plate no. 3149

Time of the Old Women

oil, canvasRomanticismgenre paintingfigureswomendeathbroombooksatire

what to study here

It shows how one light shape, one dark shape, and soft edges can organize a three-figure scene within a compressed, warm tonal range.

Study how the painter holds a crowded allegorical scene together with a very narrow range of values. Most of the canvas sits in warm tans and beiges, and the wall and floor are almost indistinguishable. Two masses carry the design: the woman's pale dress is the single real light, and the skeletal figure in dark clothing at left is the dominant dark. Your eye goes to the dress first, is pulled left by the dark figure, then rises to the cherub lifting a broom. Shapes are built through glazed layers and soft shadow modeling, not strong chiaroscuro. The woman's dress edge is defined by a value shift, not a line. The background is looser, with dry-brushed layers, while the foreground figures get more deliberate modeling. The book reading 'Que hora es?' is handled as a small, readable text element. Copy the value hierarchy first, then the edge control. Notice that the dark figure's flesh reads warm, not corpse-gray.

key decision

The painter kept values compressed into warm mid-tones and reserved the pale dress as the only major light and the dark figure as the only major dark. Edges stay soft so the figures sit in one atmospheric space.

recreation guide

Time of the Old Women (1820) is a work by Francisco Goya, a Spanish Romantic painter often described as the 'last of the Old Masters and the first of the moderns' (Source 6). Created in the final decade of his life, this piece belongs to the genre of genre painting, which depicts aspects of everyday life and ordinary people engaged in common activities, distinguishing it from history paintings or formal portraits (Source 2). Goya’s later work, following a severe illness in 1793 that left him deaf, became progressively darker and more pessimistic, reflecting a bleak outlook on personal and social levels (Source 6). This painting utilizes oil on canvas, a medium that offers greater flexibility, richer color, and the ability to build layers, allowing for a wide range from light to dark (Source 3).

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

5 items

steps

6 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil-based canvas	Primary support for the painting	Pre-primed linen or cotton canvas
Linseed oil or walnut oil	Binder for pigments; provides flexibility and rich color	Refined linseed oil
Turpentine	Thinner for paint and cleaner for brushes	Odorless mineral spirits or pure gum turpentine
Oil paints (Earth tones, Umbers, Ochres, Whites)	Pigments for the composition	Standard tube oil paints
Resin (e.g., pine resin or frankincense)	Optional: to create varnish for protection and texture	Dammar or mastic resin varnish

preparation

surface prep

The artwork is executed on canvas (Source 3). While specific priming recipes for this exact 1820 work are not detailed in the sources, Goya’s practice as a court painter and his use of oil painting techniques suggest a standard preparation involving a ground layer to receive the oil binder. The oil medium allows for the paint to be molded into different textures depending on its plasticity (Source 4).

underdrawing

The sources do not provide specific details on Goya’s underdrawing methods for this particular piece. However, as a genre painting depicting everyday life, the composition likely relies on capturing the 'reality effect' of quotidian life rather than strict historical accuracy (Source 7). Goya’s later style was characterized by a darker, more expressive approach, which may imply a looser, more direct application of paint rather than rigid preliminary sketches.

underpainting

Oil painting techniques involve the use of layers (Source 3). Goya’s later works are noted for their darker tone and pessimistic outlook (Source 6). It is likely that an underpainting in earth tones or grisaille was used to establish values before applying color, consistent with the 'wider range from light to dark' advantage of oil (Source 3).

color palette

Dark Earth Tones

Umber, Burnt Sienna, Black

General use in this artist's later palette, reflecting his darker, pessimistic outlook (Source 6)

Light/Highlight Tones

Lead White or Titanium White mixed with Ochre

Modifications of light on the model, as per color theory principles (Source 1)

Complementary Accents

Varied depending on local color

Harmonizing colors based on simultaneous contrast (Source 1)

composition

As a genre painting, the work depicts ordinary people in common activities, with figures to whom no specific identity is attached (Source 2). The composition likely aims for a 'reality effect' rather than strict realism, potentially conveying a moralistic or social message consistent with Goya’s critical view of society (Source 7, Source 6). Specific spatial arrangements are not described in the sources, so the artist should focus on the interaction of figures in a domestic or everyday setting.

step by step

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

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the composition lightly, focusing on the figures engaged in everyday activities.
Tip — Ensure figures are generic rather than specific portraits, consistent with genre painting definitions (Source 2).
Genre composition

underpainting

step 02
Apply a thin layer of oil paint to establish values and tones.
Tip — Use the flexibility of oil to build depth (Source 3).
Layering

first pass

step 03
Apply local colors, paying attention to how contiguous colors affect each other.
Tip — Be aware that colors may appear different due to the influence of neighboring hues (Source 1).
Simultaneous Contrast

refining

step 04
Refine details and adjust tones, considering the 'mixed contrast' effect on the eye.
Tip — Avoid staring at one color for too long to prevent seeing its complementary afterimage, which can distort perception (Source 1).
Mixed Contrast

finishing

step 05
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the range from light to dark.
Tip — Utilize the oil medium's capacity for rich, dense color (Source 3).
Value Range

varnishing

step 06
Apply a resin-based varnish for protection and texture.
Tip — Boil oil with resin like pine resin or frankincense to create a protective layer (Source 4).
Varnishing

critical techniques

Simultaneous Contrast

Understanding that two colored objects viewed together will appear modified by the complementary color of the other, allowing the painter to perceive and imitate subtle modifications of light and color (Source 1).

Mixed Contrast

Awareness that the eye, after observing one color, tends to see its complementary, which can lead to inaccurate color perception if not managed (Source 1).

Layering

Using the oil medium's ability to build layers for richer color and flexibility (Source 3).

common pitfalls

→Misjudging colors due to simultaneous contrast, where the eye perceives a tint resulting from the peculiar color and the complementary of the adjacent object (Source 1).
→Allowing eye fatigue to distort perception of subtle color modifications, leading to inaccurate imitation of the model (Source 1).
→Over-flattering the subjects; Goya was known for his disinclination to flatter, even in portraits, and his later works were darker and more critical (Source 5, 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 'Time of the Old Women' such as exact clothing patterns, facial expressions, or room layout are not described in the provided sources.
·Goya’s specific underdrawing or underpainting technique for this 1820 work is not detailed in the sources.
·The exact pigment palette used by Goya for this specific painting is not listed, only general oil painting materials.

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 Color theory, simultaneous and mixed contrast techniques

cross-referenced from

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

Wikipedia: Genre painting↗
- part 1 — applied to Definition of genre painting and subject matter
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- part 1 — applied to Materials, layering, and advantages of oil medium
Wikipedia bio — Francisco Goya↗
- part 1 & 5 — applied to Artist’s style, later period darkness, and court painter context
Wikipedia: Dutch Golden Age painting↗
- part 11 — applied to Genre painting characteristics and 'reality effect'

Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.

read from the painting

observed from the image, not the label

6 dominant colors, measured

what the eye sees

Light emanates from the upper left, creating a soft, theatrical interior scene with three figures. A skeletal death figure in dark clothing occupies the left foreground holding a book labeled 'Que hora es?'; a woman in an ornate pale dress with blue and yellow flower details stands center-right, and a winged cherub lifts a broom above them. The eye travels first to the woman's bright white dress, then is pulled leftward by the dark death figure and upward by the animated cherub. The background is a warm, nearly featureless wall that dissolves into soft shadow without clear boundaries.

value structure

Values cluster in a narrow mid-tone range—mostly warm tans and beiges—with the woman's dress as the only significant light accent and the death figure as the dominant dark mass. Squint and the background nearly disappears, emphasizing the compressed tonal range. No crisp value separations; instead, shapes emerge through glazed layers and subtle shadow modeling rather than strong chiaroscuro. The floor is nearly indistinguishable from the wall.

observed palette and mixes

#e8dbc2
Titanium white + raw sienna + touch of burnt umber
Woman's white dress base and highlights
#cfbb9a
Titanium white + burnt umber + raw sienna
Pale background wall and upper zones
#a68e64
Raw sienna + burnt umber + white
Mid-tone background, warm shadows in drapery
#855d30
Burnt sienna + burnt umber + raw sienna
Death figure's flesh, cherub's body, warm mid-shadows
#311a13
Ivory black + burnt umber + alizarin
Death figure's clothing, deepest fold shadows
#6e320e
Burnt umber + ivory black
Broom handle, dark accents in clothing

edges and brushwork

Nearly all edges are soft and blended, particularly in the background where forms dissolve into warm shadow. The woman's dress edge is defined more by value shift than by a hard line. Brushwork is loose and gestural in the background (dry-brushed layers), while the foreground figures show more deliberate modeling with visible but not showy brushstrokes. Glazing creates luminosity in the white dress and subtle color shifts in flesh tones.

a working sequence

01
Composition & Value Underpainting
Lightly sketch the three figures' positions and masses. Block in a full value study using burnt umber and white only, establishing the woman's dress as the brightest light, the death figure as the darkest shape, and the background as middle mid-tone. Focus on proportions and the spatial relationships between the figures—the death figure leans toward the woman; the cherub hovers above.
02
Background Wash
Apply a thin, warm glaze over the entire background using raw sienna, burnt umber, and titanium white mixed into a neutral beige-tan. Keep the application loose and diffuse—avoid sharp edges or uniform coverage. This should feel atmospheric and slightly unfinished; it's the base for atmospheric perspective.
03
Death Figure Mass
Block in the skeletal figure's form using dark mixtures of burnt umber and ivory black, following your underpainting. Suggest the anatomy of the skull and ribcage with minimal detail; keep edges soft where this figure meets the background. Add warm mid-tone shadows on the body using burnt sienna + umber to prevent the darks from reading as pure black.
04
Woman's Dress Foundation
Paint the white dress with a warm cream base (titanium white + touch of raw sienna + burnt umber). The dress is the brightest shape; this base should still be lighter than any surrounding tone. Use loose, directional strokes that follow the folds and hang of fabric. Leave room for shadows and highlights later.
05
Flesh Tones
Model the woman's face and visible flesh using warm orange-brown mixtures (raw sienna + burnt sienna + white, with touches of alizarin for warmth). Paint the cherub's body using the same palette. Keep the modeling soft; subtle shadow in the eye sockets and cheekbone definition conveys age and expression without harsh lines. The death figure's skull uses warmer earth tones than expected, not corpse-gray.
06
Atmospheric Transitions & Drapery Shadows
Glaze shadow colors into the folds of the woman's dress—use burnt sienna and ultramarine blue in muted greens and grays, not stark shadows. Work soft edges where the dress meets the background. Blend background shadows around all three figures, allowing the environment to envelop them. Build the cherub's form with translucent layers rather than opaque strokes.
07
Decorative Details & Accents
Paint the blue and yellow flowers on the woman's dress with muted, grayish versions of these hues—not bright primaries. Add the red drape or clothing accent on the death figure using alizarin + burnt sienna, subdued. Paint 'Que hora es?' on the book in the death figure's hand with a thin dark line; keep it readable but not precious. Suggest the broom bristles with loose ochre and tan strokes.
08
Refinement & Final Glazes
Soften any hard edges that remain, particularly where figures meet background. Deepen shadows in drapery folds with thin glazes of umber and ultramarine. Add final highlights to the woman's dress and face to suggest light raking across the form. Step back and assess overall unity—the painting should feel like one atmospheric space, not isolated objects.

where studies of this painting go wrong

Making the background too opaque or uniform—it must stay soft, breathing, and atmospheric, with visible brushwork or dry-brush texture that suggests age and decay.
Painting the white dress as pure bright white rather than warm cream—it will look garish and separate from the painting's muted palette.
Overworking edges and brushstrokes in the foreground—Goya's approach here is gestural but restrained; avoid fussy detail or high finish.
Neglecting the subtle warm undertones in the death figure's flesh—skeleton figures can look flat and corpse-like if painted in cool grays; this figure is warm throughout.
Rendering the flowers on the dress in full saturation—they are decorative accents with muted, slightly grayed color that sits harmoniously in the overall warm tonality.
Losing the spatial envelope by making the background too defined—the wall and floor should be nearly indistinguishable, creating a timeless, void-like setting.

measured difficulty