plate no. 1171

Sultan Ahmed III

oil, canvasBaroqueportraitfigureportraitclothinglandscapemenhistorical

recreation guide

Jean Baptiste Vanmour’s 'Sultan Ahmed III' (1717) is a Baroque oil portrait that exemplifies the artist’s role as a chronicler of the Ottoman court. While the provided sources do not detail the specific visual contents of this particular canvas (such as the Sultan’s attire or background), they establish the technical framework of the era. The work belongs to the broader tradition of Flemish Baroque painting, which emphasizes rich color, layering, and the use of glazing to achieve depth and luminosity (Source 3). The painting likely employs the 'old master' techniques of building up form through a monochrome underpainting followed by transparent color layers, a method documented in historical treatises on oil painting practice (Source 1).

estimated time

40-60 hours over 8-12 sessions

materials

6 items

steps

5 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Canvas	Support for the painting	Linen or cotton canvas, primed
Oil of Copavia (or modern substitute)	Medium for the first and second paintings, as specified by Reynolds for this style	Stand oil or linseed oil mixed with damar resin
Black, Ultramarine, White	Primary pigments for the initial grisaille/monochrome underpainting	Ivory Black, Ultramarine Blue, Titanium White
Red and Yellow pigments	For glazing and scumbling to introduce color tones	Alizarin Crimson, Cadmium Yellow, or historical equivalents like Vermilion and Yellow Ochre
Varnish	Mixed with oil for later glazing stages to increase transparency and flow	Damar varnish or resin varnish
Turpentine	Thinner for initial layers and cleaning	Odorless mineral spirits or pure gum turpentine

preparation

surface prep

The canvas should be prepared with a ground suitable for oil painting. While specific priming recipes for Vanmour are not in the sources, the general practice of the period involves a stable, absorbent ground to receive the oil layers. The sources note that oil painting allows for 'greater flexibility, richer and denser color, the use of layers' (Source 7).

underdrawing

The sources do not specify Vanmour’s underdrawing technique. However, general Baroque practice often involved a charcoal or chalk sketch, followed by a monochrome underpainting. The text notes that copying works helps establish 'broad masses' before finish (Source 2), implying a structural underdrawing is essential.

underpainting

A grisaille (monochrome) underpainting is recommended. The source explicitly describes a method where the artist mentally extracts red and yellow, painting the form in black, ultramarine, and white (Source 1). This creates the structural foundation before color is applied.

color palette

Black

Ivory Black or Lamp Black

Underpainting and shadows

Ultramarine

Ultramarine Blue

Underpainting, providing cool shadows and depth

White

Lead White (historical) or Titanium White

Underpainting highlights and mixing tints

Red Tones

Vermilion, Lake Red, or Alizarin

Glazing and scumbling to add warmth and flesh tones

Yellow Tones

Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Yellow

Glazing and scumbling to add warmth and highlights

composition

The sources do not describe the specific composition of 'Sultan Ahmed III'. Generally, Flemish Baroque portraiture, influenced by Rubens and Van Dyck, often features life-sized or monumental figures with a focus on status and texture (Source 5). Composition involves organizing elements like line, shape, and value to create visual order (Source 4).

step by step

underpainting→first pass→drying→refining→finishing

underpainting

step 01
Create a grisaille using only black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia. Focus on establishing the form and value structure without color.
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors, visualizing what remains in nature if those hues were absent (Source 1).
Grisaille

first pass

step 03
Apply glazes and scumbles using oil. Introduce yellow and red tones to tint the monochrome base, similar to tinting an engraving with watercolors.
Tip — Glazing is a transparent coat; scumbling is semi-opaque. Use oil as the medium initially (Source 1).
Glazing and Scumbling

drying

step 02
Allow the grisaille to dry completely. This is crucial before applying transparent layers.
Tip — Ensure the underpainting is 'quite dry' to prevent mixing with subsequent glazes (Source 1).
Drying

refining

step 04
As mastery increases, mix varnish with oil for further glazing. This enhances the depth and richness of the color.
Tip — This method was practiced by old masters to achieve luminous effects (Source 1).
Varnish Glazing

finishing

step 05
Refine details and adjust values. If struggling with finish, study detailed works like Van Eyck’s heads; if too tied to outline, study Reynolds or Van Dyck to loosen up (Source 2).
Tip — Use copying to address specific weaknesses in finish or modeling (Source 2).
Corrective Copying

critical techniques

Glazing

Applying a transparent coat of color over a dry underpainting to build depth and luminosity. Essential for the Baroque aesthetic of rich, glowing colors.

Scumbling

Applying a semi-opaque layer over a darker ground to create coldness or grey blooms, allowing the underlying painting to show through.

Grisaille Underpainting

Establishing form and value using only black, ultramarine, and white before introducing color. This separates structure from color.

common pitfalls

→Applying glazes before the underpainting is completely dry, which can muddy the colors.
→Over-modeling or being too tied to the outline, which can make the painting look stiff. Study Reynolds or Van Dyck to correct this (Source 2).
→Neglecting the 'alphabet' of the medium; without sound craftsmanship, the artist is 'dumb' as a thinker (Source 2).
→Modern prejudice against glazing and scumbling; these methods were standard for old masters and should not be dismissed (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 visual details of 'Sultan Ahmed III' (attire, background, pose) are not described in the sources.
·Vanmour’s specific personal palette preferences are not detailed; the guide relies on general Baroque and Reynolds’ methods.
·The exact ground preparation recipe for Vanmour is 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, glazing, and scumbling techniques
- ON COPYING — applied to Skill development and corrective measures

cross-referenced from

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

Wikipedia: Flemish Baroque painting↗
- Flemish Baroque painting — applied to Contextualizing the artist’s style and period conventions
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Oil painting — applied to General material properties and advantages of oil medium

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

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