plate no. 0258
The backwoods of St. Antony, Pontoise
Camille Pissarro, 1876
recreation guide
Camille Pissarro’s 'The backwoods of St. Antony, Pontoise' (1876) is a quintessential example of Impressionist landscape painting, characterized by its focus on natural scenery and the depiction of light and atmosphere rather than topographical precision. As noted in art-historical records, the Impressionists made landscape painting the main source of stylistic innovation, moving away from imaginary views to capture the specific nature of the homeland with varying degrees of accuracy (Source 5, Source 6). The artwork likely employs a palette and technique consistent with Pissarro’s practice during this period, which involved working outdoors (en plein air) to capture the transient effects of light on the 'backwoods' and rural setting of Pontoise. The distinctive quality of this work lies in its adherence to the Impressionist goal of expressing feeling through painted symbols rather than mere deception of the eye (Source 7). While the specific visual details of the trees and sky are not described in the provided sources, the general approach involves a coherent composition of natural elements—trees, sky, and weather—arranged to reflect the artist's consciousness of the medium (Source 5, Source 7). The painting likely utilizes a method that balances the vitality of oil paint with the emotional idea prompted by the scene, avoiding the 'meretricious attempt to deceive the eye' in favor of vital expression (Source 7).
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, Raw Umber, Yellow Ochre, Vermilion) | Primary pigments for underpainting and glazing as per historical practice | Standard tube oil paints |
| Canvas | Support for the oil painting | Linen or cotton canvas, primed |
| Turpentine | Thinner for initial washes and cleaning brushes | Odorless mineral spirits or pure gum turpentine |
| Oil of Copavia (or Linseed Oil) | Medium for glazing and binding pigments | Stand oil or refined linseed oil |
| Charcoal | Underdrawing and initial shading | Vine charcoal or compressed charcoal |
| Varnish | For glazing and final protection | Dammar varnish or synthetic resin varnish |
preparation
surface prep
The canvas should be prepared with a ground that allows for the layering techniques described. While Pissarro often used white or light grounds to enhance luminosity, the sources suggest a method involving a monochrome underpainting. The surface should be smooth enough to allow for glazing but textured enough to hold impasto if used. Historical practice often involved a gesso-like preparation, though for canvas, a standard oil primer is appropriate (Source 8, Source 3).
underdrawing
Begin with a charcoal underdrawing to establish the composition and proportions. As advised in general painting practice, draw and shade in charcoal, using a dry brush to model forms. Make all corrections in the charcoal stage, as charcoal offers little resistance to correction, whereas correcting in paint can be fatal to lucidity (Source 4). Ensure the drawing is slightly smaller than life if studying from a model, though for a landscape, this translates to accurate perspective and scale relative to the canvas.
underpainting
Apply a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia or linseed oil. This step involves mentally extracting red and yellow colors to establish the tonal structure of the landscape. This grisaille serves as the foundation for subsequent glazing and scumbling (Source 3).
color palette
Ultramarine
Pure ultramarine pigment
Underpainting and cool shadows, consistent with Reynolds' method cited in sources
White
Lead white or Zinc white
Highlights and mixing with ultramarine/black for grisaille
Black
Ivory black or Lamp black
Underpainting and deep shadows
Raw Umber
Pure raw umber
Initial washes and earth tones in the landscape
Yellow/Red Tones
Yellow Ochre, Vermilion, Cadmium Yellow
Glazing and scumbling over the dry grisaille to introduce warmth and local color
composition
The composition likely features a wide view of natural scenery, including trees and sky, arranged into a coherent whole (Source 5). Pissarro characteristically focused on the rural landscape of Pontoise, capturing the 'backwoods' with an emphasis on the atmospheric conditions and light. The arrangement avoids topographical precision in favor of expressive vitality, consistent with the Impressionist move away from imaginary views to real, albeit artistically interpreted, landscapes (Source 5, Source 6).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the landscape composition in charcoal, focusing on the placement of trees, sky, and ground. Correct any errors in construction now.
Tip — Do not hesitate to adjust proportions; charcoal is easily corrected with bread or a dry brush.
Charcoal drawing
underpainting
step 02
Mix black, ultramarine, and white with oil of copavia. Apply a monochrome grisaille to establish the tonal values of the scene, excluding red and yellow hues.
Tip — Ensure the grisaille is completely dry before proceeding to glazing.
Grisaille underpainting
first pass
step 03
Once the grisaille is dry, begin glazing with transparent coats of yellow and red tones using oil. This mimics the process of tinting an engraving with watercolors.
Tip — Apply thin, transparent layers to build up color intensity without obscuring the tonal structure.
Glazing
refining
step 04
Use scumbling (semi-opaque painting) to adjust highlights and cool tones. Scumbling over a darker ground can produce a grey bloom, useful for atmospheric effects in the sky or distant trees.
Tip — Watch for the underlying painting showing through; this is desired for luminosity.
Scumbling
finishing
step 05
Continue layering glazes and scumbles to achieve the desired color harmony and contrast. Ensure the final result expresses the feeling of the landscape rather than just its visual appearance.
Tip — Avoid overworking the paint; maintain the vitality of the medium.
Layering
varnishing
step 06
Apply a final varnish to protect the painting and unify the surface. This can be done with a mix of varnish and oil if further adjustments are needed, or pure varnish for protection.
Tip — Ensure the painting is fully dry before varnishing.
Varnishing
critical techniques
Glazing
Applying transparent coats of color over a dry underpainting to build depth and luminosity. This was a common practice among old masters and is recommended for achieving rich color effects (Source 3).
Scumbling
Applying semi-opaque paint over a darker ground to create cool tones or grey blooms. This technique allows the underlying layer to show through, enhancing the sense of atmosphere (Source 3).
Monochrome Underpainting
Establishing the tonal structure of the painting using a limited palette (black, ultramarine, white) before introducing full color. This helps in managing value contrasts and composition (Source 3).
common pitfalls
- →Correcting errors in paint rather than in the charcoal underdrawing, which can lead to a muddy loss of lucidity (Source 4).
- →Overworking the paint to achieve a deceptive illusion of nature, rather than expressing the feeling and vitality of the medium (Source 7).
- →Applying glazes before the underpainting is completely dry, which can cause cracking or mixing of layers unintentionally (Source 3).
- →Ignoring the importance of the medium's vitality, leading to a flat or lifeless representation (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 visual details of the trees, sky, and ground in 'The backwoods of St. Antony, Pontoise' are not described in the sources, so the composition must be inferred from general Impressionist practices.
- ·Pissarro's specific palette choices for this particular painting are not detailed; the suggested palette is based on general historical practices and the sources provided.
- ·The exact dimensions and aspect ratio of the canvas are not provided, which may affect the compositional balance.
- ·The specific weather conditions and time of day depicted are not described, which influences the color temperature and light effects.
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
- PAINTING FROM LIFE — applied to Underdrawing and correction methods
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: Landscape painting↗
- Landscape painting — part 1 — applied to Definition and characteristics of landscape painting
- Landscape painting — part 7 — applied to Historical context of Impressionist landscape painting
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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