plate no. 7569
Portrait of Anne Loudon, Lady Henderson of Fordall
Angelica Kauffman, 1771
recreation guide
This recreation guide addresses the painting of a portrait in the style of Angelica Kauffman (1741–1807), a Swiss painter who achieved significant success in London and Rome as a history painter and skilled portraitist (Source 4). The work is executed in oil on canvas, a medium that offers greater flexibility, richer color density, and the capacity for layering compared to earlier techniques like egg tempera (Source 5). Kauffman’s practice, consistent with the founding members of the Royal Academy, likely involved a rigorous understanding of craft and material properties, treating oil paint not merely as a tool for deception but as a medium with its own vital qualities (Source 6). The recreation emphasizes the traditional methods of the period, which often included building up tones through glazing and scumbling rather than direct application of opaque colors alone (Source 2).
estimated time
40-60 hours over 8-12 sessions, allowing for drying times between glaze layers
materials
8 items
steps
7 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil-primed canvas | Support for the painting, consistent with the medium specified | Linen or cotton canvas primed with acrylic gesso or traditional oil ground |
| Linseed oil or Poppy seed oil | Binder for pigments; linseed provides strength and yellowing, poppy dries clearer and slower | Refined linseed oil or cold-pressed poppy oil |
| Turpentine or Odorless Mineral Spirits | Thinner for initial washes and cleaning brushes | Gamsol or Odorless Mineral Spirits |
| White Lead (Flake White) or Titanium White | Primary white pigment for highlights and mixing; historically essential | Titanium White (safer, more opaque) or Zinc White (transparent, slower drying) |
| Ultramarine | Deep blue pigment, noted in Reynolds' method for initial paintings | Natural Ultramarine or Synthetic Ultramarine |
| Black (Ivory Black or Lamp Black) | For shadows and tonal depth in the monochrome underpainting | Ivory Black |
| Red Ochre and Yellow Ochre | Earth tones for flesh and drapery; historically available and stable | Natural Red Ochre and Yellow Ochre |
| Varnish (e.g., Dammar or Copal) | For glazing layers and final protection | Stand oil or resin-based varnish mixed with oil |
preparation
surface prep
The canvas should be prepared with a ground that allows for the absorption and layering characteristic of oil painting. While specific priming recipes for Kauffman are not detailed in the sources, the general practice of the period involved preparing a surface capable of supporting multiple layers of glaze and scumble (Source 5). The artist must ensure the ground is dry and stable before beginning the monochrome underpainting.
underdrawing
The sources do not specify Kauffman’s exact underdrawing technique. However, general advice for painters of this caliber suggests that a sound craftsman must first master the 'alphabet of our art' and reduce thoughts to proper form (Source 3). It is likely that a light, flexible charcoal or thinned oil sketch was used to establish proportions, avoiding heavy outlines that might interfere with the soft transitions typical of Rococo portraiture.
underpainting
A monochrome underpainting (grisaille) is recommended, consistent with the method described by Sir Joshua Reynolds, a contemporary and fellow Royal Academy founder. Reynolds stated his method involved initial paintings with oil of copavia using black, ultramarine, and white (Source 2). This underpainting establishes the tonal values and forms before color is introduced. The artist should mentally extract red and yellow tones, focusing on the structural light and shadow (Source 2).
color palette
White
White Lead or Titanium White
Highlights and mixing; essential for the 'chalk white' tradition mentioned in historical palettes (Source 8)
Blue
Ultramarine
Shadows and cool tones in the underpainting; part of Reynolds' core palette (Source 2)
Black
Ivory Black
Deep shadows and defining forms in the grisaille (Source 2)
Red Ochre
Natural Red Ochre
Flesh tones and warm accents; historically available and stable (Source 8)
Yellow Ochre
Natural Yellow Ochre
Warm highlights and drapery tones; historically available (Source 8)
Transparent Glazes
Red and Yellow lakes or earths mixed with oil/varnish
Adding color over the dry grisaille to create depth and richness (Source 2)
composition
Specific compositional details of this particular portrait are not described in the sources. However, Kauffman was known as a skilled portraitist and history painter (Source 4). In general, portraits of this period often utilized a balanced arrangement of figure and background, with attention to the 'inherent' colors of the model (flesh, eyes, hair) versus the chosen colors of drapery and background (Source 7). The artist should consider the law of simultaneous contrast, ensuring that adjacent colors enhance rather than diminish each other (Source 1).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→drying→refining→finishing→glazing→scumbling
underdrawing
step 01
Lightly sketch the proportions of the figure on the prepared canvas using charcoal or thinned oil. Focus on accurate placement of features and posture.
Tip — Avoid heavy lines that may show through subsequent layers.
Proportional Sketching
underpainting
step 02
Mix black, ultramarine, and white with oil of copavia (or linseed oil) to create a monochrome grisaille. Paint the full tonal range of the portrait, from deepest shadows to brightest highlights, excluding red and yellow hues.
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors, focusing on form and light (Source 2).
Grisaille Underpainting
drying
step 03
Allow the grisaille to dry completely. This may take several days to weeks depending on thickness and environment.
Tip — Do not proceed to glazing until the underpainting is fully dry to prevent muddiness.
Drying
refining
step 06
Refine details and adjust contrasts. Be mindful of simultaneous contrast: adjacent colors will affect each other's appearance. Ensure that the lightest tones are not lowered and darkest tones heightened by neighboring hues.
Tip — The eye may be fatigued by subtle modifications; step back frequently to assess color accuracy (Source 1).
Simultaneous Contrast Adjustment
finishing
step 07
Apply a final varnish to protect the painting and unify the surface sheen. This step is consistent with traditional oil painting practices.
Tip — Ensure the painting is completely dry before varnishing.
Varnishing
glazing
step 04
Apply transparent glazes of red and yellow tones over the grisaille. Use oil or a mix of varnish and oil to tint the painting, similar to tinting an engraving with watercolors.
Tip — Glazing adds depth and richness; apply thin, even layers (Source 2).
Glazing
scumbling
step 05
Use semi-opaque scumbling to adjust tones, particularly in areas where a 'grey bloom' or coldness is desired over darker grounds. This technique allows the underlying painting to show through.
Tip — Scumbling tends to coldness when used over darker grounds (Source 2).
Scumbling
critical techniques
Glazing and Scumbling
Used to build color and tone over a monochrome underpainting. Glazing adds transparent color, while scumbling adds semi-opaque texture. This method was common among old masters and contemporaries like Reynolds (Source 2).
Simultaneous Contrast
Understanding that adjacent colors influence each other's perception. The artist must account for this to accurately render the 'peculiar colour' of each part (Source 1).
Monochrome Underpainting
Establishing form and value without color interference, allowing for clearer control of light and shadow before introducing hue (Source 2).
common pitfalls
- →Applying glazes before the underpainting is fully dry, leading to muddiness and chemical instability (Source 2).
- →Ignoring simultaneous contrast, resulting in inaccurate color perception and muddy transitions between adjacent hues (Source 1).
- →Over-modeling or becoming too tied to outlines, which can result in a stiff appearance. Copying works like Reynolds' portraits can help check this tendency (Source 3).
- →Attempting to deceive the eye with excessive naturalism rather than expressing the vitality of the medium (Source 6).
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 portrait (clothing patterns, jewelry, facial expression) are not described in the sources and must be inferred from the original artwork or other records.
- ·Kauffman's exact personal palette and preferred oils are not detailed; the guide relies on general period practices and Reynolds' documented methods.
- ·The specific composition and layout of this particular portrait are not covered in the provided texts.
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 improving finish
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315-318 — applied to Color theory and simultaneous contrast adjustments
The Practice and Science of Drawing↗
- XX MATERIALS — applied to Philosophy of medium and material vitality
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia bio — Angelica Kauffman↗
- part 1 — applied to Artist background and genre classification
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- part 1 — applied to Medium properties and materials
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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