plate no. 3493
The child is given over to Merlin
recreation guide
Arthur Rackham’s 'The child is given over to Merlin' is a quintessential example of his work as an illustrator operating within the Art Nouveau (Modern) style. While the specific visual narrative details of this particular oil painting are not described in the provided sources, Rackham’s general practice is characterized by a mastery of oil painting techniques that prioritize the medium's capacity for rich, dense color and flexible layering (Source 3). The artwork likely employs the 'old master' methods of glazing and scumbling, which Rackham and his contemporaries utilized to achieve depth and luminosity, countering the prejudice against such methods among some modern painters (Source 1). The composition would adhere to principles of visual interest, avoiding exact bisections and using contrast to guide the viewer’s eye, consistent with general compositional theory applicable to illustrative art (Source 5).
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions
materials
5 items
steps
5 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints (Ultramarine, Black, White, Red, Yellow) | Primary pigments for grisaille and glazing layers | Standard tube oil paints |
| Linseed oil or Poppy seed oil | Binder and medium for thinning paint and creating glazes | Refined linseed oil or walnut oil |
| Turpentine | Thinner for initial layers and cleaning | Odorless mineral spirits or turpentine substitute |
| Oil of Copavia (or modern resin varnish) | Medium for first and second paintings to enhance flow and drying | Liquin or damar varnish mixed with oil |
| Canvas or Wood Panel | Support surface | Primed linen canvas or gessoed wood panel |
preparation
surface prep
The surface should be prepared to accept oil layers. While specific priming instructions for this artwork are not in the sources, oil painting traditionally requires a stable ground. Rackham’s practice, aligned with the 'old masters' mentioned in Source 1, implies a surface capable of supporting multiple transparent and semi-opaque layers without cracking. A standard gesso or oil ground is appropriate.
underdrawing
Sources do not explicitly describe Rackham’s underdrawing method for this specific piece. However, general oil painting practice involves a preliminary sketch. Given the illustrative nature, a precise underdrawing is likely, but the sources emphasize the painting process over the drawing phase. It is recommended to use a thin wash of neutral tone to block in forms.
underpainting
The core technique for this recreation is the creation of a monochrome underpainting, or grisaille. The artist must mentally extract red and yellow colors, translating the scene into what would remain if those colors were absent (Source 1). This grisaille should be painted using black, ultramarine, and white, mixed with oil of copavia or a similar medium (Source 1). This layer establishes the tonal structure and must be completely dry before proceeding.
color palette
Neutral Grays/Blacks
Black, Ultramarine, White
Grisaille underpainting to establish form and tone
Reds and Yellows
Transparent red and yellow pigments
Glazing and scumbling layers to introduce color and warmth
Cool Grays
Scumbled semi-opaque mix over dark ground
Creating 'grey bloom' and coldness in shadows or atmospheric areas
composition
While specific compositional elements of 'The child is given over to Merlin' are not detailed in the sources, general principles suggest the artist would avoid exact bisections of the picture space and ensure a clear center of interest to prevent the work from becoming merely a pattern (Source 5). The use of chiaroscuro, where juxtaposition of tones creates a gradation of light, is likely employed to enhance depth (Source 4). The composition likely balances detailed areas with 'rest' areas to guide the viewer’s gaze effectively (Source 5).
step by step
underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing
underpainting
step 01
Create a monochrome grisaille using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia. Focus on establishing the tonal values as if red and yellow colors were absent from the scene.
Tip — Ensure this layer is completely dry before proceeding. This is the foundation for all subsequent color.
Grisaille
first pass
step 02
Apply transparent glazes of red and yellow tones over the dry grisaille. Treat this step similarly to tinting an engraving with watercolors, allowing the underlying monochrome to show through.
Tip — Glazing involves a transparent coat of color. Use oil as the medium initially.
Glazing
refining
step 03
Use scumbling to apply semi-opaque paint over the glazed areas, particularly over darker grounds to create coldness or a 'grey bloom'. This allows the underlying painting to make itself felt.
Tip — Scumbling is semi-opaque; it differs from glazing in its opacity and interaction with the underlayer.
Scumbling
finishing
step 04
Refine color contrasts and harmonies. Be mindful that mixing pigments darkens and lowers chroma, moving toward neutral gray. Adjust lightness by mixing with white or black, but be aware of hue shifts (e.g., adding black to yellow may shift it greenish).
Tip — To correct hue shifts when lightening reds/oranges with white, add a small amount of an adjacent color (e.g., orange to red-white mix) to keep the hue in line.
Color Mixing Theory
varnishing
step 05
Once the painting is fully dry, apply a varnish. The oil may be boiled with resin (like pine resin or frankincense) to create a protective varnish that enhances sheen and texture.
Tip — Varnish provides protection and can influence the final sheen of the paints.
Varnishing
critical techniques
Glazing and Scumbling
Rackham’s style, aligned with old master techniques, relies on glazing (transparent color) and scumbling (semi-opaque) over a monochrome underpainting to achieve rich, luminous effects. This method allows for complex color interactions without muddying the paint.
Monochrome Underpainting (Grisaille)
Establishing the tonal structure in black, ultramarine, and white before introducing color. This separates the problem of value from the problem of hue, allowing for greater control over the final image.
Simultaneous Contrast Awareness
Understanding that colors appear differently when juxtaposed. The artist must perceive modifications of tone and color caused by contiguous colors to harmonize the composition.
common pitfalls
- →Adding black to darken colors can cause unwanted hue shifts (e.g., yellows shifting greenish). Use complementary colors to neutralize and darken instead (Source 2).
- →Adding white to lightens reds and oranges can cause a shift towards blue. Correct this by adding a small amount of an adjacent color (Source 2).
- →Applying glazes or scumbles before the underpainting is completely dry can lead to muddying or cracking (Source 1).
- →Ignoring the law of simultaneous contrast may result in colors appearing inaccurate or disharmonious due to the influence of adjacent tones (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 child is given over to Merlin' (e.g., exact poses, clothing patterns, background elements) are not described in the sources.
- ·Rackham’s specific brushwork style or stroke direction is not detailed in the provided texts.
- ·The exact year of creation is not available, limiting precise contextual analysis of his evolving style at that moment.
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 Grisaille underpainting, glazing, and scumbling techniques
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315-318 — applied to Understanding simultaneous contrast and color harmony
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 pitfalls and hue shift corrections
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Oil painting — part 1 — applied to General oil painting properties, mediums, and varnishing
Wikipedia: Composition (visual arts)↗
- Composition (visual arts) — part 6 — applied to General compositional principles like center of interest and avoiding bisection
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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