plate no. 5689

Street in Osny

oil, canvasImpressionismlandscapelandscapevillagetreesskyfiguresroad

recreation guide

Street in Osny (1883) represents a transitional moment in Paul Gauguin’s career, situated within the Impressionist style but foreshadowing his later departure toward Symbolism. While the artwork is classified as an Impressionist landscape, Gauguin’s practice during this period was already shifting away from pure optical realism. He began to emphasize the 'soul of nature' and sought a 'bare emotional purity' conveyed through straightforward forms and upright lines (Source 3). The painting likely reflects his early experiments with analogous colors to achieve muted effects, a technique he developed starting in Martinique and applied to his landscapes to create a sense of serenity and self-contained sustainability (Source 3). Unlike the fleeting light effects of high Impressionism, Gauguin’s approach here is calculated, aiming to create 'symphonies and harmonies' through the definite arrangement of lines and colors rather than direct expression of ideas (Source 3).

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

7 items

steps

6 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (pre-mixed tubes)	Primary medium for color application	Standard artist-grade oil paints
Linseed oil	Traditional medium for mixing pigments and glazing	Refined linseed oil
Turpentine or petroleum spirit	Thinner for initial layers and cleaning; ensures dullness of surface if used in specific glazing contexts	Odorless mineral spirits or turpentine substitute
Canvas	Support for the painting	Primed linen or cotton canvas
Hog bristle brushes	For bolder strokes and applying broad swaths of color in the underpainting and first passes	Synthetic or natural hog bristle flats and filberts
Sable brushes (Kolinsky or Red Sable)	For finer detail work and glazing, providing smooth handling and snap	High-quality synthetic sable or natural sable rounds
Palette knife	For mixing paints and potentially applying paint directly to the canvas for texture	Standard metal palette knives

preparation

surface prep

The canvas should be primed to accept oil paint. While specific preparation for this exact canvas is not detailed in the sources, Gauguin’s general practice involved working on prepared surfaces that allowed for the layering techniques he employed. The surface should be stable to support the weight of oil paint and potential glazing layers. (Source 8 notes that oil paint is applied over a sketched outline, implying a prepared surface is necessary.)

underdrawing

Gauguin’s preparatory methods are not explicitly detailed for this specific work in the provided sources. However, general oil painting practice involves a sketched outline of the subject before applying paint (Source 8). Given Gauguin’s emphasis on 'definite arrangement of lines' (Source 3), a clear underdrawing establishing the major forms and upright lines of the street and buildings is likely. The sources do not specify if he used charcoal, graphite, or thinned paint for this sketch.

underpainting

The sources suggest a method involving a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) before applying color. Source 1 describes a process where a grisaille is created by 'mentally extracting the red and yellow colours,' leaving a neutral ground. This underpainting establishes the tonal values and composition. Once dry, color is applied via glazing and scumbling. This technique aligns with the 'old masters' approach mentioned in Source 1, which Gauguin may have studied or referenced in his early career, although he later moved toward more direct color application. For this recreation, a neutral gray or brown underpainting is recommended to establish the landscape’s structure.

color palette

Neutral Grays/Browns

Black, Ultramarine, White (as per Reynolds’ method cited in Source 1) or earth tones

Underpainting (grisaille) to establish tonal values without color interference

Analogous Greens and Blues

Viridian, Ultramarine, Yellow Ochre

General use in this artist’s palette for landscapes; Gauguin used analogous colors in close proximity to achieve muted effects (Source 3)

Muted Earth Tones

Raw Umber, Burnt Sienna, White

Streets, buildings, and shadows; consistent with the 'muted effect' and 'serenity' Gauguin sought (Source 3)

Complementary Accents

Small amounts of Red or Orange against Greens/Blues

Creating contrast and visual interest; complementary colors create strong contrast when placed next to each other (Source 4)

composition

The composition likely emphasizes 'major forms and upright lines to clearly define shape and contour' (Source 3). Gauguin sought to harmonize man and nature, and his landscapes often depict a 'self-contained sustainability' (Source 3). The street scene would be arranged to create a coherent composition, with the sky included as an element of the view (Source 5). The arrangement is 'carefully considered and calculated in advance' to create 'symphonies and harmonies' rather than a direct photographic record (Source 3). Specific details of the street layout are not described in the sources, so the recreation should focus on the general principles of balance and linearity characteristic of Gauguin’s style.

step by step

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

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the main outlines of the street, buildings, and sky on the primed canvas. Focus on upright lines and major forms to define the shape and contour.
Tip — Ensure the lines are clear but not overly detailed, as they will be covered by paint.
Underdrawing

underpainting

step 02
Apply a monochrome grisaille using black, ultramarine, and white (or earth tones) to establish the tonal values of the landscape. Mentally extract red and yellow colors to focus on form and light.
Tip — Allow this layer to dry completely before proceeding to color application.
Grisaille

first pass

step 03
Begin applying color using glazing and scumbling techniques. Use oil as a medium for the first glazes. Apply transparent coats of color (glazing) and semi-opaque layers (scumbling) to build up the hues.
Tip — Glazing involves transparent coats, while scumbling is semi-opaque, allowing the underlying grisaille to show through. This helps achieve the muted, harmonious effects Gauguin sought.
Glazing and Scumbling

refining

step 04
Refine the colors by adjusting brightness and saturation. Use complementary colors to neutralize hues if they become too dark or shift in hue. For example, add a small amount of orange to a red-white mixture to correct a blue shift.
Tip — Avoid adding black to darken colors, as it can cause hue shifts. Instead, use complementary colors to neutralize and darken without shifting the hue.
Color Correction

finishing

step 05
Finalize the painting by ensuring the harmonious arrangement of lines and colors. Check that the 'symphonies and harmonies' are achieved, stimulating the imagination rather than just depicting reality.
Tip — Step back and view the painting from a distance to assess the overall effect and balance.
Harmonization

varnishing

step 06
Once the painting is completely dry, apply a varnish to protect the surface and enhance the depth of the glazes.
Tip — Use a varnish mixed with oil if following the traditional method described in Source 1, or a standard damar varnish for modern practice.
Varnishing

critical techniques

Glazing

Applying transparent coats of color over a dry underpainting to build up depth and luminosity. This technique allows the underlying tones to influence the final color, creating a muted, harmonious effect.

Scumbling

Applying semi-opaque paint over a darker ground to create a 'grey bloom' or coldness. This technique allows the underlying painting to show through, adding texture and complexity.

Analogous Color Harmony

Using colors that are next to each other on the color wheel (e.g., greens and blues) to create a muted, serene effect. This was a key part of Gauguin’s early color strategy.

Complementary Color Contrast

Placing complementary colors (e.g., red and green, blue and orange) next to each other to create strong visual contrast and interest.

common pitfalls

→Adding black to darken colors, which can cause unwanted hue shifts (e.g., yellows shifting toward green). Use complementary colors instead to neutralize and darken (Source 2).
→Overworking the paint, which can muddy the colors and lose the clarity of the glazing and scumbling effects. Allow layers to dry completely before applying new ones (Source 1).
→Focusing too much on realistic detail rather than the 'symphonies and harmonies' of color and line. Gauguin’s goal was to stimulate the imagination, not to create a photographic record (Source 3).
→Ignoring the importance of the underpainting. The grisaille provides the structural foundation for the color layers, and skipping it can lead to a flat, unharmonious result (Source 1).

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 street scene in Osny (e.g., exact buildings, figures, weather conditions) are not described in the sources, so the recreation must rely on general Impressionist landscape conventions and Gauguin’s stylistic tendencies.
·The exact pigments used by Gauguin in 1883 are not specified, so modern equivalents are suggested based on general oil painting practice.
·Gauguin’s specific brushwork techniques for this painting are not detailed, so general brush types (hog bristle for broad strokes, sable for detail) are recommended based on standard oil painting methods (Source 8).
·The extent to which Gauguin used glazing and scumbling in this specific work is inferred from general practices and Source 1, as the sources do not explicitly confirm these techniques for 'Street in Osny'.

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

cross-referenced from

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

Wikipedia: Color theory↗
- Color theory — part 6 — applied to Color mixing, avoiding hue shifts, and using complementary colors
Wikipedia bio — Paul Gauguin↗
- part 25 — applied to Gauguin’s use of analogous colors, emphasis on lines and forms, and goal of creating harmonies
Wikipedia: Complementary colors↗
- Complementary colors — part 1 — applied to Understanding and applying complementary color pairs for contrast
Wikipedia: Landscape painting↗
- Landscape painting — part 1 — applied to General composition principles for landscape art
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Oil painting — part 6 — applied to Materials, brushes, and general oil painting process