plate no. 7772
The lady on the chair
Konstantín Korovin, 1917
recreation guide
Konstantin Korovin’s 'The Lady on the Chair' (1917) is an Impressionist portrait that likely emphasizes the interplay of light, color contrast, and atmospheric effect over rigid linear definition. As an Impressionist, Korovin characteristically employed loose brushwork and a vibrant palette to capture fleeting moments of light and mood. The work falls within the tradition of oil portraiture, where the artist must balance the sitter’s likeness with the expressive qualities of the medium. Given the 1917 date, the painting reflects early 20th-century Russian Impressionism, which often retained a certain structural solidity while embracing chromatic experimentation.
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-8 sessions
materials
7 items
steps
5 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints (pigment + drying oil) | Primary medium for the painting | Modern tube oils mixed with linseed or walnut oil |
| Linseed oil | General purpose drying oil for mixing paints | Refined linseed oil |
| Safflower, walnut, or poppyseed oil | Mixing lighter colors like white to prevent yellowing | Safflower oil or poppyseed oil |
| Turpentine | Thinner for initial washes and cleaning brushes | Odorless mineral spirits or turpentine |
| Canvas or linen support | Surface for painting | Primed linen or cotton canvas |
| Charcoal | Underdrawing and initial shading | Vine charcoal or compressed charcoal |
| Raw umber | Setting the palette and initial tonal values | Raw umber oil paint |
preparation
surface prep
Prepare a linen or canvas support. While specific priming methods for Korovin in 1917 are not detailed in the sources, standard oil painting practice of the period involved sizing and priming the support to prevent oil rot and provide a tooth for the paint. The sources note that linen comes from the flax plant, a common support for oil painting (Source 3).
underdrawing
Begin with a charcoal underdrawing. The sources advise drawing and shading in charcoal, using a dry brush to model, and making corrections in this stage before applying paint, as correcting in paint is 'fatal to lucidity' (Source 5). For a seated figure, it is advisable to draw the chair as though it were part of the figure to ensure the subject sits at ease and to help with proportion (Source 6). Hold the brush against the model’s face to ascertain length and keep the drawing slightly smaller than life (Source 5).
underpainting
Set the palette with raw umber and a softer white, using turpentine for the initial wash (Source 5). This monochromatic or limited-color underpainting helps establish tonal values and composition before introducing full color. The sources suggest that one painting will not suffice to complete the study, so paint with the idea of going over it at least three or four times (Source 5).
color palette
White
Lead white (historical) or Titanium/Zinc white (modern)
Highlights and mixing lighter colors; historically, lead white was dominant for its opacity and fast drying, but lighter colors were sometimes mixed with safflower/walnut/poppyseed oil to prevent yellowing (Source 3).
Raw Umber
Raw umber pigment
Initial underpainting and setting tonal values (Source 5).
Complementary Colors
Varied based on dominant tones
Establishing harmony of contrast. If the furniture is of a single color, a carpet of brilliant colors can establish harmony of contrast with the dominant tint of the furniture (Source 1). If the dominant color of the picture is known, hangings or backgrounds should be complementary to it (Source 1).
composition
While specific compositional details of 'The Lady on the Chair' are not described in the sources, general principles for portraits suggest that the dominant colors of the subject should be separated from the chair by a sufficient interval to prevent discord (Source 1). The posture of the subject should be carefully considered to reveal emotional and physical state (Source 2). For seated figures, integrating the chair into the figure’s construction helps overcome difficulties of proportion (Source 6).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing
underdrawing
step 01
Draw the figure and chair in charcoal, treating the chair as part of the figure to ensure proper seating and proportion.
Tip — Make all corrections in the charcoal stage; do not put down paint with obvious errors in construction.
Charcoal underdrawing
underpainting
step 02
Apply a thin wash of raw umber and white mixed with turpentine to establish tonal values.
Tip — Use this stage to refine the drawing and values before adding color.
Imprimatura/Underpainting
first pass
step 03
Begin applying color, focusing on the dominant colors of the subject and the chair. Ensure sufficient separation between the subject’s colors and the chair’s colors to prevent discord.
Tip — Control the brilliancy of vivid colors; use simple colors for carpets or backgrounds if the subject is vivid.
Color blocking
refining
step 04
Build up layers, going over the painting at least three or four times to achieve depth and luminosity.
Tip — Mix paint with medium on the palette to get desired characteristics; use siccatives if faster drying is needed.
Glazing/Layering
finishing
step 05
Adjust contrasts and harmonies. If the furniture is mahogany, avoid red, scarlet, or orange as dominant colors in the carpet or background.
Tip — Ensure the dominant color of any hangings is complementary to the dominant color of the picture.
Color harmony adjustment
critical techniques
Color Contrast and Harmony
Separate dominant colors of the subject from the chair to prevent discord. Use complementary colors for hangings or backgrounds to enhance the picture’s dominant color.
Layering and Correction
Make corrections in the charcoal stage, not in paint. Plan for multiple passes (3-4 times) to complete the study.
Medium Mixing
Mix paint with linseed, safflower, walnut, or poppyseed oil to control drying time and prevent yellowing in light colors.
common pitfalls
- →Putting down paint with obvious errors in construction or drawing, which is 'fatal to lucidity' (Source 5).
- →Allowing the dominant colors of the subject to clash with the chair’s colors without sufficient separation (Source 1).
- →Using linseed oil for white pigments, which may yellow on drying; use safflower, walnut, or poppyseed oil for lighter colors (Source 3).
- →Placing engravings or plain lithographs beside oil paintings, which is advised against (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 Lady on the Chair' (e.g., exact clothing, facial expression, room layout) are not described in the sources.
- ·Korovin’s specific palette preferences for 1917 are not detailed; general Impressionist practices are inferred.
- ·The exact number of sittings Korovin used for this portrait is unknown; general portrait practices suggest 4 sittings on average (Source 2).
- ·Specific brush types or stroke techniques unique to Korovin are not covered in the sources.
grounded in
The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 481-485 — applied to Color harmony, contrast between subject and chair, and background/hanging colors.
The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- PAINTING FROM LIFE — applied to Underdrawing, charcoal use, and layering process.
- CONSTRUCTION OF THE FIGURE — applied to Drawing seated figures and integrating the chair into the composition.
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia: Portrait painting↗
- part 4 — applied to General portrait process, sittings, and managing sitter expectations.
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- part 4 — applied to Materials, drying oils, pigments, and medium mixing.
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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