plate no. 0167

River in the Catskills

oil, canvasRomanticismlandscapelandscapemountainsrivertreesfiguresky

recreation guide

Thomas Cole’s 'River in the Catskills' (1843) is a quintessential example of American Romantic landscape painting, a movement that elevated the depiction of natural scenery to a heroic and spiritual status (Source 3, Source 5). The work likely employs the dramatic contrasts and wilder aesthetic associated with the Romantic turn away from idealized classical landscapes toward the sublime power of nature (Source 3). Cole’s practice, consistent with the 'old masters' tradition referenced in contemporary technical manuals, likely involved a layered approach to oil painting, utilizing glazing and scumbling to achieve depth and luminosity rather than flat application (Source 1). The composition would emphasize the coherence of natural elements—rivers, trees, and sky—arranged to evoke a specific mood or spiritual element, a hallmark of the genre’s development in the 19th century (Source 7).

estimated time

40-60 hours over 8-12 sessions (allowing for drying times between glaze layers)

materials

5 items

steps

5 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (Ultramarine, White, Black, Red Ochre, Yellow Ochre, Vermilion)	Primary pigments for underpainting and glazing	Standard tube oils; Ultramarine and White are explicitly mentioned in historical methods (Source 1)
Oil of Copavia (or modern stand oil/linseed oil)	Medium for the first and second paintings to ensure proper drying and transparency	Stand oil or refined linseed oil
Varnish	Mixed with oil for later glazing stages to increase transparency and flow	Artist's resin varnish or damar varnish
Canvas	Support for the painting	Linen or cotton canvas, primed
Palette Knife	For mixing colors and potentially applying scumbles	Standard palette knife

preparation

surface prep

The canvas should be prepared with a ground suitable for oil painting. While specific priming details for this exact work are not in the sources, the general practice of the period involved a prepared canvas or panel (Source 6). For a Romantic landscape aiming for luminosity, a neutral or warm-toned ground is often preferred to facilitate the glazing techniques described in Source 1.

underdrawing

Specific details of Cole’s underdrawing for this piece are not provided in the sources. However, Romantic landscape painters often relied on careful compositional planning to arrange natural elements into a coherent view (Source 7). A light charcoal or thinned oil sketch is recommended to establish the 'linear construction of composition' and 'massing of light and shade' before applying paint (Source 6).

underpainting

The underpainting should likely be a monochrome grisaille. Source 1 describes a method where the artist mentally extracts red and yellow colors, painting the underlying structure in tones that would remain if those colors were absent. This grisaille serves as the foundation for subsequent glazing. Sir Joshua Reynolds’ method, cited in Source 1, used black, ultramarine, and white for the first and second paintings, which is a viable historical precedent for Cole’s era.

color palette

Ultramarine

Pure pigment

Underpainting and sky tones; explicitly mentioned in Reynolds’ method (Source 1)

White

Lead white or Zinc white

Highlights and mixing in the grisaille; explicitly mentioned in Reynolds’ method (Source 1)

Black

Ivory black or Lamp black

Shadows and underpainting; explicitly mentioned in Reynolds’ method (Source 1)

Red and Yellow tones

Vermilion, Red Ochre, Yellow Ochre

Glazing and scumbling over the dry grisaille to introduce warmth and local color (Source 1)

composition

The composition likely features a wide view with natural elements such as rivers, trees, and sky arranged coherently (Source 7). Romantic landscapes often included weather elements and emphasized the 'heroic status' of the countryside or wild nature (Source 3, Source 5). Specific figures or architectural details are not described in the sources, so the focus should remain on the landscape itself, potentially using small figures to scale if consistent with Cole’s general practice of turning landscapes into history painting (Source 3).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the composition lightly, focusing on the linear construction and massing of light and shade.
Tip — Ensure the scale of any figures (if present) relates correctly to the setting.
Linear construction

underpainting

step 02
Create a grisaille underpainting using black, ultramarine, and white (or similar neutral tones). Mentally extract red and yellow colors, painting only what would remain in nature without them.
Tip — This layer establishes the value structure. Do not add color yet.
Grisaille

first pass

step 03
Allow the grisaille to dry completely. Begin glazing with oil of copavia (or stand oil) and transparent colors, particularly red and yellow tones, where they occur in the landscape.
Tip — Glazing is a transparent coat of color. Apply thinly to let the underpainting show through.
Glazing

refining

step 04
Use scumbling (semi-opaque painting) to adjust tones, particularly over darker grounds to create coldness or grey blooms if needed.
Tip — Scumbling allows the underlying painting to make itself felt. Use sparingly to avoid muddiness.
Scumbling

finishing

step 05
Continue layering glazes and scumbles, mixing varnish and oil for greater transparency and mastery of tone. Harmonize colors using principles of simultaneous contrast.
Tip — Be aware that adjacent colors affect each other’s appearance (simultaneous contrast). Adjust tones to ensure harmony.
Layering/Glazing

critical techniques

Glazing

Applying transparent coats of color over a dry underpainting to build depth and luminosity. This was a common practice among old masters and is recommended for achieving the rich tones in Romantic landscapes.

Scumbling

Applying semi-opaque paint over a darker ground to create coldness or grey blooms. This technique allows the underlying structure to influence the final color.

Simultaneous Contrast

Understanding that adjacent colors affect each other’s perception. The painter must appreciate modifications of tone and color caused by contiguous colors to achieve harmony.

common pitfalls

→Applying glazes before the underpainting is completely dry, which can lead to muddiness and lifting of the base layer (Source 1).
→Ignoring simultaneous contrast, leading to inaccurate color perception and disharmony in the final piece (Source 2).
→Overworking the paint in a single session; the method relies on multiple thin layers rather than thick impasto (Source 1).
→Attempting to paint too much in one day; it is instructive to limit work to avoid fatigue and maintain clarity of view (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 pigment recipes used by Thomas Cole for this particular painting are not detailed in the sources.
·The exact compositional layout of 'River in the Catskills' (e.g., placement of specific trees or rocks) is not described in the provided texts.
·Details on the specific ground preparation (e.g., gesso type, color) used by Cole are not provided.
·Information on whether Cole used live models or sketches for specific elements is not included.

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 (grisaille), glazing, and scumbling techniques
- THE FRENCH SCHOOL — applied to General materials and advice on limiting daily work
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315-318 — applied to Color harmony and simultaneous contrast considerations

cross-referenced from

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

Wikipedia: Romanticism↗
- part 22 — applied to Context of Romantic landscape painting and Cole’s style
Wikipedia: Landscape painting↗
- part 7 — applied to General characteristics of Romantic landscape art

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

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