The Feast of St. Anthony in Rome

Warm sunlight floods from the upper left, illuminating the procession and architecture while casting deep shadows in the foreground street and beneath the building's colonnade on the right. The composition draws the eye first to the carriage with the woman in pink at center, which sits elevated and surrounded by figures on horseback and foot, then leads upward to the pale basilica in the background where the architecture repeats the vertical rhythm of the procession. The scene is anchored by strong horizontal bands: the shadowed street ground, the middle-ground cluster of figures and cart, and the luminous façade of buildings receding toward the distant domed church.

The darkest darks are concentrated in the immediate foreground (shadows beneath the arch, the dogs, dark clothing), while the lightest lights are the sky, the woman's pink dress, and the illuminated stone façade of the distant basilica. There are three distinct value zones: deep shadow in the foreground street and colonnaded interior (right), mid-tone warm browns and taupes across the building surfaces and figures' clothing, and a bright blue-white sky that anchors atmospheric depth. Squint, and the carriage and its attendants read as one bright knot against darker surroundings.

• #bec7cf

  Lead white with touch of ultramarine and yellow ochre

  Sky, cloud highlights, the basilica's illuminated stone facade, woman's dress highlights

• #b6ab9b

  Yellow ochre, burnt sienna, and white

  Building stone surfaces, middle-ground figures' clothing, warm architectural shadows

• #87715a

  Burnt umber with yellow ochre

  Mid-tone earth and darker clothing, cast shadows on the street and arcaded interior

• #5f493a

  Burnt umber with ultramarine, minimal white

  Dark silhouettes of figures on horseback, deep shadows beneath the arch, dogs' fur

• #362f29

  Burnt umber, ultramarine, with only trace white—or near-black pigment

  Darkest accents in shadow areas, outline definition, interior shadows of the colonnade

Marstrand uses softer, more blended edges in the distant basilica and sky to establish atmospheric recession, while foreground figures and street details receive crisper edges and visible brushwork. The carriage, horses, and central figures show confident, gestural strokes that suggest form without photographic finish—drapery is indicated with flowing diagonal strokes rather than rendered completely. Shadow areas, especially under the arch and in the street, use thinner, more translucent application, allowing underlayers to suggest depth.

1. 01

   Establish the composition and sky

   Lightly draw the horizon line and place the basilica's tower and dome in the far distance, slightly off-center to the left. Sketch the foreground street plane and the arcade on the right. Block in the sky with a pale blue-white mixed from lead white, ultramarine, and a warm yellow ochre touch. Keep the sky luminous and nearly uniform, with soft cloud shapes barely differentiated in value.

2. 02

   Lay in the architectural backdrop

   Paint the distant basilica and surrounding buildings in warm pale stone tones (yellow ochre + white + touch of burnt sienna). Keep edges soft and slightly desaturated to push them back. The basilica should read as light and airy, catching the sun. The colonnade on the right should already recede—use cooler, shadowy tones here (burnt umber + ultramarine) to indicate the arcaded interior.

3. 03

   Block in the mid-ground figures and carriage

   Establish the main group: sketch the wooden cartwheel, the woman in pink, and the mounted figures surrounding them. Work in mid-tone browns and ochres for the horses and clothing. The carriage should be warm tan; the woman's dress should be a clear, light pink-mauve. Don't detail yet—just establish positions and value relationships so they read as a unified, elevated focal point.

4. 04

   Develop the street shadow and foreground

   The immediate foreground street is shadowed and cool relative to the sunlit upper street. Paint this area in burnt umber with ultramarine, leaving it darker than the mid-ground. Place the dogs and foreground figures here in silhouette or near-silhouette. The shadow areas should feel recessive and cool, contrasting with the warm illumination above.

5. 05

   Model the arcade and interior shadow

   The colonnade on the right recedes into shadow—use translucent burnt umber and ultramarine glazes to suggest the depth of that space. The arches should be clearly defined but soft-edged, with warm stone catching light at the edges and cool shadow inside. This area anchors the composition and provides a dramatic frame for the procession.

6. 06

   Add definition to mounted figures and crowd

   Work into the surrounding figures and horsemen with warmer, more detailed strokes. The riders on the left and upper-center should show clear silhouettes and costume details. Use darker strokes (burnt umber, ultramarine) to outline forms and suggest the texture of clothing and tack. Keep the crowd figures looser and less distinct—they recede into mid-tone complexity.

7. 07

   Refine the carriage and central group

   The carriage and attendant figures are your brightest, most detailed passage. Add clear strokes for the wheel spokes, the cart's wooden structure, and the folds in the woman's pink dress. The faces and hands of the central figures should show the most finish. Use layered, opaque paint here—this is where the eye should linger longest.

8. 08

   Unify with atmospheric glaze and final accents

   Step back and assess. The entire scene should feel bathed in warm Roman sunlight. Use a thin, warm glaze (yellow ochre + touch of ultramarine in linseed oil) over shadow areas to warm them and create atmospheric unity. Add darkest accents—ultramarine + burnt umber near-black—where forms meet in shadow, especially the dogs' silhouettes and the colonnade interior. Ensure the sky remains the palest zone and crisps any edges that have become too soft in the crowd.

• Making the sky too blue or too varied—it should be nearly uniform in pale blue-white, with only subtle cloud differentiation. Overworking it will flatten the recession.
• Treating all the crowd figures with equal detail—the foreground street figures should read as loose, atmospheric silhouettes, while only the carriage group and near-mounted figures deserve crisp definition.
• Losing the carriage in shadow. It must remain the brightest, warmest, most luminous passage. If surrounding values creep too light, the composition loses its focal hierarchy.
• Underpaint the arcade interior too opaquely. It needs translucency and depth—use thin glazes of cool shadow so light still seems to filter through the arches.
• Placing the woman's pink dress with too much saturation early on. It should be a muted mauve-pink that reads as fabric catching warm light, not a garish highlight.

beginner friendliness

value contrast

palette complexity

compositional simplicity

brushwork visibility