plate no. 2279
The Orange Seller
Joseph Farquharson, 1893
recreation guide
Joseph Farquharson is primarily celebrated for his Scottish winter landscapes, often featuring sheep and dramatic lighting at dawn or dusk, earning him nicknames like 'Frozen Mutton' Farquharson (Source 1). While The Orange Seller (1893) is categorized as a cityscape and realism, it likely diverges from his typical rural snow scenes, yet retains his characteristic attention to human figures engaged in everyday labor within a landscape context (Source 1). Farquharson’s practice involved a rigorous academic training at the Trustees' Academy and the Royal Scottish Academy, where he studied under Peter Graham, whose influence on his landscape handling is described as 'unmistakable' (Source 1). His works often combine broad atmospheric effects with detailed figures, suggesting a technique that balances mass and finish.
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions
materials
6 items
steps
6 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints | Primary medium for the final layers | Artist-grade oil paints |
| Linseed oil | Medium to thin paint and increase gloss/flexibility | Refined linseed oil |
| Mineral spirits or turpentine | Solvent for thinning initial layers and cleaning brushes | Odorless mineral spirits |
| Canvas | Support surface | Linen or cotton canvas, primed |
| Charcoal or thinned paint | For initial sketching/underdrawing | Vine charcoal or raw umber thinned with solvent |
| Palette knives and rags | For scraping, applying, and adjusting paint texture | Standard palette knives and lint-free cloths |
preparation
surface prep
The canvas should be prepared with a ground suitable for oil painting. While specific priming details for this 1893 work are not explicitly detailed in the sources, Farquharson’s academic training implies a standard professional preparation. The surface must be stable to support the layering techniques described, including potential glazing and scumbling (Source 3).
underdrawing
Traditional oil painting techniques often begin with the artist sketching the subject onto the canvas with charcoal or thinned paint (Source 7). Given Farquharson’s academic background at the Life School, a precise underdrawing establishing the figure and architectural elements is likely. The drawing should establish the 'center of interest' and ensure the subject does not face out of the image, adhering to compositional principles of the era (Source 8).
underpainting
A grisaille (monochrome underpainting) is a strong candidate for the underpainting phase, consistent with the 'old masters' method referenced in the sources. This involves painting the forms in neutral tones, mentally extracting red and yellow colors to establish value and form before applying color (Source 3). This method allows for the 'glazing and scumbling' of transparent and semi-opaque layers later, a technique Farquharson’s contemporaries and predecessors utilized to achieve depth and luminosity (Source 3).
color palette
Ultramarine
Ultramarine blue
Likely used in the initial monochrome underpainting or for cool shadows, as Sir Joshua Reynolds (a cited influence on method) used ultramarine, black, and white for first paintings (Source 3).
White
Lead white or Titanium white
Highlights and mixing for value control in the grisaille and final layers (Source 3).
Black
Ivory black or Lamp black
Shadows and defining forms in the initial monochrome stage (Source 3).
Red and Yellow tones
Vermilion, Cadmium Yellow, or similar period pigments
Applied via glazing and scumbling over the dry grisaille to introduce warmth and local color, particularly for the oranges and skin tones (Source 3).
composition
The composition should avoid exact bisections of the picture space and ensure the horizon line does not divide the artwork into two equal parts (Source 8). The prominent subject (the seller and oranges) should be off-center to create a dynamic balance, potentially balanced by smaller satellite elements in the cityscape background (Source 8). A center of interest must be established to prevent the work from becoming merely a pattern, with the viewer's eye led around all elements before exiting the picture (Source 8). Contrast between detailed areas (the figure/oranges) and 'rest' areas (background architecture/sky) will aid visual focus (Source 8).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the composition onto the canvas using charcoal or thinned paint, ensuring the main subject is off-center and the horizon line is positioned to emphasize either sky or ground appropriately.
Tip — Check that no spaces between objects are identical to maintain visual interest (Source 8).
Initial Sketching
underpainting
step 02
Apply a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) using black, ultramarine, and white to establish values and forms. This layer should represent what would be left in nature if red and yellow colors were absent.
Tip — Ensure this layer is completely dry before proceeding to color application to prevent muddiness.
Grisaille
first pass
step 03
Begin applying color using glazing and scumbling techniques. Glaze transparent coats of red and yellow tones over the dry grisaille to build up warmth and local color, similar to tinting an engraving.
Tip — Use oil as a medium initially. Glazing allows the underlying painting to show through, creating depth.
Glazing
refining
step 04
Use scumbling (semi-opaque painting) to adjust tones and create effects like a 'grey bloom' over darker grounds. Apply paint with brushes, palette knives, or rags to adjust texture and translucency.
Tip — Scumbling tends to coldness when used over darker grounds; use this to balance the warmth of the glazes.
Scumbling
finishing
step 05
Refine details, particularly in the figure and the oranges, ensuring a balance between broad masses and finish. Avoid 'smallness' or being too tied down to the outline.
Tip — Check for 'fat over lean' adherence: ensure each additional layer contains more oil than the layer below to prevent cracking.
Detailing
varnishing
step 06
Once the painting is fully dry (which may take weeks due to oxidation), apply a varnish if desired to unify the surface sheen and protect the work.
Tip — Oil paint dries by oxidation, not evaporation; ensure sufficient drying time between layers.
Varnishing
critical techniques
Glazing and Scumbling
Used to apply color over a dry monochrome underpainting. Glazing provides transparent color layers, while scumbling adds semi-opaque texture. This method was practiced by old masters and allows for complex color interactions without muddying the paint.
Fat over Lean
A basic rule of oil paint application where each additional layer contains more oil than the previous one. This ensures proper drying and prevents the final painting from cracking and peeling.
Compositional Balance
Avoiding exact bisections, placing the subject off-center, and using contrast between detailed and rest areas to guide the viewer's eye.
common pitfalls
- →Applying layers with less oil than the previous layer, leading to cracking and peeling (Source 7).
- →Becoming too tied down to the outline or over-modeling, which can make the painting appear stiff or 'small' (Source 2).
- →Dividing the picture space with exact bisections or placing the horizon line in the exact center, which can create a static or unbalanced composition (Source 8).
- →Attempting to copy without sufficient experience in painting from life, which may hinder the application of learned techniques (Source 2).
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 Orange Seller (e.g., exact clothing patterns, facial expressions, specific architectural features) are not described in the provided sources, so these must be inferred from the artist's general style or external reference images not included here.
- ·The exact pigment palette used by Farquharson in 1893 is not specified, though general period practices and Reynolds' methods are cited as proxies.
- ·Whether Farquharson specifically used the grisaille method for this particular cityscape is inferred from general 'old master' techniques and his academic training, not explicitly stated for this work.
grounded in
The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.
The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- ON COPYING — applied to Advice on avoiding 'smallness' and over-modeling, and the importance of painting from life before copying
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Grisaille underpainting, glazing, and scumbling techniques
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia bio — Joseph Farquharson↗
- part 1 — applied to Artist background, training, and general style (landscapes, figures, Peter Graham influence)
Wikipedia: Composition (visual arts)↗
- part 1 and part 6 — applied to Compositional principles: center of interest, horizon line placement, avoiding bisections, and contrast of detail
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- part 2 — applied to General oil techniques: fat over lean, drying by oxidation, use of solvents and mediums
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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