plate no. 8956

Thomas Sandys

oilBaroqueportraitportraitfigurerobehairdraperycolumn

recreation guide

Nicolaes Maes’s portrait of Thomas Sandys represents the artist’s mature period, likely influenced by the Flemish style of Anthony van Dyck, which Maes adopted in the 1660s (Source 4). Unlike his earlier austere portraits against dark backgrounds, this work likely features staging and accessories characteristic of Flemish portraiture, potentially placing the sitter in a lighter setting or emphasizing elegant gestures and clothing (Source 4). Maes is known for applying Rembrandt’s stylistic characteristics, such as expressive brushwork and chiaroscuro, to his subjects, endowing them with solemn dignity even in mundane or domestic contexts (Source 3). The painting would have been executed in oil, adhering to the traditional 'fat over lean' rule to ensure the stability of the paint film (Source 1).

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

6 items

steps

6 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (artist grade)	Primary medium for the portrait	—
Linseed oil	Medium to mix with paint for transparency and binding	Stand oil or refined linseed oil
Mineral spirits or turpentine	Solvent to thin paint for underpainting and cleaning brushes	Odorless mineral spirits (OMS)
Canvas	Support surface	Linen or cotton canvas, primed
Charcoal or thinned paint	For initial sketching of the subject	Vine charcoal or graphite
Palette knives and rags	For application, scraping, and adjusting texture	—

preparation

surface prep

The canvas should be prepared with a ground suitable for oil painting. While specific ground recipes for Maes are not detailed in the sources, traditional oil painting techniques involve preparing the surface to accept the oil medium (Source 1). Maes’s later portraits often featured lighter tones and garden settings, suggesting a lighter ground may have been used compared to his earlier dark-background works (Source 4).

underdrawing

Traditional oil painting techniques often begin with the artist sketching the subject onto the canvas with charcoal or thinned paint (Source 1). Maes, being a student of Rembrandt, likely employed a loose, expressive underdrawing to establish the pose and chiaroscuro before applying color (Source 3).

underpainting

Maes likely employed a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) to establish values and form. The practice of coloring a monochrome involves mentally extracting red and yellow colors to translate what would be left in nature, creating a foundation for subsequent glazing (Source 2). This technique allows for the adjustment of translucency and sheen in later layers (Source 1).

color palette

Limited palette derived from Rembrandt

Earth tones, ochres, umbers, and blacks

General use in Maes’s early to mid-period works, providing solemn dignity through light and shadow (Source 3)

Lighter tones

Whites, light blues, and greens

Later portraits (1670s) featuring elegant gardens and light spirits (Source 4)

Red and Yellow tones

Transparent reds and yellows for glazing

Glazing over the dry grisaille to add warmth and color, similar to tinting an engraving (Source 2)

composition

Maes’s mature portraits from the 1660s onwards employed staging and accessories often seen in Flemish portraiture, such as props like columns, fountains, or rocks, and settings like terraces or gardens against sunset skies (Source 4). The composition likely emphasizes gestures, poses, and the details of clothes and hairstyles, reflecting the influence of van Dyck (Source 4). Unlike his earlier austere portraits, this work likely avoids a plain dark background in favor of a more elaborate setting (Source 4).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the subject onto the canvas using charcoal or thinned paint to establish the pose and proportions.
Tip — Ensure the pose reflects the elegant gestures characteristic of Maes’s later style (Source 4).
Initial sketching

underpainting

step 02
Apply a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) using black, ultramarine, and white, mixed with oil of copavia or linseed oil, to establish values and form.
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors to focus on value structure (Source 2).
Grisaille

first pass

step 03
Once the grisaille is dry, begin glazing and scumbling with oil. Apply transparent coats of color (glazing) and semi-opaque layers (scumbling) to introduce red and yellow tones.
Tip — Glazing adds transparency, while scumbling allows the underlying painting to show through, creating depth (Source 2).
Glazing and Scumbling

refining

step 04
Apply subsequent layers of paint, ensuring each layer contains more oil than the previous one ('fat over lean') to prevent cracking.
Tip — Use palette knives or rags to adjust texture and remove paint if necessary while wet (Source 1).
Fat over Lean

finishing

step 05
Refine the details of the clothing, accessories, and facial expression, emphasizing the solemn dignity and character of the sitter.
Tip — Focus on the eyes and eyebrows to convey expression, as the mouth is likely neutral (Source 8).
Detailing

varnishing

step 06
Allow the painting to dry completely (up to two weeks) before applying a varnish to protect the surface and enhance the sheen.
Tip — Oil paint dries by oxidation, not evaporation, so patience is required (Source 1).
Varnishing

critical techniques

Glazing and Scumbling

Used to build up color and transparency over a dry monochrome underpainting, a method practiced by old masters including Maes (Source 2).

Fat over Lean

A basic rule of oil paint application where each additional layer contains more oil than the layer below to ensure proper drying and prevent cracking (Source 1).

Chiaroscuro

Maes applied Rembrandt’s stylistic characteristics, including the play of light and shadow, to endow his subjects with solemn dignity (Source 3).

common pitfalls

→Applying layers with less oil than the previous layer, which can cause the painting to crack and peel (Source 1).
→Over-modeling or being too tied down to the outline, which can result in a smallness that detracts from the expressive quality (Source 7).
→Ignoring the importance of the eyes and eyebrows in conveying expression, as the mouth is typically neutral in historical portraits (Source 8).

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 pigments used by Maes for this particular portrait are not detailed in the sources.
·The exact dimensions and format of the 'Thomas Sandys' portrait are not provided, though Maes used standardized formats (Source 4).
·Specific details of the sitter's clothing, accessories, or background are not described in the sources, so these must be inferred from general stylistic trends or omitted.
·The precise year of creation is not available, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact stylistic phase (early vs. late mature) without further art-historical context.

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 Glazing and scumbling techniques over a grisaille underpainting (Source 2).

cross-referenced from

Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.

Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- part 2 — applied to General oil painting techniques, fat over lean rule, drying times, and tools (Source 1).
Wikipedia bio — Nicolaes Maes↗
- part 3 — applied to Maes’s use of Rembrandt’s chiaroscuro and brushwork, and his thematic focus on dignity (Source 3).
- part 4 — applied to Maes’s mature portrait style, influence of van Dyck, and use of staging/accessories (Source 4).
Wikipedia: Portrait painting↗
- part 2 — applied to Expression through eyes and eyebrows in historical portraiture (Source 8).