plate no. 7339
Slovak Girls
Marianne Stokes, 1905
recreation guide
Marianne Stokes’s 'Slovak Girls' (1905) is a portrait executed in oil, situated within the Art Nouveau (Modern) style. As a portrait, its primary intent is to represent specific human subjects, aiming for a likeness that serves as a record of their appearance (Source 6). The work likely employs the principles of simultaneous contrast, where the colors of the figures and their surroundings interact to modify perceived tones, requiring the artist to account for how contiguous colors affect one another (Source 4). The composition relies on the organization of visual elements such as line, shape, and value to create a cohesive design distinct from the subject matter itself (Source 3).
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions
materials
6 items
steps
6 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints (Ultramarine, White, Black, Red, Yellow) | Primary pigments for underpainting and glazing | — |
| Linseed oil | Medium to thin paint and ensure 'fat over lean' layering | Stand oil or refined linseed oil |
| Mineral spirits or turpentine | Solvent for cleaning brushes and thinning initial layers | Odorless mineral spirits |
| Canvas or panel | Support surface | Linen canvas primed with gesso |
| Charcoal or thinned paint | Initial sketching of the subject | Vine charcoal or raw umber wash |
| Varnish | For final glazing layers and protection | Dammar or synthetic resin varnish |
preparation
surface prep
The surface should be prepared to accept oil paint, traditionally involving a ground that allows for the 'fat over lean' rule, ensuring each additional layer contains more oil than the previous one to prevent cracking (Source 7). While specific preparation for this exact canvas is not detailed in the sources, Stokes’s era and medium imply a stable, primed surface capable of supporting multiple glazing layers.
underdrawing
Traditional oil painting techniques often begin with the artist sketching the subject onto the canvas with charcoal or thinned paint (Source 7). For a portrait, this underdrawing establishes the likeness and proportions of the sitters before color is applied.
underpainting
The artist likely employed a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) using black, ultramarine, and white, as suggested by historical practices cited in the sources (Source 2). This layer establishes the chiaroscuro and tonal values before color is introduced. The goal is to mentally extract red and yellow tones, translating what would remain in nature if those colors were absent (Source 2).
color palette
Ultramarine
Pure ultramarine pigment
Underpainting and cool shadows
White
Lead white or titanium white
Highlights and mixing tints
Black
Ivory black or lamp black
Underpainting and darkening tones
Red/Yellow Tones
Transparent red and yellow glazes
Flesh tones and drapery, applied via glazing over the grisaille
Neutral Grays
Mixtures of black, white, and ultramarine
Backgrounds and non-inherent colors
composition
The composition organizes the visual elements of line, shape, color, texture, value, form, and space to create a unified whole (Source 3). In portraiture, the arrangement of the figures and their relationship to the background is crucial for achieving a recognizable likeness and aesthetic harmony. The artist likely considered the 'inherent' colors of the flesh and hair versus the 'chosen' colors of the draperies and background to harmonize the composition (Source 1).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the figures of the Slovak girls onto the prepared canvas using charcoal or thinned paint to establish proportions and likeness.
Tip — Ensure the likeness is accurate, as this is the foundation of the portrait (Source 6).
Initial sketching
underpainting
step 02
Apply a monochrome grisaille using black, ultramarine, and white to establish the tonal values and chiaroscuro.
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors, focusing on the structural light and shadow (Source 2).
Grisaille underpainting
first pass
step 03
Allow the grisaille to dry completely. Then, begin glazing and scumbling with oil, introducing yellow and red tones.
Tip — Apply transparent coats of color (glazing) and semi-opaque layers (scumbling) to build up flesh tones and drapery colors (Source 2).
Glazing and scumbling
refining
step 04
Adjust colors by considering simultaneous contrast. If a color appears too light or dark due to adjacent hues, correct it by adding complementary colors or adjusting tones.
Tip — Be aware that the eye may perceive colors inaccurately due to mixed contrast; verify hues against the model or reference (Source 4).
Simultaneous contrast adjustment
finishing
step 05
Apply final layers using varnish and oil mixed, ensuring each layer is 'fatter' (more oil) than the previous one to prevent cracking.
Tip — Avoid adding black to darken colors if it causes unwanted hue shifts; use complements instead (Source 5).
Fat over lean
varnishing
step 06
Once fully dry, apply a final varnish to protect the painting and unify the sheen.
Tip — Ensure the painting is completely dry to the touch, which may take weeks (Source 7).
Final varnishing
critical techniques
Glazing and Scumbling
Glazing involves applying a transparent coat of color, while scumbling is a semi-opaque painting through which the underlying layer shows. This method was practiced by old masters and is effective for building complex tones (Source 2).
Simultaneous Contrast
Understanding that adjacent colors affect each other’s appearance. The artist must account for how the background colors influence the perceived tone of the figures (Source 4).
Fat Over Lean
Each subsequent layer of paint should contain more oil than the layer below to ensure proper drying and prevent cracking (Source 7).
common pitfalls
- →Darkening colors by adding black can cause hue shifts (e.g., yellows shifting toward green); use complementary colors to neutralize instead (Source 5).
- →Ignoring simultaneous contrast can lead to inaccurate color perception, where the eye is fatigued or misled by adjacent hues (Source 4).
- →Violating the 'fat over lean' rule can cause the paint film to crack and peel (Source 7).
- →Attempting to deceive the eye into seeing 'real nature' rather than expressing feeling through painted symbols can result in a lack of artistic vitality (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 details of the Slovak girls' clothing patterns, jewelry, or facial expressions are not described in the sources and cannot be invented.
- ·The exact room layout or background elements are not specified in the sources.
- ·Marianne Stokes's specific personal palette preferences beyond general Art Nouveau practices are not detailed in the provided texts.
- ·The specific dimensions of the original artwork are not provided.
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
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315-318 — applied to Color theory and simultaneous contrast adjustments
The Practice and Science of Drawing↗
- XX MATERIALS — applied to Philosophy of medium and expression
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- part 2 — applied to Materials and 'fat over lean' rule
Wikipedia: Portrait painting↗
- part 1 — applied to Intent of likeness and record
Wikipedia: Color theory↗
- part 6 — applied to Mixing pigments and avoiding hue shifts
Wikipedia: Composition (visual arts)↗
- part 1 — applied to General compositional elements
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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