plate no. 3339
The portalón. Vitoria, fifties.
recreation guide
This artwork, titled 'The portalón. Vitoria, fifties,' is a genre painting by Carlos Saenz de Tejada, executed in oil. As a genre work, it likely depicts aspects of everyday life or ordinary people engaged in common activities, consistent with the tradition of portraying subjects to whom no specific identity is attached (Source 4). The style is identified as Art Nouveau (Modern), which suggests an emphasis on decorative lines and organic forms, though specific visual details of the composition are not provided in the sources. The artist’s practice involves using oil paint as a medium capable of vast capacity, where the artist must select qualities from nature for expression rather than merely attempting to deceive the eye with illusion (Source 5).
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions
materials
5 items
steps
6 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints | Primary medium for the painting | — |
| Linseed oil or oil of copavia | Medium for mixing colors, particularly in early stages | Stand oil or walnut oil |
| Canvas or panel | Support surface | — |
| Gesso or ground | Preparation of the surface | — |
| Varnish | For glazing and finishing, mixed with oil | Dammar or synthetic resin varnish |
preparation
surface prep
The surface should be prepared with a ground suitable for oil painting. While specific preparation methods for Saenz de Tejada are not detailed, the general practice of oil painting involves ensuring the surface is ready to receive the oil medium, which has a vast capacity for expression (Source 5).
underdrawing
The sources do not specify the underdrawing technique for this artist. However, given the Art Nouveau style, one might expect an emphasis on line as a visual path that enables the eye to move within the piece (Source 3).
underpainting
A monochrome underpainting, such as a grisaille, is recommended. This involves mentally extracting red and yellow colors to create a neutral base, which is then glazed and scumbled with oil colors (Source 2). This method is consistent with the practices of old masters and can be useful for achieving the desired effects in this style.
color palette
Black
Black pigment
General use in the initial underpainting stages
Ultramarine
Ultramarine pigment
General use in the initial underpainting stages
White
White pigment
General use in the initial underpainting stages
Red and Yellow tones
Red and yellow pigments
Glazing and scumbling over the dry grisaille to add color
composition
The composition likely involves the organization of visual elements such as line, shape, color, texture, value, form, and space (Source 3). As a genre painting, it may depict ordinary people in common activities, without specific identities (Source 4). The Art Nouveau style suggests an emphasis on decorative and organic forms.
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the composition lightly, focusing on the arrangement of figures and objects.
Tip — Ensure the line guides the eye through the piece.
Underdrawing
underpainting
step 02
Create a grisaille underpainting using black, ultramarine, and white, mixed with oil of copavia or linseed oil.
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors to create a neutral base.
Grisaille
first pass
step 03
Allow the grisaille to dry completely.
Tip — Ensure the underpainting is fully dry before proceeding.
Drying
refining
step 04
Glaze and scumble with oil colors, adding red and yellow tones as they occur in the scene.
Tip — Use transparent coats of color for glazing and semi-opaque painting for scumbling.
Glazing and Scumbling
finishing
step 05
Continue to build up layers, using varnish and oil mixed for further glazing if needed.
Tip — Watch for the interaction of colors and the effect of the underlying painting.
Layering
varnishing
step 06
Apply a final varnish to protect the painting and enhance the colors.
Tip — Ensure the painting is completely dry before varnishing.
Varnishing
critical techniques
Glazing
A transparent coat of color applied over a dry underpainting to modify the hue and value.
Scumbling
A semi-opaque painting technique where the underlying painting shows through, often used to create a grey bloom or coldness.
Grisaille
A monochrome underpainting that serves as a base for subsequent color layers.
common pitfalls
- →Attempting to deceive the eye with mere illusion rather than expressing feeling through the medium (Source 5).
- →Neglecting the drying time of the underpainting, which can lead to muddiness when glazing (Source 2).
- →Overlooking the effects of simultaneous contrast of colors, which can alter the perception of hues (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 painting, such as the exact layout, figures, and objects, are not described in the sources.
- ·The artist's specific palette preferences beyond the general use of oil paints are not detailed.
- ·The exact year of creation is not available, which may affect the understanding of the artist's stylistic evolution.
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 Underpainting and glazing techniques
- METHODS OF THE MASTERS — applied to General approach to oil painting
The Practice and Science of Drawing↗
- XX MATERIALS — applied to Importance of materials in artistic expression
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315. As to the advantages the painter will find in it when it is — applied to Color contrast principles
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia: Composition (visual arts)↗
- Composition (visual arts) — part 1 — applied to Compositional elements
Wikipedia: Genre painting↗
- Genre painting — part 1 — applied to Genre painting characteristics
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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