structure. Near-black covers roughly 60% of the canvas: hat, clothing and background. Only two passages are light, the warm lit face and the white collar. Squint and you see three groups: dark mass, medium-warm face, maximum-light collar. Light comes from the left-front and warms the cheekbones and forehead, with deeper shadow under the jaw and around the eyes. The collar is a nearly rectangular shape and is the brightest note, so every skin mix has to be judged against it. Study how the face stays luminous beside it. Look at edges as well. They are crisp at the collar and hat brim, soft where the face meets the background and across the cheekbone transitions. The face is blended with no visible strokes, and the background is smooth so nothing competes with the figure. The hat is not flat black; soft value shifts give it volume. Notice the hand near the chest in warm flesh tones, a small secondary light that adds gesture. Copy the face-to-shadow transition first, since that is where the modeling is decided.

key decision

The painter confined light to the face and white collar and held about 60% of the canvas to near-black. Edges are sharp only at the collar and hat brim, soft elsewhere.

recreation guide

Nicolaes Maes’s 'Portrait of a Man' (1656) represents a transitional phase in the artist’s career, situated between his early, austere style and the mature Flemish-influenced portraiture of the 1660s. During this period, Maes typically placed sitters dressed in an austere manner against dark backgrounds, focusing on capturing the inner essence and character of the subject rather than merely a literal likeness (Source 2, Source 4). The work is executed in oil, adhering to the Baroque tradition of using transparent glazes and semi-opaque scumbles to build depth and luminosity, a method widely practiced by old masters to achieve rich tonal variations (Source 1).

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

5 items

steps

6 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (Black, Ultramarine, White Lead)	For the initial grisaille underpainting and structural modeling	Modern tube oils: Ivory Black, Ultramarine Blue, Titanium White (or Flake White for historical accuracy)
Red and Yellow earth pigments (Ochres, Siennas, Umbers)	For glazing and scumbling to introduce warm tones and flesh colors	Burnt Sienna, Yellow Ochre, Raw Umber
Oil of Copavia or Linseed Oil	Medium for the first and second paintings to ensure proper flow and drying	Stand oil or refined linseed oil
Varnish	Mixed with oil for later glazing stages to increase transparency and depth	Dammar varnish or modern painting medium
Canvas or Panel	Support for the oil painting	Linen canvas primed with gesso or oak panel

preparation

surface prep

Prepare a rigid support, likely a panel or tightly stretched canvas, primed with a white or light ground. Maes’s early works often feature dark backgrounds, suggesting the ground may be left neutral or darkened in specific areas to facilitate the contrast required for the austere presentation (Source 2).

underdrawing

While specific preparatory drawings for this 1656 portrait are not detailed in the sources, Maes’s focus on 'inner essence' and 'character' implies a careful initial layout to ensure the sitter’s pose and expression convey the intended moral quality (Source 4). The underdrawing should be light and flexible, allowing for adjustments during the grisaille stage.

underpainting

Execute a monochrome grisaille underpainting using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia. This stage establishes the values and forms without color, mentally extracting red and yellow tones to focus on the structural light and shadow (Source 1). This technique allows for precise modeling of the face and clothing before introducing complex color interactions.

color palette

Black

Ivory Black or Lamp Black

Underpainting shadows and defining dark areas in the grisaille

Ultramarine

Natural Ultramarine

Underpainting mid-tones and cool shadows in the grisaille

White Lead

Underpainting highlights and mixing with black/ultramarine for the grisaille

Red Ochre/Lake

Red Ochre or Red Lake

Glazing and scumbling to introduce warmth to flesh tones and clothing

Yellow Ochre

Glazing and scumbling to introduce warmth and highlight areas

composition

The composition likely features a half-length or three-quarter-length figure, consistent with Maes’s standardized formats for portraits during this period. The sitter is probably presented in an austere manner against a dark background, emphasizing the subject’s character and attire without the elaborate staging or garden settings that would appear in his later 1670s works (Source 2). The focus is on the face and upper body, with the expression conveying a serious, closed-lip stare typical of the era’s portraiture (Source 4).

step by step

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

underdrawing

step 01
Lightly sketch the figure’s pose and facial features, focusing on capturing the 'inner essence' and character rather than just physical likeness.
Tip — Ensure the expression is serious and neutral, as subtle emotions are conveyed through the eyes and eyebrows (Source 4).
Preparatory Drawing

underpainting

step 02
Apply a grisaille underpainting using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia. Model the forms and values completely, ignoring color for now.
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors, focusing on what remains in nature if those colors were absent (Source 1).
Grisaille

first pass

step 03
Once the grisaille is dry, begin glazing and scumbling with oil. Apply transparent coats of red and yellow tones to introduce color.
Tip — Treat the glazing like tinting an engraving with watercolors, building up color gradually (Source 1).
Glazing

refining

step 04
Use scumbling (semi-opaque painting) over darker grounds to create coldness or grey blooms, and over lighter areas to soften transitions.
Tip — Be aware that scumbling over darker grounds tends to coldness, which can be used for atmospheric effects (Source 1).
Scumbling

finishing

step 05
Refine the facial expression, ensuring the eyes and eyebrows convey the subject’s character and moral quality.
Tip — Focus on the eyes for the most complete information about the subject, and use eyebrows to register subtle emotions (Source 4).
Detailing

varnishing

step 06
Apply a final varnish to unify the glazes and protect the painting.
Tip — Ensure the painting is completely dry before varnishing to prevent cracking.
Varnishing

critical techniques

Glazing and Scumbling

Used to build up color and depth over a dry grisaille underpainting. Glazing involves transparent coats of color, while scumbling involves semi-opaque layers that allow the underlying painting to show through. This method was widely practiced by old masters to achieve rich, luminous effects (Source 1).

Grisaille Underpainting

A monochrome underpainting using black, ultramarine, and white to establish values and forms before adding color. This technique allows for precise modeling and is a foundational step in the old master method (Source 1).

Character Portraiture

Focusing on the 'inner essence' and 'moral quality' of the subject rather than just physical likeness. This involves careful attention to the eyes and eyebrows to convey subtle emotions and character traits (Source 4).

common pitfalls

→Over-modeling or being too tied down to the outline, which can result in a stiff, lifeless appearance. Copying works like Reynolds’s 'Portraits of Two Gentlemen' can help check this tendency (Source 5).
→Ignoring the law of simultaneous contrast, which can lead to inaccurate color perception. The eye is susceptible to fatigue and may see colors differently when viewed alongside their complements (Source 8).
→Applying glazes before the underpainting is completely dry, which can lead to muddiness and cracking (Source 1).
→Focusing too much on literal likeness rather than character, resulting in a portrait that lacks the 'inner significance' expected in great portraiture (Source 4).

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 sitter’s clothing patterns or jewelry are not described in the sources, so these must be inferred from general knowledge of 1656 Dutch fashion or left generic.
·The exact dimensions and aspect ratio of the canvas are not provided, though Maes used standardized formats (Source 2).
·Specific preparatory sketches or cartoons for this particular portrait are not mentioned, so the underdrawing approach is inferred from general practice.
·The specific lighting setup (e.g., window light direction) is not detailed, though Maes’s early works often feature dark backgrounds suggesting controlled studio lighting.

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
- ON COPYING — applied to Advice on avoiding over-modeling and stiffness
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- CHAPTER V. COLOURING SUBSTANCES — applied to Understanding color perception and simultaneous contrast

cross-referenced from

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

Wikipedia bio — Nicolaes Maes↗
- Portrait painting — applied to Compositional style, background, and period context
Wikipedia: Portrait painting↗
- Portrait painting — part 2 — applied to Character portrayal, expression, and eyes/eyebrows focus

Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.

read from the painting

observed from the image, not the label

6 dominant colors, measured

what the eye sees

Light strikes from the left-front, strongly illuminating the man's face and creating warm golden tones on his cheekbones and forehead—the brightest area besides the white collar. A massive dark hat looms above, silhouetted against a nearly black background. The white collar forms a stark geometric rectangle beneath the chin, anchoring the composition with brilliant contrast. One hand gestures near the chest with warm flesh tones. Your eye moves first to the face because of its warmth and light, then is caught by the white collar's brightness.

value structure

The painting uses extreme value separation: near-black (hat, background, clothing) occupies roughly 60% of the canvas, while the illuminated face and white collar are the only truly light passages. The face itself shows subtle modeling—warm midtones on the cheeks and forehead, deeper shadows under the jaw and around the eyes. Squint and you see three main value groups: the dark mass (hat/clothes/background), the lit face (medium-warm), and the white collar (maximum light). The transition from light to shadow on the face is the compositional secret.

observed palette and mixes

#756249
Yellow ochre + burnt umber + titanium white
Warm midtones of the face (cheeks, forehead), hands
#372c1e
Burnt umber + ivory black
Shadow side of face (jaw, cheek), background midtones
#010101
Ivory black (pure or near-pure)
Hat, clothing, deepest background shadows
#1b1413
Ivory black + burnt umber
Very dark clothing folds, hat modeling
#FFFFFF
Titanium white (pure)
The white collar, highlights on face

edges and brushwork

Edges throughout are carefully controlled—crisp where precision matters (collar, hat brim) and soft where anatomy requires it (face-to-background, cheekbone transitions). The face shows masterful blending with no visible brushstrokes; the skin reads as seamless light and shadow rather than paint. The hat maintains subtle modeling through soft value shifts rather than hard lines. The background is smooth and understated, allowing no texture to compete with the figure.

a working sequence

01
Establish values and compose
Lightly sketch the head-and-shoulders composition in burnt umber. Block the major value masses: map where the white collar will be (brightest), where the hat sits (darkest), and identify the lit vs. shadowed half of the face. The light comes from the left-front; establish this direction now or you'll fight it later.
02
Block the dark foundation
Mix a rich dark (ivory black + burnt umber) and lay in the hat, background, and clothing as one connected mass. Paint loosely—you're establishing the stage. Leave the face area untouched for now. This dark mass should read as almost one shape except for the hat's silhouette breaking from the background.
03
Establish the white collar
Paint the white collar in titanium white with just a touch of burnt umber in the shadow edge (right side). Keep it clean and geometric—it's a nearly perfect rectangle. This stark bright shape will guide all your subsequent skin-tone mixing; nothing else in the face should be this light.
04
Model the face foundation
Mix a warm midtone (yellow ochre + cadmium red light + titanium white) and block the entire face, including the shadowed side. Don't worry about features yet—just establish that the face is warm and lit. Use a medium flat brush and apply with gentle confidence. The lit side (left) should be noticeably warmer than the shadow side (right).
05
Develop facial modeling
Deepen the shadow side of the face by layering burnt umber + cadmium red into the jaw, cheek hollow, and around the eye socket on the shadowed side. Blend these shadows softly into the lit midtone. Work the chin, jawline, and temple carefully—these transitions create the face's structure. The cheekbone highlight (upper cheek facing left) should stay bright and warm.
06
Paint the hands and refine flesh tones
Work the visible hand (near the chest) with the same warm midtone used for the face, adding subtle shadow where the hand turns away from light. Notice the hand position creates a gesture—don't lose that. Blend the neck carefully where it meets the collar; it should feel continuous with the face, not pasted on.
07
Develop facial features
Paint the eyes with dark pupils (nearly black, with a tiny titanium white highlight on the left) and warm shadows in the sockets. The nose is modeled with warm light on the left side and soft shadow on the right; keep it subtle—no harsh lines. The mouth is a simplified shape with a warm shadow underneath the lower lip. Squint frequently to check that features read at a distance.
08
Model the hat and final refinement
Add subtle value variation to the hat—it's not flat black but has a front face slightly lighter than the brim and crown. Blend these shifts softly. Refine all edges: the collar's bottom edge can stay crisp, but the transition from face to background should be soft. Make final adjustments to the background—it can be slightly warmer near the figure to suggest atmospheric depth.

where studies of this painting go wrong

The white collar is so bright it can pull all your attention and make the face feel weak by comparison. Remember: the collar is the brightest element, but the face is the subject. Mix your skin tones confidently warm and light enough that they don't disappear beside the collar.
Skin tones often turn muddy when students add too much shadow or lose the warm undertone. Your darkest face shadow should still read as warm—burnt umber, not pure black. Test every mix against the white collar to calibrate luminosity.
The hat's silhouette is deceptively simple. Students flatten it into a dead shape. Give it subtle volume by showing how light and shadow fall across it, especially where the crown catches light differently than the brim.
The background can accidentally become busy or textured when left to chance. Keep it smooth and nearly monochromatic—this restraint makes the figure sing. Resist the urge to add interest where there is none.

measured difficulty