plate no. 3087

Richard Cheslyn

oil, canvasBaroqueportraitportraitfigurechairbookclothingtable

recreation guide

This recreation focuses on Joseph Wright of Derby’s 1777 portrait of Richard Cheslyn. Wright is historically significant as a pioneer of tenebrism in English art, an exaggerated form of chiaroscuro that emphasizes stark contrasts between light and dark (Source 5). While Wright is most famous for his candlelit scientific scenes, such as 'An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump,' his portraits from this period share the same dramatic lighting principles, often described as 'brilliant light on shade' (Source 6). The artwork likely employs the 'laws of contrast' to heighten the visual impact of the subject, using juxtapositions of tone to create a true gradation of light rather than relying on flat modeling (Source 3).

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

4 items

steps

5 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (Ultramarine, White, Black, Red Ochre, Yellow Ochre)	Primary palette for underpainting and glazing	—
Oil of Copavia or Linseed Oil	Medium for mixing paints, specifically noted in Reynolds' method which Wright likely knew	Stand oil or walnut oil
Canvas	Support surface	—
Varnish	For glazing and finishing, as per old master techniques	Dammar varnish

preparation

surface prep

Prepare a standard oil-primed canvas. While specific ground colors for this portrait are not detailed in the sources, Wright’s practice involved a strong command of the medium’s capacities (Source 1). A neutral or warm-toned ground is consistent with 18th-century English portraiture to facilitate the glazing techniques described in Source 7.

underdrawing

The sources do not specify Wright’s underdrawing method for this specific portrait. However, general advice for copying works suggests that if one is 'too much tied down to outline,' one should study works that check tendencies to smallness (Source 1). Wright’s style is characterized by broad masses and dramatic lighting rather than fussy linear detail, suggesting a loose, tonal underdrawing rather than a rigid contour sketch.

underpainting

Employ a grisaille (monochrome underpainting) using black, ultramarine, and white, as described in Sir Joshua Reynolds’ method which was contemporary to Wright (Source 7). This establishes the 'chiaro-scuro' effects before color is introduced. The goal is to extract the red and yellow colors mentally, translating what would be left in nature if they were not present (Source 7).

color palette

Ultramarine

Pure ultramarine

Underpainting and creating cool shadows; Wright’s palette likely relied on this for depth

White

Lead white or modern titanium white

Highlights and mixing with ultramarine/black for the grisaille

Black

Ivory black or lamp black

Deep shadows in the tenebrist style

Red/Yellow Tones

Red ochre, yellow ochre, vermilion

Glazing over the grisaille to add flesh tones and warmth, applied as transparent coats

composition

Specific compositional details of Richard Cheslyn’s pose or background are not described in the provided sources. However, Wright characteristically used dramatic chiaroscuro to focus attention on the subject, often obscuring backgrounds in shadow to enhance the 'brilliant light on shade' effect (Source 6). The composition likely relies on the 'law of simultaneous contrast,' where juxtaposing flat tints of different tones creates a true gradation of light (Source 3).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the basic forms loosely, avoiding rigid outlines. Focus on the broad masses of light and shadow.
Tip — Do not get tied down to the outline; Wright’s style avoids 'smallness' and over-modeling (Source 1).
Loose tonal sketching

underpainting

step 02
Create a grisaille using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia. Establish the full range of values from deepest shadow to brightest highlight.
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors, focusing on the structural light and dark forms (Source 7).
Grisaille underpainting

first pass

step 03
Once the grisaille is dry, begin glazing and scumbling. Apply transparent coats of red and yellow tones over the underpainting.
Tip — Glazing is a transparent coat; scumbling is semi-opaque. Use these to tint the engraving-like underpainting (Source 7).
Glazing and Scumbling

refining

step 04
Enhance the contrast between light and dark areas. Use the law of simultaneous contrast: place complementary colors or contrasting tones next to each other to intensify their appearance.
Tip — If a color is too pale, surround it with its complement to make it appear more intense (Source 4).
Simultaneous Contrast

finishing

step 05
Refine the highlights and deepest shadows to achieve the tenebrist effect. Ensure the transition from light to dark is dramatic, characteristic of Wright’s candlelit style.
Tip — Focus on the 'brilliant light on shade' effect, ensuring the light source feels intense and localized (Source 6).
Tenebrism

critical techniques

Tenebrism

An exaggerated form of chiaroscuro emphasizing stark contrast between light and dark, central to Wright’s style (Source 5).

Glazing and Scumbling

Applying transparent and semi-opaque layers over a dry monochrome underpainting to build color and depth, a method used by old masters and Reynolds (Source 7).

Simultaneous Contrast

Using juxtaposition of colors to enhance their intensity; e.g., red appears redder next to green (Source 4).

common pitfalls

→Over-modeling or getting 'tied down to outline,' which leads to 'smallness' and lacks the broad mass quality of Wright’s work (Source 1).
→Ignoring the drying time of the grisaille before glazing, which can muddy the colors (Source 7).
→Failing to exploit the law of contrast, resulting in flat, unvibrant colors instead of the 'true gradation of light' (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 Richard Cheslyn’s clothing, facial expression, and pose are not described in the sources.
·The exact background setting of the portrait is not detailed.
·Wright’s specific pigment choices for this particular portrait are not listed, only general period practices.

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 focusing on broad masses (Source 1).
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Technique of grisaille underpainting and glazing (Source 7).
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 6. Put beside each other two flat tints — applied to Principles of chiaroscuro and gradation of light (Source 3).
The Science of Painting↗
- 4. When two colours separated by more than two others — applied to Use of complementary colors to enhance intensity (Source 4).

cross-referenced from

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

Wikipedia bio — Joseph Wright↗
- part 5 — applied to Context on Wright’s use of tenebrism and candlelit subjects (Source 5).
- part 6 — applied to Description of 'brilliant light on shade' and dramatic chiaroscuro (Source 6).

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

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