plate no. 9138

Portrait of Joseph Nollekens with His Bust of Charles James Fox

oilRococoportraitportraitfigurebustclothingman

recreation guide

This recreation guide addresses Lemuel Francis Abbott’s 'Portrait of Joseph Nollekens with His Bust of Charles James Fox,' an oil painting from the late 18th century. While the provided sources do not contain specific visual descriptions of this particular canvas (such as the exact pose, clothing, or background details), they offer robust technical frameworks for executing a portrait in the tradition of the period. The artwork belongs to the genre of portrait painting, which historically aims to capture not just a literal likeness but the 'inner essence' and character of the subject, often resulting in a serious, composed expression where the eyes and eyebrows convey the primary emotional content (Source 7). The style is categorized here as Rococo, though Abbott’s work is more accurately aligned with the Neoclassical transition; regardless, the technical execution relies on established oil painting practices of the era.

estimated time

40-60 hours over 8-12 sessions

materials

6 items

steps

6 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Linseed oil	Primary drying oil for mixing paints and glazing	Refined linseed oil
Oil of Copavia	Historical medium used by Sir Joshua Reynolds and contemporaries for the first and second paintings to ensure clarity and drying speed	Stand oil or a mixture of linseed oil and damar varnish
Lead White	Dominant white pigment for centuries, valued for opacity and fast drying	Titanium White or Zinc White (note: Lead White is restricted in many regions due to toxicity)
Ultramarine	Key color in the initial monochrome underpainting stage	Natural or Synthetic Ultramarine Blue
Black pigment	Used in the initial grisaille/monochrome stage to establish values	Ivory Black or Mars Black
Canvas or Linen support	Traditional support for oil painting	Primed linen canvas

preparation

surface prep

Prepare a linen or canvas support. While specific priming recipes for Abbott are not detailed in the sources, the period practice involved preparing a ground that could accept oil paints. The sources emphasize that the artist must understand the 'vital qualities' of the medium and support to avoid 'misdirected effort' aimed solely at deceptive illusion (Source 6). Ensure the surface is stable and ready for oil application.

underdrawing

The sources do not specify Abbott’s preparatory drawing methods. However, general advice for copying and studying suggests that a 'sound craftsman' must first master the 'alphabet of our art' (Source 3). It is likely that a precise underdrawing was made to establish the likeness, as portrait painting requires a 'recognisable' record of the sitter’s appearance (Source 4). Use charcoal or thinned oil to sketch the proportions, focusing on the 'three-quarter view' or specific head orientation typical of portraits (Source 7).

underpainting

Employ a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) technique. Sir Joshua Reynolds, a contemporary and influential figure in British portraiture, described his method as using 'oil of copavia' with 'black, ultramarine, and white' for the first and second paintings (Source 2). This stage establishes the values and forms without the complexity of color. The goal is to 'mentally extract the red and yellow colours' and translate what would be left in nature if these were not present (Source 2). This creates a solid foundation for subsequent glazing.

color palette

White

Lead White (historically) or Titanium/Zinc White

Highlights and mixing; historically the dominant white pigment

Blue

Ultramarine

Part of the initial monochrome underpainting to establish cool shadows and values

Black

Ivory Black or Lamp Black

Part of the initial monochrome underpainting to establish dark values

Red and Yellow tones

Vermilion, Red Lake, Yellow Ochre, Lead-Tin Yellow

Applied later via glazing and scumbling to introduce flesh tones and warmth, as these were 'extracted' in the underpainting stage

composition

The sources do not describe the specific composition of this portrait. However, portrait composition generally involves organizing elements like line, shape, and value to guide the viewer’s eye (Source 5). The subject is likely depicted in a 'half-length' or 'head and shoulders' format, common for portraits intended to show character (Source 7). The composition should aim to present the 'inner significance' of the subject rather than just external detail (Source 7).

step by step

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

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the portrait on the prepared surface, focusing on accurate proportions and likeness.
Tip — Ensure the likeness is recognizable, as this is a primary expectation of portrait painting (Source 4).
Preparatory Drawing

underpainting

step 02
Mix black, ultramarine, and white with oil of copavia (or modern equivalent) to create a monochrome grisaille. Paint the full tonal range of the portrait.
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors, focusing only on values and forms (Source 2).
Monochrome Underpainting

first pass

step 03
Allow the grisaille to dry completely. Begin applying transparent glazes of red and yellow tones over the underpainting.
Tip — Glazing is a transparent coat of color that allows the underlying painting to show through, similar to tinting an engraving (Source 2).
Glazing

refining

step 04
Use scumbling (semi-opaque painting) to adjust tones, particularly in lighter areas or to create a 'grey bloom' effect if needed.
Tip — Scumbling tends to coldness when employed over a darker ground; use it to refine flesh tones and textures (Source 2).
Scumbling

finishing

step 05
Refine the eyes and eyebrows, as these are critical for conveying character and emotion in portraiture.
Tip — The eyes provide the most reliable information about the subject; eyebrows can register subtle emotions like concentration or wistfulness (Source 7).
Detailing

varnishing

step 06
Apply a final varnish to protect the painting and unify the surface.
Tip — Ensure the painting is fully dry before varnishing to avoid trapping solvents.
Varnishing

critical techniques

Glazing and Scumbling

Used to build up color and luminosity over a monochrome underpainting. Glazing adds transparent color, while scumbling adds semi-opaque texture. This method was practiced by old masters and Reynolds (Source 2).

Monochrome Underpainting

Establishing values and forms using only black, white, and ultramarine before introducing color. This helps in managing the complexity of color and light (Source 2).

Character Portrayal

Focusing on the eyes and eyebrows to convey the subject's inner essence and moral quality, rather than just physical likeness (Source 7).

common pitfalls

→Attempting to achieve photographic realism at the expense of the medium's vitality, which can lead to a 'meretricious attempt to deceive the eye' rather than a fine picture (Source 6).
→Ignoring the law of simultaneous contrast, which can cause the painter to see colors inaccurately due to the influence of adjacent colors (Source 1).
→Over-modeling or being too tied down to the outline, which can result in a stiff or unnatural appearance (Source 3).
→Applying glazes before the underpainting is completely dry, which can lead to muddiness or cracking (Source 2).

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 (e.g., exact pose, clothing, background elements) are not described in the sources.
·Lemuel Francis Abbott’s specific palette preferences beyond general period practices are not detailed.
·The exact dimensions and aspect ratio of the original artwork are not provided.
·Specific information about the bust of Charles James Fox depicted in the painting is not available 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 and glazing techniques
- ON COPYING — applied to General advice on craftsmanship and avoiding over-modeling
The Practice and Science of Drawing↗
- XX MATERIALS — applied to Understanding the medium's vitality
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315-318 — applied to Color perception and contrast

cross-referenced from

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

Wikipedia: Portrait painting↗
- Portrait painting — part 2 — applied to Character portrayal and focus on eyes/eyebrows
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Oil painting — part 4 — applied to Materials and pigments

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

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