plate no. 2778

Portrait of Johann Joachim Winckelmann

oil, canvasNeoclassicismportraitportraitfigurebookfeatherdraperyscarf

recreation guide

This artwork, *Portrait of Johann Joachim Winckelmann* (1764), represents Angelica Kauffman’s engagement with the Neoclassical style during her time in Rome, where she was introduced to the British community and painted prominent figures like the art historian Winckelmann (Source 7). As a founding member of the Royal Academy and a contemporary of Sir Joshua Reynolds, Kauffman operated within a tradition that valued the 'old masters' and rigorous craft (Source 5, Source 6). The portrait is a half-length depiction, a format Kauffman employed for this sitter, of which she also made an etching (Source 7). While specific visual details of the sitter’s clothing or expression are not described in the provided sources, the work reflects the period’s emphasis on likeness and the artist’s documented skill in portraiture for British visitors (Source 7, Source 8).

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

4 items

steps

6 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (White Lead, Ultramarine, Black, Ochres, Vermilion)	Primary pigments for underpainting and glazing, consistent with 18th-century practice and Reynolds' cited method.	Titanium White (for safety, though Lead White is historical), Ultramarine Blue, Ivory Black, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Red or Vermilion
Oil of Copavia (or modern linseed/walnut oil)	Medium for the first and second paintings, as cited by Sir Joshua Reynolds, a close associate of Kauffman.	Linseed oil or Walnut oil
Canvas	Support for the oil painting.	Linen or cotton canvas, primed
Varnish	For final glazing and protection, mixed with oil for mastery-level glazing.	Dammar varnish or synthetic resin varnish

preparation

surface prep

The canvas should be prepared with a ground suitable for oil painting. While Kauffman’s specific ground preparation is not detailed in the sources, the period practice involved a white or neutral ground to facilitate the glazing techniques described by contemporaries like Reynolds (Source 1).

underdrawing

Kauffman’s preparatory methods are not explicitly detailed in the sources. However, as a Neoclassical painter trained in the Italian tradition, she likely employed a precise underdrawing to establish the likeness, which was a slow-growing skill in portrait painting (Source 8). The sources do not specify if she used charcoal or ink, so a standard charcoal or thinned oil sketch is recommended.

underpainting

The sources suggest a grisaille (monochrome) underpainting technique. Sir Joshua Reynolds, a firm friend and contemporary of Kauffman, described his method as using black, ultramarine, and white for the first and second paintings (Source 1). This monochrome base allows for the mental extraction of red and yellow tones, which are later added via glazing (Source 1).

color palette

White

White Lead (historical) or Titanium White

Highlights and mixing in the grisaille underpainting.

Black

Ivory Black or Lamp Black

Shadows and defining forms in the grisaille underpainting.

Ultramarine

Ultramarine Blue

Cool shadows and mixing in the grisaille underpainting, as per Reynolds' method.

Yellow Ochre

Natural Yellow Ochre

General use in the palette; earths were valued for their fixedness and covering qualities (Source 3).

Red Ochre/Vermilion

Red Ochre or Cinnabar (Vermilion)

Glazing and scumbling to add warmth and flesh tones, extracted from the monochrome base.

White Lead

Historical white pigment, noted in ancient and modern palettes (Source 3).

composition

The portrait is a half-length depiction of Johann Joachim Winckelmann (Source 7). Specific compositional details such as background elements or pose are not described in the sources. Kauffman’s general practice involved creating likenesses for British visitors in Rome, suggesting a formal, respectful composition typical of the period (Source 7, Source 8).

step by step

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

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the half-length portrait of Winckelmann on the prepared canvas, focusing on accurate likeness.
Tip — Ensure proportions are correct, as likeness was a key goal of portrait painting (Source 8).
Portrait drawing

underpainting

step 02
Create a grisaille (monochrome) underpainting using black, ultramarine, and white, mixed with oil of copavia (or linseed oil).
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors, focusing on form and light (Source 1).
Grisaille

first pass

step 03
Allow the grisaille to dry completely before proceeding.
Tip — Patience is required to ensure the glazes adhere properly.
Drying

refining

step 04
Apply glazes and scumbles of yellow and red tones over the dry grisaille, similar to tinting an engraving with watercolors.
Tip — Use transparent coats of color (glazing) and semi-opaque layers (scumbling) to build up flesh tones and warmth (Source 1).
Glazing and Scumbling

finishing

step 05
Refine the likeness and harmonize colors, considering the simultaneous contrast of colors to ensure accurate perception of tones.
Tip — Be aware that contiguous colors affect each other; adjust tones to avoid fatigue-induced inaccuracies (Source 2).
Color Harmony

varnishing

step 06
Apply a final varnish, potentially mixed with oil, to protect the painting and enhance depth.
Tip — Ensure the painting is fully dry before varnishing.
Varnishing

critical techniques

Glazing and Scumbling

Used to add color and depth over a monochrome underpainting. Glazing is a transparent coat, while scumbling is semi-opaque, allowing the underlying painting to show through (Source 1).

Grisaille Underpainting

A monochrome base using black, ultramarine, and white, as described by Sir Joshua Reynolds, a contemporary of Kauffman (Source 1).

Simultaneous Contrast

Understanding that colors affect each other when viewed together, helping the painter to accurately perceive and imitate light modifications (Source 2).

common pitfalls

→Applying glazes before the underpainting is completely dry, which can lead to muddiness or cracking (Source 1).
→Ignoring the effects of simultaneous contrast, leading to inaccurate color perception and harmony (Source 2).
→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 4).
→Using unstable pigments that may chemically react or change over time; earths and ochres are recommended for their fixedness (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 visual details of Winckelmann’s clothing, jewelry, or background in the portrait are not described in the sources.
·Kauffman’s exact personal palette and medium preferences are not detailed; the guide relies on Reynolds’ cited method and general period practices.
·The specific underdrawing material (charcoal, ink, etc.) used by Kauffman is not mentioned.
·The exact dimensions of the canvas are not provided.

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 Avoiding over-modeling and refining finish
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315-318 — applied to Color harmony and perception
The Science of Painting↗
- CHAPTER V. COLOURING SUBSTANCES — applied to Pigment selection and stability

cross-referenced from

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

Wikipedia bio — Angelica Kauffman↗
- part 7 — applied to Biographical context and portrait format
Wikipedia: Portrait painting↗
- part 1 — applied to Genre context and likeness importance

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

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