plate no. 2711

The Passing of Robin Hood

N.C. Wyeth, 1917

oilRomanticismillustrationfiguresinteriorwindowbow and arrowbedarchitecture

recreation guide

N.C. Wyeth’s *The Passing of Robin Hood* (1917) is a quintessential example of the Brandywine School’s illustrative realism, characterized by dramatic chiaroscuro and narrative intensity. While the provided sources do not describe the specific visual details of this painting (such as the exact arrangement of figures or background elements), they ground the recreation in Wyeth’s documented practice of using oil paint to achieve high-impact, illusionistic effects without losing the integrity of the medium. The work relies on the principles of simultaneous contrast and the strategic use of glazing and scumbling to build depth and luminosity, techniques that were standard among the 'old masters' and adapted by Wyeth for commercial illustration.

estimated time

40-60 hours over 8-12 sessions

materials

5 items

steps

5 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (earth tones, ochres, umbers, whites, blacks)	Primary medium for underpainting and final layers	—
Oil of copavia or linseed oil	Medium for glazing and scumbling, as referenced in historical practice	Stand oil or walnut oil for slower drying
Varnish	Mixed with oil for advanced glazing stages	Dammar varnish
Canvas or panel	Support for oil application	Linen canvas primed with gesso
Charcoal or graphite	Underdrawing to establish outline basis	—

preparation

surface prep

Prepare a rigid support (panel or stretched canvas) with a neutral ground. Wyeth’s practice, consistent with the Brandywine School, favored a solid foundation that allowed for the layering of transparent and semi-opaque glazes. The surface should be smooth enough to allow for fine detail but textured enough to hold the oil medium. (Source 5)

underdrawing

Begin with a clear outline basis. Historical analysis suggests that artists of this tradition, including those influenced by Leonardo and Raphael, maintained a faithful outline basis to hold the picture together, even when fusing edges later. Use charcoal or thin wash to establish the major forms and narrative composition before applying paint. (Source 7)

underpainting

Execute a grisaille (monochrome underpainting) using black, ultramarine, and white. This step involves mentally extracting red and yellow colors to establish the value structure and light/shadow relationships. This monochrome layer must be completely dry before proceeding. (Source 1)

color palette

Black, Ultramarine, White

Pure pigments

Grisaille underpainting to establish values and forms

Yellow Ochre, Red Ochre, Earths

Natural earth pigments

General use in this artist's palette; these provide fixed, covering tones for broken tones and flesh tones

Transparent Reds and Yellows

Glazing mediums mixed with red/yellow pigments

Glazing over the dry grisaille to reintroduce color warmth and depth

composition

While specific compositional details of *The Passing of Robin Hood* are not described in the sources, Wyeth’s work generally adheres to the principle of 'great effects' resulting from careful attention to contrast. The composition likely utilizes simultaneous contrast to harmonize inherent colors (flesh, drapery) with chosen background elements. The artist would have selected colors to enhance the emotional impact, ensuring that the juxtaposition of tones creates a true gradation of light and shadow. (Source 4)

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the composition using charcoal, focusing on the outline basis to hold the picture together. Ensure the narrative elements are clearly defined.
Tip — Keep lines loose but accurate; this layer will be covered.
Outline basis

underpainting

step 02
Apply a grisaille using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia. Establish all light and shadow values, mentally excluding red and yellow hues.
Tip — Ensure this layer is completely dry before proceeding to avoid muddying the glazes.
Grisaille

first pass

step 03
Begin glazing with transparent red and yellow tones over the dry grisaille. Use oil as a medium initially. Apply these colors much like tinting an engraving with watercolors.
Tip — Apply thin, transparent layers to allow the underlying monochrome to show through, creating depth.
Glazing

refining

step 04
Use scumbling (semi-opaque painting) to adjust tones, particularly over darker grounds to create coldness or grey blooms. Mix varnish and oil for greater mastery and transparency control.
Tip — Watch for the underlying painting making itself felt through the semi-opaque layer.
Scumbling

finishing

step 05
Refine details by considering simultaneous contrast. Adjust colors based on their interaction with adjacent hues, ensuring that the lightest tones are lowered and darkest heightened where necessary for harmony.
Tip — Avoid overworking; the eye may be fatigued by seeking to disentangle subtle modifications.
Simultaneous Contrast

critical techniques

Glazing and Scumbling

Used to build color and depth over a dry monochrome underpainting. Glazing adds transparent color, while scumbling adds semi-opaque texture and tone.

Simultaneous Contrast

Applied to harmonize colors and perceive modifications of light on the model. The artist must account for how adjacent colors affect each other’s appearance.

Outline Basis

Maintaining a clear structural outline to hold the composition together, even as visual details are added.

common pitfalls

→Attempting to paint directly in color without a monochrome underpainting, which may lead to a lack of structural integrity and depth.
→Overworking the glazes before they are dry, resulting in muddy colors rather than transparent luminosity.
→Ignoring the effects of simultaneous contrast, leading to colors that appear inaccurate or disharmonious due to adjacent hue interactions.
→Losing sight of the medium’s vitality by attempting pure illusionism, thereby forgetting that the work is a painted symbol rather than a substitute for nature. (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 *The Passing of Robin Hood* (e.g., exact figure poses, background elements, clothing patterns) are not described in the provided sources.
·N.C. Wyeth’s specific palette choices for this particular painting are not detailed; the guide relies on general historical practices and his association with the Brandywine School.
·The exact drying times and environmental conditions for Wyeth’s studio are not specified, which may affect the layering process.

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
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315-318 — applied to Understanding simultaneous contrast and color harmony
The Science of Painting↗
- CHAPTER V. COLOURING SUBSTANCES — applied to Selection of earth tones and traditional pigments
The Practice and Science of Drawing↗
- XX MATERIALS — applied to Respecting the vitality of the oil medium and avoiding mere illusionism
- STUDY BY WATTEAU — applied to Importance of outline basis in composition