plate no. 9759

Portrait of Hudenkova

oilRomanticismportraitportraitfiguredresschairfanfur

recreation guide

Portrait of Hudenkova (1890) by Konstantin Makovsky represents a transition in the artist’s career from strict realism toward a style that emphasizes color and shape, influenced by his travels to North Africa and Serbia in the mid-1870s (Source 3). As a member of the Peredvizhniki (Wanderers) and a representative of Academic art, Makovsky’s work often balances realistic depiction with an idealized view of his subjects (Source 3, Source 6). The portrait genre, as defined in the sources, aims to achieve a recognizable likeness that serves as a record of the sitter’s appearance, a skill Makovsky would have honed through his academic training at the Imperial Academy of Arts (Source 2, Source 3).

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

6 items

steps

5 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints	Primary medium for the portrait	—
Linseed oil	To mix with paint for consistency and to adhere to the 'fat over lean' rule	Stand oil or refined linseed oil
Mineral spirits or turpentine	To thin paint for initial layers and clean brushes	Odorless mineral spirits
Canvas	Support surface	Linen or cotton canvas
Charcoal or thinned paint	For initial sketching of the subject	Vine charcoal or raw umber thinned with solvent
Paintbrushes	Traditional application of paint	Hog bristle and sable brushes

preparation

surface prep

The canvas should be primed with a traditional ground suitable for oil painting. While specific priming methods for this exact portrait are not detailed in the sources, Makovsky’s academic background suggests a standard white or off-white gesso ground to allow for the full range of tonal values required in portraiture (Source 3, Source 5).

underdrawing

Begin by sketching the subject onto the canvas using charcoal or thinned paint, as is traditional in oil painting techniques (Source 5, Source 7). Makovsky’s academic training implies a careful initial layout to ensure the likeness is recognizable, a key intent of portrait painting (Source 2).

underpainting

Apply an initial layer of thinned paint to establish values and composition. This layer should be 'lean' (mixed with more solvent than oil) to adhere to the 'fat over lean' rule, ensuring proper drying and preventing cracking in subsequent layers (Source 5, Source 7).

color palette

Warm earth tones

Raw umber, burnt sienna, ochre

General use in establishing skin tones and shadows, consistent with academic realism

Vibrant hues

Cadmium red, ultramarine blue, emerald green

Reflecting Makovsky’s stylistic shift toward greater emphasis on colors and shapes after his travels (Source 3)

White

Lead white or titanium white

Highlights and mixing to adjust tone and value

composition

The composition likely focuses on the sitter’s face and upper body to achieve a recognizable likeness, a primary goal of portrait painting (Source 2). Makovsky’s style, influenced by his academic training and later travels, suggests a balance between realistic detail and expressive color, avoiding the 'meretricious attempt to deceive the eye' in favor of painted symbols that express feeling (Source 3, Source 4).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the subject’s pose and facial features using charcoal or thinned paint.
Tip — Ensure the likeness is recognizable, as this is the primary intent of portrait painting.
Initial sketching

underpainting

step 02
Apply a lean layer of thinned paint to block in major shapes and values.
Tip — Keep this layer thin to allow proper drying and prevent cracking.
Fat over lean

first pass

step 03
Build up color in subsequent layers, ensuring each layer contains more oil than the previous one.
Tip — Observe simultaneous contrast of colors to accurately perceive and imitate modifications of light on the model.
Layering

refining

step 04
Refine details, particularly in the face, to achieve a good likeness.
Tip — Avoid over-modeling; check for tendencies to smallness by referencing broader masses.
Detailing

finishing

step 05
Add final highlights and adjust colors to harmonize the composition.
Tip — Remember that oil paint dries by oxidation, allowing time for adjustments.
Glazing/Scumbling

critical techniques

Fat over lean

Each additional layer of paint should contain more oil than the layer below to allow proper drying and prevent cracking.

Simultaneous contrast of colors

Perceive and imitate modifications of light and color on the model, accounting for how contiguous colors affect each other.

Academic realism

Makovsky’s training emphasizes accurate depiction and likeness, balanced with expressive color.

common pitfalls

→Over-modeling or being too tied down to outlines, which can lead to a stiff appearance (Source 1).
→Ignoring the 'fat over lean' rule, which can cause the painting to crack and peel (Source 5).
→Failing to account for simultaneous contrast of colors, leading to inaccurate color perception (Source 8).
→Attempting to deceive the eye with excessive naturalism rather than expressing feeling through painted symbols (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, jewelry, or background are not described in the sources.
·Exact pigment palette used by Makovsky for this specific portrait is not detailed.
·Specific brushwork techniques unique to this portrait are not described.

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 Advice on avoiding over-modeling and smallness
The Practice and Science of Drawing↗
- XX MATERIALS — applied to Importance of medium and avoiding mere deception
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315-318 — applied to Color theory and simultaneous contrast

cross-referenced from

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

Wikipedia: Portrait painting↗
- Portrait painting — part 1 — applied to Intent of achieving a recognizable likeness
Wikipedia bio — Konstantin Makovsky↗
- part 1 — applied to Artist’s background, style shift, and academic training
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Oil painting — part 2 — applied to Techniques like fat over lean, sketching, and drying times