plate no. 3860

The departure of the volunteers (preparatory sketch)

oil, canvasRomanticismgenre paintingfiguresbuildingslandscapevillageprocessionchurch

recreation guide

Gerolamo Induno’s *The departure of the volunteers* (1877) is a preparatory sketch that reflects his dual identity as a soldier and an artist, a combination that defined his career during the Italian Risorgimento. Induno is best known for his military scenes, having enlisted in volunteer regiments and fought in battles such as the siege of Rome and the Crimean War, where he produced numerous sketches that were later turned into paintings and lithographs (Source 4, Source 7). By 1877, after the unification of Italy, his genre works had shifted focus; while he continued to produce patriotic canvases, his genre scenes increasingly depicted scenes from the seventeenth century or broader military themes, moving away from immediate contemporary reportage (Source 7). This work, classified as a genre painting within the Romantic style, likely serves as a study for a larger composition, capturing the anecdotal and sentimental nature characteristic of 19th-century genre painting (Source 6).

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

4 items

steps

5 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (Ultramarine, White, Black, Red Ochre, Yellow Ochre)	Primary pigments for underpainting and glazing	Standard artist-grade oil paints
Canvas	Support for the oil painting	Linen or cotton canvas, primed
Oil of Copavia (or modern linseed oil/walnut oil)	Medium for glazing and scumbling	Stand oil or alkyd medium for faster drying
Varnish	Mixed with oil for later glazing stages	Dammar varnish or synthetic resin varnish

preparation

surface prep

The canvas should be prepared with a ground suitable for oil painting. While specific priming recipes for Induno are not detailed in the sources, the general practice of the period and the technique of glazing described in Source 5 implies a stable, likely white or light-toned ground to allow for the transparency of subsequent layers. The surface must be smooth enough to support fine detail in the sketch but textured enough to hold the oil medium.

underdrawing

Induno was known to produce numerous sketches during his military service, which served as the basis for his finished works (Source 4, Source 7). For a preparatory sketch like this, the underdrawing would likely be loose and gestural, focusing on the composition of figures and the narrative moment rather than rigid line work. The artist likely transferred key compositional elements from earlier field sketches.

underpainting

The technique of creating a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) is recommended, as described in Source 5. This involves painting the initial layers using only black, ultramarine, and white to establish values and forms before introducing color. This method allows the artist to mentally extract red and yellow tones, translating what would remain in nature if those colors were absent, thereby creating a solid structural foundation (Source 5).

color palette

Ultramarine

Pure ultramarine pigment

Underpainting and cool shadows; creates blue tones that verge on green when juxtaposed with reds (Source 3)

White

Lead white or Zinc white

Highlights and mixing with ultramarine/black for the grisaille underpainting (Source 5)

Black

Ivory black or Lamp black

Deep shadows and defining forms in the underpainting (Source 5)

Red Ochre / Yellow Ochre

Earth tones

Glazing and scumbling to introduce warmth and flesh tones; these are the 'red and yellow colours' extracted in the grisaille phase (Source 5)

Complementary Colors (e.g., Green/Red, Blue/Orange)

Mixed from primary pigments

Enhancing brilliance through simultaneous contrast; surrounding a color with its complement increases its intensity (Source 3)

composition

As a preparatory sketch for a genre painting depicting military volunteers, the composition likely focuses on the dramatic moment of departure, consistent with the Romantic style's emphasis on emotion and action (Source 8). Induno’s work often dramatizes scenes, choosing the most dramatic point of action rather than a static pose (Source 8). The arrangement of figures would be designed to evoke passion and narrative clarity, typical of 19th-century genre painting which often featured crowded, anecdotal scenes (Source 6). Specific spatial arrangements are not described in the sources, so the artist should rely on general principles of dramatic composition associated with the Baroque and Romantic traditions, such as chiaroscuro effects to highlight key figures (Source 8).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing

underdrawing

step 01
Transfer the basic composition of the volunteers onto the canvas using a light charcoal or thinned oil sketch. Focus on the placement of figures and the overall narrative flow.
Tip — Keep lines loose to allow for adjustments during the underpainting phase.
Direct sketching

underpainting

step 02
Create a grisaille using only black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia. Establish the light and shadow structure of the scene.
Tip — Ensure the grisaille is completely dry before proceeding to color glazes to prevent muddiness.
Monochrome underpainting

first pass

step 03
Apply transparent glazes of red and yellow tones over the dry grisaille. Use a medium of oil and varnish to tint the engraving-like underpainting.
Tip — Apply thin, transparent layers to build up color intensity without obscuring the underlying value structure.
Glazing

refining

step 04
Use scumbling (semi-opaque painting) to adjust tones and add texture, particularly in areas where the underlying painting should show through, such as in highlights or textured fabrics.
Tip — Scumbling over darker grounds tends to create coldness or a grey bloom, which can be useful for atmospheric effects.
Scumbling

finishing

step 05
Enhance color brilliance by applying complementary colors adjacent to key areas. For example, place blue tones next to orange/red areas to make them appear more vibrant.
Tip — Observe how juxtaposed colors modify each other; red beside blue verges on orange, and blue beside red verges on green.
Simultaneous Contrast

critical techniques

Glazing and Scumbling

Used to build color over a monochrome underpainting. Glazing involves transparent coats of color, while scumbling is semi-opaque, allowing the underlayer to show through. This method was practiced by old masters and allows for rich, luminous effects.

Simultaneous Contrast

Exploiting the law that colors appear modified by their neighbors. Placing a color next to its complement increases its perceived intensity, while placing it next to a similar color softens it.

Monochrome Underpainting (Grisaille)

Establishing values and forms using only black, ultramarine, and white before introducing color. This separates the structural work from the color work, allowing for greater control over tone and harmony.

common pitfalls

→Applying color glazes before the underpainting is completely dry, which can lead to muddying of the layers.
→Ignoring the effects of simultaneous contrast, resulting in flat or dull colors that do not vibrate with the intensity seen in nature.
→Overworking the sketch, losing the loose, gestural quality characteristic of a preparatory study.
→Failing to distinguish between juxtaposition effects and reflection effects; modifications from juxtaposition are more positive and immediate than those from reflection (Source 2).

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 figures' clothing, expressions, or exact poses in *The departure of the volunteers* are not described in the provided sources.
·The exact dimensions and aspect ratio of the sketch are not provided.
·Induno's specific pigment preferences for this particular work are not documented in the sources, so general period practices are inferred.
·The specific lighting conditions depicted in the sketch are not described, so the artist must rely on general Romantic/Baroque chiaroscuro principles.

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
The Science of Painting↗
- THE LAWS OF COLOURING — applied to Color contrast and palette mixing

cross-referenced from

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

Wikipedia bio — Gerolamo Induno↗
- Biography — applied to Artist's background, sketching habits, and thematic focus
Wikipedia: Genre painting↗
- Genre painting — applied to Context of 19th-century genre painting and Induno's role
Wikipedia: Baroque painting↗
- Baroque painting — applied to Compositional drama and chiaroscuro influences