plate no. 7304
The Temple of Concordia by Girgenti
Franz Ludwig Catel, 1820
recreation guide
Franz Ludwig Catel’s 'The Temple of Concordia by Girgenti' (1820) is a quintessential example of early 19th-century Romantic landscape painting, characterized by the integration of prominent architectural details within a natural setting. Catel, who spent most of his career in Rome and was influenced by the Nazarene circle (Koch, Overbeck, Schadow), specialized in landscapes that emphasized effective perspective and a mastery of light and shade (Source 5). The work likely reflects the broadening of his artistic ideas following his 1818 visit to Sicily, where he traveled with Prince Golitsuin (Source 5). As a topographical view, it depicts a specific place with buildings prominently featured, a genre that was common in prints but elevated by Catel through his classical training and attention to atmospheric effects (Source 3).
estimated time
40-60 hours over 8-12 sessions
materials
7 items
steps
6 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints (pre-mixed tubes or ground pigments) | Primary medium for the painting | High-quality artist-grade oil paints |
| Linseed oil | Medium for mixing pigments | Refined linseed oil |
| Turpentine or spike oil | Thinner and solvent; Source 6 notes these ensure a dull surface if a matte finish is desired, though Catel’s oil works likely used standard varnishing practices | Odorless mineral spirits or pure gum turpentine |
| Canvas or paper support | The artwork is listed as oil on paper/canvas; Catel often worked on paper mounted to canvas or board for topographical views | Primed canvas or heavy watercolor paper mounted to panel |
| Hog bristle brushes | For applying broad masses and initial layers | Synthetic or natural hog bristle flats and filberts |
| Sable brushes (Kolinsky or Red Sable) | For fine detail work, particularly architectural elements and figures | Kolinsky sable rounds |
| Palette knife | For mixing paints and potentially removing excess paint | Standard metal palette knife |
preparation
surface prep
Given the medium is oil on paper/canvas, the surface likely required a rigid support. Catel’s background in wood carving and book illustration suggests a precision-oriented approach. The surface should be primed with a white or neutral ground to allow for the 'mastery over light and shade' characteristic of his style (Source 5). If painting on paper, it must be sized and primed to resist the oil medium. Source 6 discusses 'Marouflage' for murals, noting the importance of a mat surface, but for Catel’s gallery paintings, a standard oil ground is appropriate.
underdrawing
Catel’s emphasis on 'effective perspective' (Source 5) implies a rigorous underdrawing phase. The artist should begin with a precise linear drawing to establish the architectural accuracy of the Temple of Concordia. This aligns with the 'new classic school of landscape' to which Catel attached himself, which valued structural correctness alongside atmospheric effect (Source 5).
underpainting
A grisaille or tonal underpainting is recommended to establish the 'light and shade' mastery noted in Catel’s biography (Source 5). This allows the artist to resolve the complex interplay of light on the ancient ruins before applying color. Source 1 notes that mixing colors can darken them, so establishing values early is crucial.
color palette
Warm Earth Tones (Ochres, Umbers)
Yellow Ochre, Raw Umber, Burnt Sienna
General use in this artist's palette for architectural stone and earth, consistent with the 'new classic school' emphasis on naturalism
Cool Blues and Greens
Ultramarine, Cerulean, Viridian, Sap Green
Sky and vegetation; Source 1 warns that lightening reds/oranges with white shifts them blue, so greens should be mixed carefully to avoid hue shifts
Whites and Tints
Titanium White or Lead White (historical)
Highlights and atmospheric perspective; Source 1 notes that lightening with white can cause hue shifts, requiring correction with adjacent colors
Complementary Darks
Mixing complements (e.g., red with green) rather than adding black
Shadows; Source 1 advises using complementary colors to darken without shifting hue, which is critical for maintaining the integrity of the landscape’s natural colors
composition
The composition likely features a wide view with the Temple of Concordia as a prominent architectural element, consistent with Catel’s focus on 'landscapes with prominent architectural details' (Source 5). The sky is almost always included in such landscape views (Source 3). The arrangement should balance the architectural precision with the natural scenery, reflecting the Romantic interest in the spiritual element of landscape (Source 3).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the architectural structure of the Temple of Concordia with precise perspective lines.
Tip — Ensure the vanishing points are accurate, as Catel labored to make his perspective tell effectively (Source 5).
Linear Perspective
underpainting
step 02
Apply a monochromatic wash to establish light and shadow values.
Tip — Focus on the contrast between the sunlit ruins and the shaded areas, reflecting Catel’s mastery of light and shade (Source 5).
Grisaille
first pass
step 03
Block in the major color masses for the sky, ground, and architecture.
Tip — Use broad strokes with hog bristle brushes for large areas (Source 7).
Alla Prima or Layering
refining
step 04
Refine the architectural details and foliage using finer sable brushes.
Tip — Be mindful of simultaneous contrast; colors will appear different depending on adjacent hues (Source 2).
Detail Work
step 05
Adjust color mixtures to avoid hue shifts when lightening or darkening.
Tip — If lightening a color with white causes a blue shift, add a small amount of an adjacent color to correct it (Source 1).
Color Mixing
finishing
step 06
Add final highlights and atmospheric effects.
Tip — Ensure the sky and weather elements contribute to the composition’s mood, as weather is often an element in landscape painting (Source 3).
Glazing or Scumbling
critical techniques
Perspective Accuracy
Catel attached himself to the new classic school, laboring to make his perspective tell effectively (Source 5).
Light and Shade Mastery
Catel gained great mastery over light and shade, which is essential for depicting the three-dimensionality of the ruins (Source 5).
Simultaneous Contrast
The painter must perceive how contiguous colors modify each other, ensuring that the colors of the ruins and landscape harmonize (Source 2).
Color Mixing without Hue Shift
When darkening colors, use complements rather than black to avoid shifting hues toward green or blue (Source 1).
common pitfalls
- →Adding black to darken colors, which can cause yellows, oranges, and reds to shift toward green or blue (Source 1).
- →Lightening colors with white without correcting for the resulting blue shift in reds and oranges (Source 1).
- →Ignoring simultaneous contrast, leading to inaccurate color perception where adjacent colors alter the appearance of each other (Source 2).
- →Over-modeling or being too tied down to outlines, which can result in a smallness that detracts from the broad masses of the landscape (Source 4).
- →Failing to establish accurate perspective, which is a key characteristic of Catel’s work (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 pigment recipes used by Catel in 1820 are not detailed in the sources.
- ·The exact dimensions and aspect ratio of 'The Temple of Concordia by Girgenti' are not provided.
- ·Specific details of the foreground figures or vegetation are not described in the sources, so they must be inferred from general Romantic landscape conventions.
- ·The specific varnishing technique Catel used is not documented in the provided passages.
grounded in
The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315-318 — applied to Understanding simultaneous contrast and color perception
The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- ON COPYING — applied to Advice on avoiding over-modeling and smallness
- A FEW WORDS ON MURAL PAINTING — applied to Surface finish considerations (matte vs. glossy)
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia bio — Franz Ludwig Catel↗
- part 1 — applied to Artist’s style, focus on perspective and light/shade, and biographical context
Wikipedia: Color theory↗
- part 6 — applied to Color mixing techniques, avoiding hue shifts
Wikipedia: Landscape painting↗
- part 1 — applied to Genre conventions, inclusion of sky and weather
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- part 6 — applied to Brush types and application methods
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
related artworks
Romantic Landscape
Karl Lessing
Self-portrait with his brother Francesco
Giuseppe Tominz
Oenone Refuse de Secourir Pâris au Siège de Troie
Léon Cogniet
Duke of Alba
Francisco Goya
Blick Aus Dem Wald Ins Tal
Andreas Achenbach
Young Girl Fixing Her Hair
Sophie Gengembre Anderson
The Plough Inn
William Shayer
Hudson River Landscape
Johann Hermann Carmiencke