plate no. 9311

She is Only One of a Multitude of Efficient and Conscientious Women Workers in Engineering Industries

Ethel Léontine Gabain, 1941

oilNeo-Romanticismgenre paintingfactorywomanmachineryindustryinteriorfigures

recreation guide

Ethel Léontine Gabain’s 1941 oil painting, *She is Only One of a Multitude of Efficient and Conscientious Women Workers in Engineering Industries*, is a genre work that depicts ordinary people engaged in common activities, specifically the industrial labor of women during the wartime period (Source 5). As a Neo-Romantic work, it likely employs a palette and composition that prioritize emotional expression and atmospheric effect over strict photographic realism, consistent with the artist’s practice of using oil paint to create 'painted symbols' rather than mere visual deception (Source 8). The painting falls within the tradition of genre painting, which often presents a 'reality effect' rather than a documentary record, allowing the artist to romanticize or idealize the subject matter to convey a specific mood or moral message (Source 6).

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

5 items

steps

7 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (Ultramarine, Black, White, Red, Yellow)	Primary pigments for underpainting and glazing	Standard artist-grade oil paints
Oil of Copavia (or modern linseed/stand oil)	Medium for the first and second paintings, as described by Reynolds in the source text	Stand oil or walnut oil for slower drying
Varnish	Mixed with oil for later glazing stages to gain mastery over transparent coats	Dammar varnish or synthetic resin varnish
Canvas or Panel	Support for the oil painting	Linen canvas primed with gesso
Agglutinative substances (Oils)	To grind coloring matters into a condition suitable for painting	Pre-ground tube oils or hand-ground pigments in oil

preparation

surface prep

The surface should be prepared to accept oil paints, which are described as having a 'vast capacity' for illusion but requiring the artist to respect the medium's vital qualities (Source 8). While specific priming methods for Gabain are not detailed in the sources, the general practice of oil painting involves grinding colors with an agglutinative to ensure solidity (Source 4). The artist should ensure the ground is stable to support the layering of glazes and scumbles described in the technique sections.

underdrawing

The sources do not specify Gabain’s exact underdrawing method. However, the general principle of drawing suggests that the artist must select qualities of nature suitable for the medium, avoiding 'misdirected effort' toward mere deception (Source 8). The underdrawing should establish the composition’s 'aggregate force of color or line' to create a definite state of feeling, rather than relying on excessive contrast (Source 7).

underpainting

The process likely involves a monochrome underpainting, or grisaille. The source text describes a method where the artist mentally extracts red and yellow colors, translating what would be left in nature if these were not present (Source 1). This grisaille serves as the foundation for subsequent glazing and scumbling. Sir Joshua Reynolds’ method, cited in the source, involves the first and second paintings being done with oil of copavia, using black, ultramarine, and white (Source 1).

color palette

Black, Ultramarine, White

Initial underpainting and grisaille, as per Reynolds’ method cited in the source

Red and Yellow tones

Transparent red and yellow glazes

Applied later via glazing and scumbling to tint the monochrome underpainting, similar to tinting an engraving with watercolors

Grey bloom

Semi-opaque scumble over darker ground

Creating coldness and atmospheric effects, particularly in shadows or background areas

composition

The composition likely addresses the spectator through the 'aggregate force of color or line' rather than sharp contrasts, aiming for a 'breadth of flush, or glow, or tender coldness' (Source 7). As a genre painting, it depicts figures to whom no specific identity is attached, focusing on the activity rather than individual portraiture (Source 5). The arrangement may emphasize 'great effects' from which 'many small ones resulted,' adhering to principles of color contrast that harmonize inherent colors with chosen accessories (Source 2).

step by step

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

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the composition focusing on the aggregate force of line and form, avoiding excessive contrast to maintain sublimity.
Tip — Ensure the forms are massive or graceful with few interruptions by contrary lines.
Compositional harmony

underpainting

step 02
Create a grisaille underpainting using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia (or stand oil).
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors, painting only what remains in nature without them.
Monochrome underpainting

first pass

step 03
Allow the grisaille to dry completely before proceeding.
Tip — Ensure the underpainting is quite dry to prevent mixing with subsequent glazes.
Drying time

refining

step 04
Apply transparent glazes of red and yellow tones using oil as a medium.
Tip — Treat the glazes like tinting an engraving with watercolors, allowing the underlying painting to show through.
Glazing
step 05
Use scumbling (semi-opaque painting) over darker grounds to create coldness and grey blooms.
Tip — Observe how the underlying painting makes itself felt through the semi-opaque layer.
Scumbling

finishing

step 06
Adjust colors based on the law of simultaneous contrast, ensuring that juxtaposed colors harmonize and do not appear inaccurate due to mixed contrast.
Tip — Be aware that the eye may see the complementary of a previously viewed color, affecting perception.
Simultaneous contrast

varnishing

step 07
Apply varnish mixed with oil for final glazing if sufficient mastery has been gained.
Tip — Use this method only after gaining mastery over oil glazing.
Varnish glazing

critical techniques

Glazing and Scumbling

Glazing is a transparent coat of color; scumbling is semi-opaque painting where the underlying layer shows through. Used to add red and yellow tones to a monochrome underpainting.

Simultaneous Contrast

Understanding that adjacent colors affect each other’s appearance, allowing the painter to harmonize colors inherent to the object and those chosen by the artist.

Monochrome Underpainting

Painting in black, ultramarine, and white first, mentally excluding red and yellow, to establish tone and form before adding color.

common pitfalls

→Attempting to deceive the eye into seeing 'real nature' rather than expressing feeling through painted symbols, which is considered a misdirected effort in oil painting (Source 8).
→Ignoring the law of simultaneous contrast, leading to inaccurate color perception and disharmony in the composition (Source 3).
→Applying glazes before the underpainting is completely dry, which can ruin the transparency and integrity of the layers (Source 1).
→Overusing contrast, which may reduce the sublimity of the composition; noble pictures often rely on slight and subtle use of contrast (Source 7).

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 figures’ clothing, gestures, or facial expressions in this particular painting are not described in the sources.
·The exact dimensions and aspect ratio of the canvas are not provided.
·Gabain’s specific personal variations on the Reynolds method are not detailed; the guide relies on general historical practices cited in the sources.
·The specific lighting conditions and atmospheric effects unique to this 1941 work are not described in the provided texts.

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
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 6. Put beside each other two flat tints... — applied to Color harmony and contrast principles
- 315. As to the advantages the painter will find in it... — applied to Simultaneous contrast and color perception
The Science of Painting↗
- CHAPTER VL. OILS, GRINDING OF COLOURS... — applied to Material preparation and oil properties
The Elements of Drawing↗
- 231. Hence many compositions address themselves... — applied to Compositional harmony and contrast
The Practice and Science of Drawing↗
- XX MATERIALS — applied to Philosophy of oil painting and medium vitality

cross-referenced from

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

Wikipedia: Genre painting↗
- Genre painting — part 1 — applied to Definition and characteristics of genre art
Wikipedia: Dutch Golden Age painting↗
- Dutch Golden Age painting — part 11 — applied to Context of genre painting and reality effects

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

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