plate no. 2669

The Displacement of the Travelling Acrobats

oilRealismgenre paintingfiguresbuildingscityscapepovertyfamily

recreation guide

This recreation guide addresses the painting of a genre scene in the style of Honoré Daumier, specifically focusing on the Realist depiction of everyday life. As a genre painting, the work likely portrays ordinary people engaged in common activities, distinguishing it from history painting or portraiture by focusing on figures to whom no specific identity is attached (Source 5). The distinctive quality of this artwork lies in its adherence to Realism, where the artist seeks to express the 'emotional significance' of the subject rather than merely producing a deceptive illusion of nature (Source 6). The painting serves as a painted symbol, true to nature yet intimately associated with the materiality of oil paint, ensuring the viewer remains aware of the medium's vitality (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 (White lead, Yellow Ochre, Red Ochre, Black, Ultramarine)	Primary pigments for underpainting and glazing, consistent with historical palettes and Reynolds' method cited in sources.	Titanium White, Yellow Ochre, Red Ochre, Mars Black, Ultramarine Blue
Oil of Copavia or Linseed Oil	Medium for mixing paints, specifically noted in Reynolds' method for first and second paintings.	Stand Oil or Linseed Oil
Canvas or Panel	Support for the oil painting.	Linen Canvas
Varnish	For glazing and scumbling techniques to achieve transparent coats of color.	Dammar Varnish

preparation

surface prep

Prepare the surface with a ground suitable for oil painting. While specific preparation for Daumier is not detailed in the sources, the general practice of the period involved ensuring the surface could support the 'vital qualities' of the medium without absorbing too much oil, allowing for the illusion of natural appearances without losing the character of the paint (Source 6).

underdrawing

The underdrawing should aim for 'artistic accuracy' rather than scientific precision. It must convey the 'emotional significance' of the figures and their displacement, capturing the form in a more vivid manner than ordinary sight (Source 8). The drawing should be highly finished in study to acquire the habit of minute visual expression, which becomes instinctive during the emotional stimulus of painting (Source 8).

underpainting

Employ a grisaille (monochrome underpainting) using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia. This method, attributed to Sir Joshua Reynolds, establishes the tonal structure before introducing color. The artist mentally extracts red and yellow colors, translating what would be left in nature if these colors were not present (Source 7). This allows for the subsequent application of color through glazing and scumbling.

color palette

White

White lead or chalk white

Highlights and mixing for tints in the grisaille and final layers.

Yellow Ochre

Natural ochre

General use in the palette; provides earthy tones for flesh and drapery.

Red Ochre

Red ochre or cinnabar

General use in the palette; provides warmth and depth.

Black

Ivory black or grapestone black

Shadows and tonal contrast in the grisaille.

Ultramarine

Ultramarine blue

Cool shadows and atmospheric effects in the grisaille.

composition

The composition should reflect the genre painting tradition of depicting ordinary people in common activities, possibly with a moral or social theme inherent in the 'displacement' of the acrobats (Source 5). The arrangement of figures should avoid arbitrary placement, instead selecting forms and colors that harmonize with the nature of the objects represented (Source 1). The artist should consider the 'law of simultaneous contrast' to ensure that colors and tones are perceived correctly in relation to one another, avoiding the fatigue of the eye caused by disentangling unknown modifications (Source 2).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing

underdrawing

step 01
Create a highly finished drawing that captures the emotional significance of the acrobats' displacement, focusing on form and expression rather than mere scientific accuracy.
Tip — Ensure the drawing conveys the 'vivid manner' of the subject, preparing for the emotional stimulus of painting.
Artistic Accuracy

underpainting

step 02
Apply a grisaille using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia. Establish the tonal values, mentally extracting red and yellow colors.
Tip — Focus on the 'chiaro-scuro' effect, ensuring a true gradation of light from the line of juxtaposition.
Grisaille

first pass

step 03
Once the grisaille is dry, begin glazing and scumbling with oil. Apply yellow and red tones as they occur, similar to tinting an engraving with watercolors.
Tip — Use glazing for transparent coats and scumbling for semi-opaque layers, allowing the underlying painting to show through.
Glazing and Scumbling

refining

step 04
Refine the colors by considering the law of simultaneous contrast. Adjust tones so that the lightest tone is lowered and the darkest heightened when juxtaposed.
Tip — Be aware that the eye may see colors inaccurately due to mixed contrast; adjust accordingly to harmonize the composition.
Simultaneous Contrast

finishing

step 05
Complete the painting by ensuring that the colors inherent to the model (flesh, eyes, hair) are fixed, while chosen colors (draperies, background) harmonize with the overall composition.
Tip — Devote attention to great effects, allowing many small ones to result spontaneously from the principles of contrast.
Color Harmony

critical techniques

Simultaneous Contrast

Used to perceive and imitate the modifications of light on the model, ensuring that colors are not seen in isolation but in relation to their complements and adjacent tones.

Glazing and Scumbling

Applied over a dry grisaille to build up color transparently and semi-opaquely, allowing for a rich depth and harmony in the final painting.

Artistic Accuracy

Prioritizes the emotional significance and vivid expression of form over scientific precision, ensuring the painting conveys the artist's feeling.

common pitfalls

→Attempting to produce a deceptive illusion of nature at the expense of the medium's vitality, which results in a 'meretricious' attempt to deceive the eye (Source 6).
→Ignoring the law of simultaneous contrast, leading to inaccurate color perception and disharmony in the composition (Source 2).
→Over-modeling or being too tied down to the outline, which can result in a lack of spontaneity and emotional expression (Source 3).
→Using a palette that is not substantial or fixed, leading to chemical reactions or changes in color over time (Source 4).

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 Displacement of the Travelling Acrobats' such as exact clothing patterns, facial expressions, or room layout are not described in the sources and must be inferred from the artist's general style or omitted.
·The exact year of creation is not available, which may affect the specific period conventions applied.
·Daumier's specific preparatory methods for this particular work are not detailed in the sources, so general practices of the period and Reynolds' methods are used as proxies.

grounded in

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

Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 6. Put beside each other two flat tints... — applied to Understanding chiaroscuro and simultaneous contrast for color harmony.
- 315. As to the advantages the painter will find in it... — applied to Perceiving modifications of light and harmonizing colors.
The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- ON COPYING — applied to Guidance on copying works to correct weaknesses and improve technique.
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Technique of grisaille, glazing, and scumbling.
The Science of Painting↗
- CHAPTER V. COLOURING SUBSTANCES — applied to Selection of substantial and fixed coloring substances for the palette.
The Practice and Science of Drawing↗
- XX MATERIALS — applied to Importance of medium's vitality and avoiding deceptive illusion.
- FROM A STUDY BY BOTTICELLI — applied to Concept of artistic accuracy and emotional significance in drawing.