plate no. 5457

The Count of Floridablanca

oil, canvasRomanticismportraitfigureportraitinteriorclockmapbooks

recreation guide

Francisco Goya’s 'The Count of Floridablanca' (1783) is a formal portrait commissioned by the Spanish Prime Minister, marking Goya’s rise within the royal circle under King Charles III (Source 2). While the specific visual details of the Count’s attire or pose are not described in the provided sources, the work belongs to Goya’s early period of court portraiture, characterized by a transition from tapestry cartoons to oil painting. Goya’s practice during this era involved mastering the medium of oil to achieve greater flexibility and richer color density compared to his earlier works (Source 3). The painting reflects the artist’s growing confidence in handling light and texture, moving away from the limitations of tapestry design which he found restrictive for capturing complex color shifts (Source 6).

estimated time

40-60 hours over 8-12 sessions

materials

5 items

steps

6 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Linseed oil	Primary binder for oil paints, providing flexibility and rich color density	Refined linseed oil
Turpentine	Thinner for initial layers and cleaning brushes	Odorless mineral spirits or pure gum turpentine
Canvas	Support for the oil painting	Linen canvas, primed
Pigments (Earth tones, Whites, Blacks)	Creating the portrait's tonal range and flesh tones	Titanium white, Ivory black, Ochres, Umbers
Resin (Pine or Frankincense)	Optional addition to oil for varnish or texture, as noted in historical practice	Dammar resin or mastic varnish

preparation

surface prep

Prepare a linen canvas with a traditional oil ground. Goya’s shift to oil painting allowed for 'greater flexibility' and 'richer and denser color' than previous mediums (Source 3). The surface should be smooth enough to allow for the 'finish' and 'modeling' techniques associated with portraiture, avoiding the 'smallness' or timid outlining warned against in copying exercises (Source 1).

underdrawing

The sources do not specify Goya’s underdrawing method for this specific portrait. However, general advice for painters suggests that one must be a 'sound craftsman' with knowledge of the medium’s capacities (Source 1). It is likely that a light charcoal or thinned oil sketch was used to establish proportions, consistent with the practice of studying from life before copying masters (Source 1).

underpainting

Apply a monochromatic underpainting (grisaille or verdaccio) to establish values. This aligns with the general oil painting technique of using layers to build depth (Source 3). The underpainting helps in 'perceiving and imitating promptly and surely the modifications of the light on the model' (Source 5).

color palette

Neutral Grays/Browns

Black, White, Earth tones

General use in this artist's palette for establishing tone and shadow without hue shift

Flesh Tones

White, Ochre, Vermilion (adjusted with complements)

Modeling the face and hands, avoiding the 'greenish or bluish' shift caused by adding black to warm colors (Source 4)

Dark Background/Clothing

Ivory Black, Burnt Umber

Creating contrast and depth, utilizing the 'wider range from light to dark' available in oil (Source 3)

composition

The sources do not describe the specific composition of 'The Count of Floridablanca.' However, Goya’s portraits are noted for their 'disinclination to flatter' and often reveal underlying character rather than idealized beauty (Source 2). The composition likely emphasizes the sitter’s status and presence, consistent with his role as a favorite of the King (Source 2).

step by step

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

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the basic proportions of the sitter on the prepared canvas.
Tip — Ensure the outline is not too rigid, as being 'too much tied down to your outline' can lead to timid painting (Source 1).
Proportional sketching

underpainting

step 02
Apply a thin layer of monochromatic paint to establish light and shadow.
Tip — Focus on the 'modifications of the light on the model' to ensure accurate tone perception (Source 5).
Grisaille

first pass

step 03
Begin applying color in broad masses, focusing on the largest areas of light and dark.
Tip — Avoid 'smallness' by working broadly first (Source 1). Use the 'flexibility' of oil to adjust shapes (Source 3).
Blocking in

refining

step 04
Refine the flesh tones and details, using complementary colors to darken without shifting hue.
Tip — Do not add black to warm colors like reds or yellows, as it causes a shift toward green or blue (Source 4). Instead, use complements to neutralize and darken (Source 4).
Color mixing

finishing

step 05
Add final highlights and textures, utilizing the 'plasticity' of the paint.
Tip — Goya found tapestry limiting for 'impasto and glazing techniques,' so utilize these oil-specific methods to add depth (Source 6).
Impasto/Glazing

varnishing

step 06
Apply a varnish to protect the painting and enhance color saturation.
Tip — Oil may be boiled with resin to create a varnish for 'protection and texture' (Source 3).
Varnishing

critical techniques

Simultaneous Contrast

Be aware that colors appear different when viewed next to each other. The 'lightest tone will be lowered, and the darkest tone will be heightened' (Source 5). Adjust colors accordingly to maintain harmony.

Color Mixing with Complements

Use complementary colors to darken hues without shifting them toward unwanted greens or blues, which happens when black is added to warm colors (Source 4).

Layering

Utilize the 'use of layers' inherent in oil painting to build richness and depth, a key advantage over tempera (Source 3).

common pitfalls

→Adding black to warm colors (reds, yellows) which causes an undesirable hue shift toward green or blue (Source 4).
→Being 'too much tied down to your outline' or 'too timid to depart from it,' leading to stiff, over-modeled results (Source 1).
→Ignoring 'simultaneous contrast,' where adjacent colors affect each other’s appearance, leading to inaccurate color perception (Source 5).
→Attempting fine details too early, which can lead to 'smallness' and a lack of broad mass handling (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 the Count’s clothing, jewelry, or facial expression are not described in the sources.
·The exact pigments used by Goya for this specific painting are not listed.
·The specific underdrawing medium (charcoal, chalk, etc.) is not specified.
·The lighting setup for the original sitting is not described.

grounded in

The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.

The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- ON COPYING — applied to Advice on avoiding timid outlines and smallness; importance of broad masses.
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315-318 — applied to Simultaneous contrast and color perception.

cross-referenced from

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

Wikipedia bio — Francisco Goya↗
- part 5 — applied to Context of the commission and Goya’s role as court painter.
- part 4 — applied to Goya’s use of impasto and glazing in oil vs. tapestry limitations.
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Oil painting — part 1 — applied to Properties of oil paint, layering, and varnishing.
Wikipedia: Color theory↗
- Color theory — part 6 — applied to Mixing colors with complements to avoid hue shifts.