plate no. 6220

She went away accompanied by the Lions

oilArt Nouveau (Modern)illustrationfigurelionsdressfoliagedark background

recreation guide

Arthur Rackham’s 'She went away accompanied by the Lions' is a quintessential example of his work in the Art Nouveau style, characterized by intricate line work and atmospheric depth. While the specific visual narrative details (such as the exact posture of the lions or the figure's attire) are not described in the provided sources, Rackham’s general practice involves a strong foundation in contour drawing to establish mass and volume before applying color (Source 4). The artwork likely employs a layered approach to oil painting, consistent with the 'old masters' method referenced in the sources, where a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) is used to establish values before glazing and scumbling are applied to build luminosity and texture (Source 1).

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

5 items

steps

5 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (Ultramarine, White, Black, Yellow, Red tones)	For creating the grisaille underpainting and subsequent glazes/scumbles	—
Oil of Copavia (or modern linseed/walnut oil)	Medium for the first and second paintings as per Reynolds' method cited	Stand oil or linseed oil
Varnish	Mixed with oil for later glazing stages to gain mastery over transparency	Dammar varnish
Canvas or Panel	Support for the oil painting	—
Charcoal or Graphite	For initial contour drawing and outlining	—

preparation

surface prep

Prepare a standard oil painting ground. While specific priming instructions for Rackham are not in the sources, the technique described involves working on a surface that can support a dry grisaille layer before wet glazing is applied (Source 1).

underdrawing

Begin with a contour drawing to emphasize the mass and volume of the figures (the woman and lions) rather than minor details. Use continuous lines to create a silhouette, focusing on the outlined shape and three-dimensional perspective (Source 4). This outline basis is historically consistent with the methods of masters like Leonardo and Raphael, who used it to hold pictures together (Source 8).

underpainting

Create a grisaille (monochrome) underpainting using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia (Source 1). This step mentally extracts red and yellow colors, translating what would be left in nature if those colors were absent (Source 1). This establishes the value structure and form before color is introduced.

color palette

Ultramarine/Black/White

Ultramarine, Ivory Black, Titanium White

Grisaille underpainting to establish values and form

Yellow and Red tones

Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Red, or similar transparent oils

Glazing and scumbling over the dry grisaille to introduce color, similar to tinting an engraving

Grey Bloom

Scumbled semi-opaque paint over darker ground

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

composition

While the specific arrangement of 'She went away accompanied by the Lions' is not detailed in the sources, Rackham’s compositions likely rely on the rhythmic power of lines. Artists of this period often used abstract lines underlying the expression to direct the spectator's attention, avoiding the corners of the rectangular canvas by filling them with dark masses or swinging lines to guide the eye to the center (Source 6). The composition balances the vertical and horizontal boundaries with the organic forms of the figures (Source 3).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→refining→finishing

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the figures using contour drawing techniques, focusing on the outline and mass of the woman and lions.
Tip — Do not look at the paper constantly; rely on sensation and instinct to capture the form's weight and space (Source 4).
Contour Drawing

underpainting

step 02
Apply a monochrome layer using black, ultramarine, and white with oil of copavia as the medium.
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors, focusing only on the values that remain (Source 1).
Grisaille

refining

step 03
Allow the grisaille to dry completely.
Tip — Ensure the layer is quite dry before proceeding to avoid muddying the glazes (Source 1).
Drying

finishing

step 04
Glaze and scumble with oil, introducing yellow and red tones as they occur in the design.
Tip — Glazing is a transparent coat; scumbling is semi-opaque. Use scumbling over darker grounds to create a grey bloom or coldness (Source 1).
Glazing and Scumbling
step 05
If mastery is gained, mix varnish with oil for subsequent glazing layers to enhance luminosity.
Tip — This mimics the method of old masters and allows for greater transparency and depth (Source 1).
Varnish Glazing

critical techniques

Glazing

Applying a transparent coat of color over a dry underpainting to build luminosity and depth, a method practiced by old masters and recommended for achieving mastery (Source 1).

Scumbling

Applying semi-opaque paint through which the underlying painting shows, often used over darker grounds to create coldness or grey blooms (Source 1).

Contour Drawing

Using lines to emphasize mass and volume rather than detail, serving as a strong foundation for the painting (Source 4).

common pitfalls

→Attempting to glaze before the grisaille is completely dry, which can ruin the transparency and clarity of the layers (Source 1).
→Over-modeling or becoming too tied down to the outline, which can lead to smallness and lack of broad mass (Source 2).
→Ignoring the simultaneous contrast of colors, where adjacent colors affect each other's appearance, leading to inaccurate color perception (Source 7).
→Allowing the accumulation of visual details to obscure the main idea and emotional appeal of the composition (Source 8).

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 artwork (e.g., the exact number of lions, the woman's clothing, the background setting) are not described in the sources.
·Arthur Rackham's specific personal palette preferences are not detailed; the guide relies on general oil painting practices and Reynolds' method cited in the sources.
·The exact year of creation is not available, so period-specific material constraints are inferred from general Art Nouveau and oil painting traditions.

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
The Practice and Science of Drawing↗
- ILLUSTRATING SOME OF THE LINES ON WHICH THE RHYTHMIC POWER OF THIS PICTURE DEPENDS — applied to Composition and line direction
- STUDY BY WATTEAU — applied to Historical context of outline basis and emotional appeal
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315-318 — applied to Color perception and simultaneous contrast warnings