plate no. 2865
The Life of St. Ignatius Loyola. Plate 10. The Death of St. Ignatius 31st July 1556.
recreation guide
This artwork, 'The Death of St. Ignatius,' is a history painting depicting a specific narrative moment from the life of the saint. As a history painting, it likely contains multiple figures arranged to convey a story rather than a static portrait, consistent with the genre's focus on narrative moments (Source 3). The artist, Carlos Saenz de Tejada, worked in an Art Nouveau style, which suggests an emphasis on decorative harmony and line, though the specific visual details of this plate are not described in the provided sources. The medium is oil, requiring adherence to traditional oil painting principles such as 'fat over lean' to ensure the stability of the paint film (Source 7).
estimated time
40-60 hours over 8-12 sessions
materials
6 items
steps
6 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints (artist grade) | Primary medium for the painting | — |
| Linseed oil | Medium to thin paint and increase gloss/oil content for upper layers | — |
| Mineral spirits or turpentine | Solvent for thinning initial layers and cleaning brushes | — |
| Canvas or panel | Support surface | — |
| Charcoal or thinned paint | For initial sketching of the composition | — |
| Palette knives and rags | For applying paint, scraping errors, and adjusting texture | — |
preparation
surface prep
The surface should be prepared to accept oil paint. While specific preparation methods for Saenz de Tejada are not detailed in the sources, traditional oil painting involves priming the canvas to create a stable ground. The artist should ensure the surface is sound to support the layering of oil paints.
underdrawing
Traditional oil painting techniques often begin with the artist sketching the subject onto the canvas with charcoal or thinned paint (Source 7). Given the narrative complexity of history painting, a detailed underdrawing is likely necessary to position the multiple figures correctly.
underpainting
The artist may employ an underpainting to establish tones and values before applying full color. This aligns with the general practice of building up layers in oil painting. The 'fat over lean' rule dictates that initial layers should be leaner (more solvent) to allow proper drying of subsequent, oilier layers (Source 7).
color palette
White
White lead or Titanium White
General use in this artist's palette; historically used for highlights and mixing
Yellow Ochre
Natural ochre
General use; historically one of the four basic colors available to ancient artists (Source 6)
Red Ochre
Natural red ochre
General use; historically one of the four basic colors available to ancient artists (Source 6)
Black
Ivory black or lamp black
General use; historically one of the four basic colors available to ancient artists (Source 6)
Various Earths
Umbers, siennas
Broken tones and general modeling; sources note earths are sufficient for broken tones and have good covering qualities (Source 6)
composition
History paintings almost always contain a number of figures, often a large number, and normally show a moment in a narrative (Source 3). The composition should focus on depicting this specific narrative moment. The artist has the choice of draperies, ornaments, and background colors, which are not inherent to the model but can be selected to harmonize the composition (Source 1).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the composition onto the canvas using charcoal or thinned paint to position the figures and narrative elements.
Tip — Ensure the narrative moment is clear and figures are proportionally correct.
Initial sketching
underpainting
step 02
Apply a lean underpainting using thinned oil paint to establish basic tones and values.
Tip — Use more solvent than oil in this layer to ensure it dries properly and supports subsequent layers.
Lean underpainting
first pass
step 03
Begin applying color, focusing on large masses and broad effects rather than small details initially.
Tip — Devote attention to great effects, from which many small ones will result spontaneously (Source 1).
Broad masses
refining
step 04
Refine colors and tones, paying attention to the simultaneous contrast of colors. Adjust hues based on their interaction with adjacent colors.
Tip — Be aware that colors appear different when viewed together; the lightest tone may be lowered and the darkest heightened (Source 2).
Simultaneous contrast
finishing
step 05
Apply final layers with more oil content to adhere to the 'fat over lean' rule. Add details and adjust highlights.
Tip — Ensure each additional layer contains more oil than the layer below to prevent cracking (Source 7).
Fat over lean
varnishing
step 06
Allow the painting to dry completely (up to two weeks or more) before applying varnish if desired.
Tip — Oil paint dries by oxidation, not evaporation, so patience is required (Source 7).
Drying by oxidation
critical techniques
Fat over Lean
Each additional layer of paint should contain more oil than the layer below to allow proper drying and prevent cracking. This is a basic rule of oil paint application (Source 7).
Simultaneous Contrast
The artist should perceive and imitate modifications of light and color on the model, understanding that colors appear different when juxtaposed. This helps in harmonizing the composition (Source 2).
Broad Masses
Focus on great effects and broad masses first, allowing smaller details to result spontaneously from these larger decisions (Source 1).
common pitfalls
- →Applying lean layers over fat layers, which can lead to cracking and peeling of the paint film (Source 7).
- →Ignoring the simultaneous contrast of colors, leading to inaccurate color perception and disharmony in the composition (Source 2).
- →Focusing too much on small details early on, rather than establishing broad masses and great effects first (Source 1).
- →Using colors that are not substantial or fixed, which may change or degrade over time (Source 6).
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 Death of St. Ignatius' plate, such as exact figure poses, clothing patterns, or background elements, are not described in the sources.
- ·Carlos Saenz de Tejada's specific palette preferences or signature techniques beyond general Art Nouveau and oil painting practices are not detailed.
- ·The exact year of creation is not available, limiting precise historical context for material choices.
- ·Specific preparatory methods (e.g., use of cartoons, specific underpainting colors) for this artist are not documented in the provided sources.
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 color interaction and focusing on broad effects
- 315. As to the advantages the painter will find in it... — applied to Perceiving color modifications and harmonizing composition
The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- ON COPYING — applied to General advice on craftsmanship and copying for improvement
The Science of Painting↗
- CHAPTER V. COLOURING SUBSTANCES — applied to Historical context of pigments and the utility of earths
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia: History painting↗
- History painting — part 1 — applied to Understanding the genre's focus on narrative and multiple figures
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Oil painting — part 2 — applied to Technical rules of oil painting, including 'fat over lean' and drying times
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
tips & new artworks in your inbox
no spam — unsubscribe anytime.
or to save artworks, chat, and track progress
in this vein
