plate no. 9550
Portrait of Alexandre-Jean-Joseph Le Riche de La Pouplinière
recreation guide
This artwork is a pastel portrait by Maurice Quentin de La Tour, a master of the Rococo style who specialized in capturing the 'distinctive charm and intelligence' of his subjects through a 'delicate but sure touch' (Source 7). Unlike oil painters of his era, de La Tour worked exclusively in pastels, a medium that allowed him to render a 'pleasing softness' to features while maintaining high fidelity to the sitter's appearance (Source 7). The recreation focuses on the artist's documented ability to perceive and imitate the 'modifications of the light on the model' and to harmonize colors inherent to the objects produced (Source 1). The work likely exhibits the artist's characteristic attention to the 'predominating colour in the complexion,' avoiding the common error of reducing skin tones to mere red and white, instead seeking the specific brilliance of the individual's skin tone (Source 2).
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions
materials
4 items
steps
6 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Soft pastels (full range) | Primary medium for building form, tone, and color. De La Tour was renowned for his mastery of this specific medium. | High-quality soft pastels (e.g., Sennelier, Holbein, or Rembrandt brands) which offer high pigment load and blendability. |
| Toothed paper (grey or warm white) | Provides the necessary texture ('tooth') to hold the pastel pigment. De La Tour often used prepared papers to enhance the luminosity of the pastels. | Sennelier Pastel Paper, Canson Mi-Teintes, or Ingres paper. |
| Fixative (workable) | To stabilize layers if necessary, though de La Tour's technique often relied on the paper's tooth and careful layering rather than heavy fixative use which can dull the pastel. | Krylon Workable Fixative or similar aerosol fixative. |
| Blending stumps/tortillons | To smooth transitions and create the 'softness' characteristic of de La Tour's style. | Paper blending stumps. |
preparation
surface prep
The surface should be a paper with sufficient tooth to hold the pastel. De La Tour's practice involved working directly on paper, often utilizing the ground color of the paper as a mid-tone. No oil ground or gesso is used, as this would repel the dry pastel. The paper choice is critical to the 'vital qualities peculiar to itself' of the medium (Source 5).
underdrawing
De La Tour's preparatory methods are not explicitly detailed in the provided sources, but his 'delicate but sure touch' suggests a light, confident initial drawing rather than a heavy, erased sketch. The artist likely established the major contours and proportions lightly before applying color, ensuring the 'habit of minute visual expression' was acquired through careful observation (Source 4).
underpainting
Not applicable in the traditional oil sense. In pastel, the 'underpainting' is achieved by laying down the initial broad masses of color and tone. The artist should begin with the 'predominating colour in the complexion' and the general tones of the dress and background, establishing the 'modifications of tone and of colour which they receive from contiguous colours' (Source 1).
color palette
Complexion tones
A range of flesh tones including warm ochres, cool greys, and subtle reds, avoiding a simple mix of just red and white.
The sitter's face and hands. De La Tour sought the 'brilliancy' of the specific complexion, whether brown, bronzed, or copper, rather than a generic pink (Source 2).
Dress and Background
Colors chosen for their 'harmony of contrast' with the complexion. Likely includes complementary or opposed tones to enhance the value of the skin.
The clothing and backdrop. The sources warn that a portrait has a 'poor effect when neither the colour of the dress nor of the background have been well chosen' (Source 2).
Grey/Broken Tones
Greys mixed with complementary tints.
Breaking tones to avoid monotony and to distinguish planes that are 'more remote' (Source 2).
composition
Specific compositional details of this particular portrait are not described in the sources. However, consistent with de La Tour's Rococo style, the composition likely emphasizes the sitter's head and shoulders, focusing on the 'charm and intelligence' of the subject (Source 7). The arrangement of dress and background colors should be planned to create a 'harmony of contrast' that highlights the complexion (Source 2).
step by step
underdrawing→first pass→refining→finishing
underdrawing
step 01
Lightly sketch the proportions and major contours of the head and shoulders. Focus on accurate likeness, as the intent of portrait painting is to represent a specific human subject recognizably (Source 8).
Tip — Keep lines light to allow for correction and to avoid muddying the pastel layers.
Proportional sketching
first pass
step 02
Apply the 'predominating colour in the complexion' to the face. Do not rely on just red and white; observe the specific 'brown, bronzed, or even copper' nuances if present (Source 2).
Tip — Perceive the 'modifications of the light on the model' promptly and surely (Source 1).
Color blocking
step 03
Block in the colors of the dress and background. Choose these colors to create a 'harmony of contrast' with the complexion. Use 'light tones of their respective scales' if crudity is feared (Source 2).
Tip — Ensure the dress and background colors are 'well chosen' to give value to the complexion (Source 2).
Simultaneous contrast
refining
step 04
Refine the transitions between tones. Use 'broken tones' mixed with grey to distinguish planes that are remote but not too distant (Source 2).
Tip — Avoid monotony by varying the intensity and temperature of the greys (Source 2).
Tonal blending
step 05
Observe the 'simultaneous contrast of colours' where two colored objects are regarded at the same time. Adjust the colors to account for the fact that neither appears of its peculiar color alone, but of a tint resulting from the complementary of the other (Source 1).
Tip — Be aware that the eye is 'peculiarly susceptible of fatigue' when disentangling feeble modifications, so take breaks to reset vision (Source 1).
Color correction via contrast
finishing
step 06
Add final details to the eyes, lips, and hands to capture the 'distinctive charm and intelligence' of the sitter. Use a 'delicate but sure touch' to render softness (Source 7).
Tip — Ensure the 'minute visual expression' is acquired through hard application, making subtleties almost instinctive (Source 4).
Detailing
critical techniques
Simultaneous Contrast
The artist must perceive that colors appear different when placed next to each other. The 'lightest tone will be lowered, and the darkest tone will be heightened' (Source 1). This is crucial for accurate color representation in portraits.
Harmony of Contrast
Using complementary or opposed colors in the dress and background to enhance the value and beauty of the complexion. This avoids the 'poor effect' of poorly chosen accessories (Source 2).
Pastel Softness
De La Tour's signature 'delicate but sure touch' renders a 'pleasing softness' to features. This is achieved through careful layering and blending of soft pastels, rather than harsh lines (Source 7).
common pitfalls
- →Reducing the complexion to only red and white, which is a 'very common error' that fails to capture the true beauty of the skin tone (Source 2).
- →Ignoring the 'simultaneous contrast' effect, leading to inaccurate color perception where the eye sees the result of the color and the complementary of the previously seen color (Source 1).
- →Choosing dress and background colors that do not harmonize with the complexion, resulting in a 'poor effect' (Source 2).
- →Over-modeling or being 'too much tied down to your outline,' which can make the portrait appear small or timid (Source 3).
- →Attempting to produce a 'meretricious attempt to deceive the eye' rather than expressing the 'vital qualities' of the pastel medium (Source 5).
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 visual details of the sitter's clothing, jewelry, or background in this particular portrait are not described in the sources.
- ·The exact year of creation is not available.
- ·De La Tour's specific preparatory drawing techniques are not detailed in the provided sources.
- ·The specific pigments used by de La Tour are not listed, though general pastel practice is inferred.
grounded in
The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315-318 — applied to Understanding simultaneous contrast and color perception in the first pass and refining phases.
- 328-331 — applied to Choosing dress and background colors for harmony and avoiding complexion errors.
The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- ON COPYING — applied to General advice on avoiding over-modeling and smallness in detail.
The Practice and Science of Drawing↗
- FROM A STUDY BY BOTTICELLI — applied to Emphasizing minute visual expression and instinctive subtlety in finishing.
- XX MATERIALS — applied to Understanding the vital qualities of the pastel medium and avoiding deceptive illusionism.
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia bio — Maurice Quentin de La Tour↗
- part 2 — applied to Biographical context and description of de La Tour's 'delicate but sure touch' and 'softness'.
Wikipedia: Portrait painting↗
- part 1 — applied to General intent of portrait painting to achieve a recognizable likeness.
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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