plate no. 1411
The Life of St. Ignatius Loyola. Plate 1. Ignatius recovers from his wounds at Loyola.
recreation guide
This artwork, 'The Life of St. Ignatius Loyola. Plate 1,' by Carlos Saenz de Tejada, is a history painting executed in oil. As a history painting, it depicts a specific narrative moment—Ignatius recovering from wounds—rather than a static portrait or landscape, requiring the coordination of multiple figures and a dramatic composition (Source 3). The work belongs to the Art Nouveau (Modern) style, suggesting a departure from strict academic realism in favor of stylized forms, though the medium remains traditional oil. The creation process relies on established oil painting techniques, including the 'fat over lean' rule to ensure structural integrity and the use of solvents to adjust drying times and consistency (Source 1, Source 4).
estimated time
40-60 hours over 6-8 weeks (allowing for oxidation drying times between layers)
materials
7 items
steps
6 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints (artist grade) | Primary medium for color application | — |
| Linseed oil | Medium to increase oil content in upper layers ('fat over lean') and adjust translucency | Refined linseed oil |
| Mineral spirits or turpentine | Solvent to thin paint for underdrawing and initial layers, and for cleaning brushes | Odorless mineral spirits (OMS) or pure gum turpentine |
| Charcoal or thinned paint | Initial sketching of the composition onto the canvas | Vine charcoal or raw umber thinned with solvent |
| Canvas | Support surface | Linen or cotton duck canvas, primed |
| Palette knives and rags | Application and removal of paint layers; scraping if necessary | — |
| Varnish (optional) | Final protection and sheen adjustment, potentially mixed with oil for glazing | Dammar or synthetic resin varnish |
preparation
surface prep
The canvas should be primed with a ground suitable for oil painting. While specific priming methods for Saenz de Tejada are not detailed in the sources, traditional practice involves a stable ground to prevent oil from rotting the canvas fibers. The surface should be smooth enough to allow for the detailed narrative depiction typical of history painting (Source 3).
underdrawing
Begin by sketching the subject onto the canvas using charcoal or thinned paint. This initial drawing establishes the narrative moment and the positions of the figures, which is crucial for history paintings that depict a specific story beat (Source 1, Source 4, Source 3).
underpainting
Apply a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) to establish values and forms. This layer should be 'lean' (mixed with more solvent than oil) to allow proper drying. The grisaille serves as the structural foundation, allowing the artist to focus on value contrasts before introducing color (Source 2).
color palette
White
White lead or titanium white
Highlights and mixing; historically part of the basic palette (Source 6)
Black
Ivory black or lamp black
Shadows and defining forms in the grisaille stage (Source 2, Source 6)
Ultramarine
Ultramarine pigment
Cool shadows and atmospheric tones; noted in Reynolds' method for initial paintings (Source 2)
Red Ochre/Vermilion
Red ochre, cinnabar, or red lac
Flesh tones and drapery; essential for the 'red and yellow tones' extracted in the grisaille stage (Source 2, Source 6)
Yellow Ochre
Natural or burnt ochre
Earthy tones and flesh highlights; part of the ancient and traditional palette (Source 6)
Blue (Indigo/Ultramarine)
Indigo or ultramarine
Cool contrasts and sky/background elements (Source 6)
Green (Verdigris)
Verdigris
Accents and foliage if present; part of the expanded historical palette (Source 6)
composition
As a history painting, the composition must depict a specific moment in the narrative of St. Ignatius's life, likely involving multiple figures to convey the story (Source 3). The arrangement should guide the viewer's eye through the narrative action. While specific visual details of this plate are not described in the sources, history paintings typically use dynamic poses and expressive gestures to communicate the 'story' (Source 3).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the composition onto the primed canvas using charcoal or thinned paint. Focus on the narrative accuracy of the scene.
Tip — Ensure the figures are positioned to tell the story clearly, as history painting relies on narrative clarity (Source 3).
Initial sketching
underpainting
step 02
Apply a grisaille (monochrome) layer using black, white, and potentially ultramarine. This layer should be lean (more solvent than oil).
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors, focusing on value and form. This prepares the surface for glazing (Source 2).
Grisaille
first pass
step 03
Once the grisaille is dry, begin applying color. Use glazing (transparent coats) and scumbling (semi-opaque painting) to introduce red and yellow tones.
Tip — Apply color much like tinting an engraving with watercolors. Ensure each layer has more oil than the previous one ('fat over lean') to prevent cracking (Source 1, Source 2, Source 4).
Glazing and Scumbling
refining
step 04
Refine the flesh tones and drapery. Use the law of simultaneous contrast to adjust colors based on their surroundings. For example, if a red drapery is next to a green background, the red may appear more intense.
Tip — Be aware that the eye perceives colors differently when juxtaposed. Adjust tones to harmonize the composition (Source 7, Source 8).
Simultaneous Contrast
finishing
step 05
Add final details and highlights. Use palette knives or brushes to adjust texture and form. Oil paint remains wet long enough to make changes, but allow layers to dry by oxidation (not evaporation) before adding new layers.
Tip — Wait for layers to dry to the touch (up to two weeks) before applying subsequent layers to avoid muddying or cracking (Source 1, Source 4).
Layering and Oxidation
varnishing
step 06
Apply a final varnish to protect the painting and unify the sheen. This can be done after the painting is fully cured.
Tip — Varnish can also be mixed with oil for glazing effects in earlier stages (Source 2).
Varnishing
critical techniques
Fat over Lean
Each additional layer of paint must contain more oil than the layer below to ensure proper drying and prevent cracking. This is a fundamental rule of oil painting (Source 1, Source 4).
Glazing and Scumbling
Glazing involves applying transparent coats of color over a dry underpainting, while scumbling uses semi-opaque paint. These techniques allow for rich color depth and are characteristic of old master methods (Source 2).
Simultaneous Contrast
Colors appear different when placed next to each other. The painter must account for this to harmonize the composition and accurately depict light modifications (Source 7, Source 8).
common pitfalls
- →Applying lean layers over fat layers, which will cause the painting to crack and peel (Source 1, Source 4).
- →Ignoring the drying time of oil paint, which dries by oxidation and can take up to two weeks to be dry to the touch (Source 1, Source 4).
- →Failing to account for simultaneous contrast, leading to inaccurate color perception and disharmonious compositions (Source 7, Source 8).
- →Over-modeling or being too tied to the outline, which can result in a stiff appearance. Copying works by masters like Rubens or Velazquez can help correct this (Source 5).
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 'Plate 1' such as the exact poses, clothing patterns, or background elements are not described in the sources, so the composition notes are generalized based on the genre of history painting.
- ·Carlos Saenz de Tejada's specific personal palette or unique stylistic quirks beyond the general Art Nouveau label are not detailed in the provided sources.
- ·The exact year of creation is not available, so period-specific material constraints are inferred from general oil painting practices of the era.
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 Grisaille underpainting, glazing, and scumbling techniques (Source 2)
- ON COPYING — applied to Advice on correcting compositional weaknesses (Source 5)
The Science of Painting↗
- CHAPTER V. COLOURING SUBSTANCES — applied to Historical pigment choices and palette composition (Source 6)
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315-324 — applied to Color harmony and simultaneous contrast principles (Source 7, Source 8)
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Oil painting — part 2 — applied to Underdrawing, fat over lean rule, drying times, and tools (Source 1, Source 4)
Wikipedia: History painting↗
- History painting — part 1 — applied to Definition of genre, narrative focus, and compositional requirements (Source 3)
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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