plate no. 6547
The Schloss Kammer on the Attersee, III
Gustav Klimt, 1910
recreation guide
Gustav Klimt’s 'The Schloss Kammer on the Attersee, III' (1910) represents a departure from his famous 'Golden Phase' portraits, focusing instead on landscape within the Art Nouveau tradition. While Klimt is widely recognized for incorporating gold leaf and flat, decorative surfaces in his portraits of women and allegorical works (Source 2), his landscapes often exhibit a more naturalistic, though still stylized, approach to light and atmosphere. This work belongs to a series of landscapes painted during his summers, where he explored the interplay of light and color without the heavy ornamentation of his earlier period. The painting likely utilizes oil on canvas, adhering to traditional oil painting practices while maintaining the decorative flatness characteristic of the Vienna Secession movement.
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions
materials
5 items
steps
6 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints (Ultramarine, White, Black, Yellow Ochre, Red Ochre, etc.) | Primary medium for underpainting and glazing | — |
| Canvas | Support surface | Linen or cotton canvas, primed |
| Oil of Copavia or Linseed Oil | Medium for mixing paints, as referenced in historical oil painting practices | Stand oil or refined linseed oil |
| Turpentine or Spike Oil | Thinner for initial layers and glazes to ensure a dull, non-shiny surface if aiming for mural-like flatness | Odorless mineral spirits or Gamsol |
| Varnish | For final glazing layers if following the 'varnish and oil mixed' technique | Dammar varnish or synthetic resin varnish |
preparation
surface prep
The canvas should be prepared with a traditional oil ground. While Klimt’s specific ground preparation for landscapes is not detailed in the sources, general oil painting practice of the period involved a stable, absorbent ground. If aiming for the decorative flatness associated with Klimt’s broader oeuvre, one might consider a ground that allows for smooth glazing. The sources note that for mural-like decorations, a mat or dull surface is safeguarded by using little oil or wax and vehicles like petroleum or spike oil (Source 5).
underdrawing
Klimt’s preparatory methods for landscapes are not explicitly detailed in the provided sources. However, contour drawing is a foundational technique for establishing mass and volume (Source 6). It is likely that Klimt used a light underdrawing to establish the composition of the castle, water, and sky, focusing on the outline and major forms rather than minute details, consistent with the emphasis on 'great effects' in painting (Source 3).
underpainting
A grisaille (monochrome underpainting) is recommended, following the technique described in Source 1. This involves painting the composition in neutral tones (black, ultramarine, white) to establish values and forms. The source suggests mentally extracting red and yellow colors to create this base, which is then glazed with color later. This method was practiced by old masters and is applicable to Klimt’s oil technique (Source 1).
color palette
Ultramarine
Pure ultramarine blue
Sky and water reflections, consistent with the 'black, ultramarine, and white' initial palette mentioned in Source 1
White
Lead white or titanium white
Highlights and mixing with ultramarine for sky tones
Black
Ivory black or lamp black
Shadows and defining forms in the grisaille stage
Yellow Ochre
Natural earth pigment
Glazing over the grisaille to introduce warmth to the landscape, following the 'yellow and red tones' glazing technique (Source 1)
Red Ochre/Venetian Red
Iron oxide pigments
Glazing to add depth and warmth to the castle and foliage, as per the glazing instructions in Source 1
composition
The composition likely features the Schloss Kammer castle prominently, with the Attersee lake in the foreground and sky above. While specific compositional details are not described in the sources, landscape painting traditionally arranges natural scenery into a coherent composition, often including sky and weather elements (Source 4). Klimt’s approach to landscape may involve substituting true colors with neighboring scales to achieve harmony, as suggested by the principles of color contrast (Source 3).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the main forms of the castle, water, and sky using a light charcoal or thinned paint. Focus on the outline and mass of the subjects.
Tip — Ensure the proportions are correct, as this will guide the subsequent layers.
Contour drawing
underpainting
step 02
Apply a grisaille layer using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia or linseed oil. Establish the values and forms of the landscape without using red or yellow tones.
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors to focus on value structure.
Grisaille
first pass
step 03
Allow the grisaille to dry completely. Then, begin glazing with transparent layers of yellow and red tones (e.g., yellow ochre, red ochre) mixed with oil or varnish.
Tip — Apply thin, transparent coats to build up color intensity without obscuring the underlying values.
Glazing
refining
step 04
Use scumbling (semi-opaque painting) over darker areas to create coldness or grey blooms, particularly in shadows or distant areas.
Tip — This technique allows the underlying painting to show through, creating depth and atmosphere.
Scumbling
finishing
step 05
Adjust colors and values as needed, ensuring harmony between the inherent colors of the landscape and the chosen palette. Pay attention to simultaneous contrast effects.
Tip — Use the law of simultaneous contrast to enhance the visual impact of adjacent colors.
Color harmony
varnishing
step 06
Apply a final varnish to protect the painting and unify the surface. If aiming for a dull finish, use a mat varnish or mix with spike oil as per mural painting techniques.
Tip — Ensure the surface is dull and non-reflective if following the decorative style.
Varnishing
critical techniques
Glazing
Applying transparent coats of color over a dry underpainting to build up luminosity and depth. This is a traditional oil painting technique referenced in Source 1.
Scumbling
Using semi-opaque paint over darker grounds to create coldness or grey blooms, enhancing atmospheric effects.
Simultaneous Contrast
Placing colors side by side to enhance their visual intensity and create harmony, as described in the laws of color contrast.
common pitfalls
- →Applying glazes before the underpainting is completely dry, which can lead to muddiness and cracking.
- →Using too much oil in the glazes, which can result in a shiny surface that detracts from the decorative flatness desired in Klimt’s style.
- →Ignoring the principles of simultaneous contrast, leading to a lack of harmony in the color palette.
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 details of Klimt’s preparatory sketches for this particular landscape are not available in the sources.
- ·The exact pigments used by Klimt for this painting are not specified, so modern equivalents are suggested.
- ·The role of gold leaf in this specific landscape is not mentioned, as it is more characteristic of his portraits.
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
- A FEW WORDS ON MURAL PAINTING — applied to Surface finish and medium preparation
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 6. Put beside each other two flat tints — applied to Color harmony and contrast principles
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia bio — Gustav Klimt↗
- part 7 — applied to Context on Klimt’s style and use of gold leaf
Wikipedia: Landscape painting↗
- Landscape painting — part 1 — applied to General landscape composition
Wikipedia: Contour drawing↗
- Contour drawing — part 1 — applied to Underdrawing technique
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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