plate no. 0905

Portrait of a member of the Chidbov Family

oil, canvasRococoportraitportraitfiguredressjewelryflowersfoliage

recreation guide

Vladimir Borovikovsky’s *Portrait of a member of the Chidbov Family* (1798) exemplifies the artist’s dominance in Russian portraiture at the turn of the 19th century, characterized by an intimate style that moved away from rigid ceremonial poses toward more personal representation (Source 2). As a painter who served at the court of Catherine the Great and was influenced by the art theories of Prince Nikolay Lvov, Borovikovsky’s work reflects a synthesis of Cossack Baroque roots and European academic training, particularly under Dmitry Levitzky and Johann Baptist Lampi (Source 2). The painting is executed in oil on canvas, a medium chosen for its flexibility, rich color density, and capacity for layering, which allows for the subtle modeling of flesh tones and textures essential to high-quality portraiture (Source 4).

estimated time

40-60 hours over 8-12 sessions

materials

5 items

steps

6 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil-primed canvas	Support for the painting; Borovikovsky worked primarily on canvas during his Saint Petersburg period.	Linen or cotton canvas primed with acrylic gesso or traditional oil ground.
Linseed oil	Primary binder for pigments; provides flexibility and rich color density.	Stand oil or refined linseed oil.
Turpentine	Thinner for initial layers and cleaning; allows for fluid application.	Odorless mineral spirits or pure gum turpentine.
Pigments (Lead White, Ochres, Umbers, Vermilion, Ultramarine/Lapis Lazuli)	Standard 18th-century palette for flesh tones, clothing, and backgrounds.	Titanium/Zinc White, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Umber, Cadmium Red, Ultramarine Blue.
Resin varnish (Pine resin or Frankincense)	Final protection and texture enhancement, as was common in oil painting practices of the era.	Dammar varnish or synthetic resin varnish.

preparation

surface prep

The canvas should be tightly stretched and primed with an oil-based ground to ensure the 'greater flexibility' and 'richer and denser color' advantages of the medium (Source 4). While Borovikovsky’s specific ground recipe is not detailed in the sources, the standard practice for oil painting in this period involved a white or off-white ground to allow for the full range of light to dark values (Source 4).

underdrawing

Borovikovsky’s preparatory methods are not explicitly detailed in the provided sources. However, as an academician trained in the European tradition, he likely employed a charcoal or chalk underdrawing to establish proportions before applying paint. The sources note that he relied on assistants for 'less important parts,' suggesting a workshop practice where the master might have focused on the face and hands while assistants handled drapery or background (Source 2).

underpainting

An underpainting (imprimatura) in a neutral tone (likely a warm gray or brown) would have been applied to establish the tonal values. This aligns with the general oil painting practice of using layers to build depth (Source 4). The artist would have used thinned paint to block in the major masses of light and shadow, ensuring the 'broad masses' were correct before refining details (Source 1).

color palette

Flesh Tones

Lead White, Yellow Ochre, Vermilion, and touches of Ultramarine for shadows.

Modeling the face and hands, requiring careful attention to the 'modifications of the light on the model' (Source 3).

Background

Burnt Umber, Black, and White.

Creating a neutral backdrop that allows the figure to stand out, consistent with the 'intimate' style of Borovikovsky’s portraits (Source 2).

Clothing Accents

Vermilion, Ultramarine, and Gold Leaf (if applicable to the specific Chidbov attire).

Adding richness and contrast to the portrait, leveraging the 'wider range from light to dark' offered by oil paint (Source 4).

composition

Borovikovsky’s portraits are described as 'intimate in style' (Source 2). While the specific composition of the Chidbov portrait is not detailed in the sources, his general practice involved placing the sitter in a way that emphasized their personality and status without excessive ceremonial clutter. The composition likely focuses on the upper body or three-quarter length, allowing for detailed rendering of the face and attire.

step by step

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

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the basic proportions of the figure on the primed canvas using charcoal or thinned paint.
Tip — Ensure the likeness is accurate, as Borovikovsky was known for creating recognizable records of his sitters (Source 6).
Proportional sketching

underpainting

step 02
Apply a thin layer of neutral tone to establish the overall light and shadow structure.
Tip — Focus on broad masses rather than details, as advised for correcting weaknesses in finish (Source 1).
Imprimatura

first pass

step 03
Begin applying opaque colors to the face and hands, using the 'law of simultaneous contrast' to adjust hues based on adjacent colors (Source 3).
Tip — Be aware that colors may appear different due to the influence of neighboring tones; adjust accordingly (Source 3).
Color mixing and contrast

refining

step 04
Build up layers of paint to refine the details of the clothing and background, using the plasticity of oil paint to create texture (Source 4).
Tip — Use thicker paint for highlights and thinner paint for shadows to enhance depth (Source 4).
Layering and texturing

finishing

step 05
Add final highlights and glazes to enhance the richness of the colors and the realism of the skin tones.
Tip — Ensure the surface remains matte or semi-matte if desired, though Borovikovsky’s works often have a subtle sheen (Source 7).
Glazing

varnishing

step 06
Apply a resin varnish to protect the painting and unify the surface sheen.
Tip — Use a varnish made from pine resin or frankincense, as was common in the period (Source 4).
Varnishing

critical techniques

Simultaneous Contrast

Adjusting colors based on their interaction with adjacent hues to achieve accurate perception and imitation of light modifications (Source 3).

Layering

Using multiple layers of oil paint to build depth and richness, leveraging the medium's flexibility and density (Source 4).

Workshop Collaboration

Delegating less important parts of the portrait to assistants, focusing the master’s effort on the face and key details (Source 2).

common pitfalls

→Over-modeling or being too tied to the outline, which can result in a stiff appearance (Source 1).
→Ignoring the effects of simultaneous contrast, leading to inaccurate color perception and application (Source 3).
→Attempting to achieve a deceptive realism that ignores the vitality of the medium, resulting in a 'meretricious' effect (Source 8).

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 Chidbov family member’s attire, jewelry, or background elements are not described in the sources.
·Borovikovsky’s exact pigment recipes and ground preparation methods are not documented in the provided passages.
·The specific role of assistants in this particular painting is not detailed, though it is noted as a general practice.

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 Techniques for correcting weaknesses and avoiding over-modeling.
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315-318 — applied to Color theory and simultaneous contrast in painting.
The Practice and Science of Drawing↗
- XX MATERIALS — applied to Philosophy of using the medium’s vitality rather than just deception.

cross-referenced from

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

Wikipedia bio — Vladimir Borovikovsky↗
- Biography — applied to Artist’s style, workshop practice, and historical context.
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Oil painting — part 1 — applied to Materials, layering, and varnishing techniques.
Wikipedia: Portrait painting↗
- Portrait painting — part 1 — applied to Importance of likeness and record-keeping in portraiture.