plate no. 4044

Portrait of an Unknown Gentleman

oilBaroqueportraitportraitfiguremanclothinghairdrapery

recreation guide

Nicolaes Maes’s 'Portrait of an Unknown Gentleman' (1689) represents the artist’s mature style, which was heavily influenced by the Flemish tradition of Anthony van Dyck and the lighter, more elegant aesthetic of the 1670s and 1680s (Source 2). Unlike his earlier austere works, Maes’s later portraits often feature sitters in elegant gardens or against sunset skies, emphasizing gestures, poses, and fashionable clothing rather than just a literal likeness (Source 2). The work aims to capture the 'inner essence' or character of the subject, a goal central to portrait painting of this era, where the expression is conveyed primarily through the eyes and eyebrows rather than the mouth, which typically remains neutral or serious (Source 3).

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

4 items

steps

4 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (Ultramarine, White, Black, Red ochre/vermilion, Yellow ochre)	Primary pigments for the grisaille underpainting and subsequent glazing/scumbling layers.	High-quality tube oils; Ultramarine Blue, Titanium White, Ivory Black, Red Ochre, Yellow Ochre.
Oil of Copavia (or modern stand oil/linseed oil)	Medium for the first and second paintings, as recommended by Sir Joshua Reynolds for this method.	Stand oil or refined linseed oil.
Varnish	Mixed with oil for later glazing stages to gain mastery over transparent coats.	Dammar varnish or resin varnish.
Canvas (likely rectangular or oval format)	Support for the oil painting. Maes used small rectangular canvases for half-length figures or larger formats for three-quarter lengths.	Linen or cotton canvas, primed.

preparation

surface prep

The canvas should be prepared with a ground suitable for oil painting. While specific ground recipes for Maes are not detailed in the sources, the method described involves a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) that must be 'quite dry' before proceeding (Source 1). The surface should be smooth enough to allow for the 'transparent coat of colour' (glazing) and 'semi-opaque painting' (scumbling) described in the technique.

underdrawing

The sources do not explicitly describe Maes’s underdrawing method. However, the technique described involves creating a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) first. It is likely that a light sketch was made, but the primary structural work is done in the grisaille layer, extracting red and yellow colors to establish form and value (Source 1).

underpainting

Create a grisaille (monochrome) underpainting using black, ultramarine, and white, mixed with oil of copavia (Source 1). This layer should represent the image as if red and yellow colors were not present, focusing on form and value (Source 1). This layer must be allowed to dry completely before proceeding.

color palette

Black

Ivory Black or Lamp Black

Grisaille underpainting and shadows.

Ultramarine

Ultramarine Blue

Grisaille underpainting, providing cool tones for shadows and mid-tones.

White

Lead White (historically) or Titanium White

Grisaille underpainting, highlights, and scumbling.

Red/Yellow Tones

Red Ochre, Vermilion, Yellow Ochre

Glazing and scumbling over the dry grisaille to add flesh tones and warmth, mimicking the 'yellow and red tones as they occur' in nature (Source 1).

composition

Maes’s mature portraits often depict a half-length or three-quarter-length figure. If this is a half-length portrait, it may be painted within a painted oval on a small rectangular canvas (Source 2). If it is a three-quarter-length figure, the sitter might be leaning against a prop such as a column, fountain, or rock, set against a terrace or garden with a sunset sky (Source 2). The composition should emphasize the sitter’s gestures and pose, consistent with the influence of Flemish portraiture (Source 2). The subject’s head is likely in a three-quarter view, allowing for the expression of character through the eyes and eyebrows, with a neutral mouth (Source 3).

step by step

underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing

underpainting

step 01
Mix black, ultramarine, and white with oil of copavia. Paint the entire composition in monochrome (grisaille), focusing on form, value, and structure. Mentally extract red and yellow colors to establish the underlying structure.
Tip — Ensure the grisaille is 'quite dry' before proceeding. This layer establishes the 'inner significance' of the form.
Grisaille

first pass

step 02
Begin glazing and scumbling with oil. Apply transparent coats of color (glazing) and semi-opaque layers (scumbling) to introduce yellow and red tones, particularly in the flesh and clothing.
Tip — Glazing is a transparent coat; scumbling is semi-opaque. Use these to 'tint' the engraving-like grisaille, similar to watercolor tinting.
Glazing and Scumbling

refining

step 03
As mastery is gained, mix varnish with oil for subsequent glazing layers. Refine the facial expression, focusing on the eyes and eyebrows to convey character, while keeping the mouth relatively neutral.
Tip — The eyes are the primary source of expression; eyebrows can register subtle emotions like concentration or wistfulness.
Varnish Glazing

finishing

step 04
Adjust the lighting and shadows. If scumbling over a darker ground, be aware it may tend to coldness, potentially creating a 'grey bloom'. Adjust warm tones to counteract this if necessary.
Tip — Watch for unintended coldness in shadows when scumbling over dark areas.
Scumbling

critical techniques

Grisaille Underpainting

A monochrome layer using black, ultramarine, and white to establish form and value before adding color. This was a common practice among old masters, including those influenced by Reynolds’ method.

Glazing and Scumbling

Glazing applies transparent color over the dry grisaille, while scumbling applies semi-opaque color. This allows for the modulation of flesh tones and the integration of red and yellow hues without muddying the underlying structure.

Character Expression via Eyes

Since the mouth is typically neutral in portraits of this era, the artist must focus on the eyes and eyebrows to convey the subject’s inner essence and moral quality.

common pitfalls

→Applying color before the grisaille is completely dry, which can lead to muddying and loss of structural clarity (Source 1).
→Over-modeling or being too tied to the outline, which can result in a stiff appearance. Copying works like Reynolds’ portraits can help check this tendency (Source 8).
→Ignoring the 'coldness' that can result from scumbling over a darker ground, leading to an unintended grey bloom in the shadows (Source 1).
→Focusing too much on the mouth for expression, whereas historical portraiture relies on the eyes and eyebrows for character (Source 3).

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, jewelry, or background objects are not described in the sources, so these must be inferred from general knowledge of Maes’s mature style (elegant gardens, sunset skies, fashionable dress) or left generic.
·The exact dimensions and aspect ratio of the canvas are not specified, though Maes used standardized formats (small rectangular for half-length, larger for three-quarter length).
·The specific underdrawing technique (e.g., charcoal, chalk) is not detailed in the sources.

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 (grisaille), glazing, scumbling, and medium usage.
- ON COPYING — applied to Advice on avoiding over-modeling and stiffness.

cross-referenced from

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

Wikipedia bio — Nicolaes Maes↗
- Portrait painting — applied to Style evolution, composition formats, and background settings.
Wikipedia: Portrait painting↗
- Portrait painting — part 2 — applied to Facial expression, focus on eyes/eyebrows, and intent of portraiture.

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

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