plate no. 7010
Tompkins Park, Brooklyn
William Merritt Chase, 1887
recreation guide
William Merritt Chase’s *Tompkins Park, Brooklyn* (1887) represents a pivotal moment in his career, marking his transition toward landscape painting in an Impressionist style. According to art-historical records, Chase began painting landscapes in earnest in the late 1880s, a shift likely influenced by the landmark 1886 New York exhibition of French Impressionist works (Source 7). While Chase is often celebrated for his portraits and domestic scenes, this work belongs to his series of urban park landscapes, which he painted with a 'noble sense of color' and a loosely brushed technique reminiscent of his Munich training (Source 7). The painting reflects the broader American landscape tradition, which, while rooted in the detailed realism of the Hudson River School, was evolving to embrace the looser, light-focused aesthetics of European Impressionism (Source 2, Source 4).
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions
materials
4 items
steps
5 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints (primary colors: Ultramarine, Vermilion, Yellow Ochre, White) | Chase was known for his fluency in oil painting and his 'noble sense of color' (Source 7). Impressionist practice relies on broken color and optical mixing. | High-quality tube oils; avoid earth tones if aiming for the bright, airy quality of his park scenes. |
| Canvas or linen panel | Standard support for oil landscapes of this period. | Pre-primed linen canvas. |
| Bristle brushes (flat and filbert) | To achieve the 'loosely brushed style' Chase employed in his figurative and landscape works (Source 6, Source 7). | Hog bristle brushes. |
| Linseed oil or turpentine | Medium for glazing and scumbling, techniques discussed in general oil painting practice relevant to the era (Source 5). | Stand oil or odorless mineral spirits. |
preparation
surface prep
Chase worked in a studio environment (Tenth Street Studio Building) and likely used standard primed canvases of the late 19th century. While specific ground preparation for this exact canvas is not detailed in the sources, the general practice of the period involved oil grounds to facilitate the 'loosely brushed' application (Source 6, Source 8).
underdrawing
The sources do not explicitly describe Chase’s underdrawing methods for landscapes. However, given his Impressionist approach and 'loosely brushed style,' it is likely that he employed minimal preliminary sketching, perhaps using thin paint or charcoal directly on the canvas to block in major masses of light and shadow, consistent with the direct painting methods of the Barbizon and Impressionist schools (Source 2, Source 7).
underpainting
General oil painting texts from the period discuss the use of grisaille (monochrome underpainting) followed by glazing and scumbling (Source 5). While Chase’s specific use of underpainting in *Tompkins Park* is not explicitly cited, his Munich training under Karl von Piloty involved rigorous academic techniques that may have included tonal underpainting before applying color. However, his later Impressionist works suggest a more direct application of color. It is recommended to use a neutral tonal underpainting to establish values before applying the vibrant colors characteristic of his 'noble sense of color' (Source 5, Source 7).
color palette
Vibrant Greens and Blues
Ultramarine, Viridian, Yellow Ochre, White
Depicting the park foliage and sky. Chase’s landscapes are noted for their powerful rendering of color masses (Source 7).
Warm Earth Tones
Burnt Sienna, Raw Umber
Shadows and tree trunks, providing contrast to the bright highlights.
Bright Whites and Yellows
Titanium White, Cadmium Yellow
Capturing the sunlight and atmospheric effects, consistent with Impressionist light studies.
composition
Landscape painting traditionally arranges natural scenery into a coherent composition, often including the sky as a major element (Source 1). Chase’s park scenes likely feature a wide view with elements arranged to create depth. While specific compositional details of *Tompkins Park* are not described in the sources, Chase’s general practice involved featuring people prominently in his landscapes, though this specific work may focus more on the scenery itself as part of his 'series of landscape subjects' (Source 7). The composition should balance the 'peaceful agriculture and remaining wilderness' aesthetic common in American landscape art, albeit with an Impressionist looseness (Source 2).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing
underdrawing
step 01
Lightly sketch the major compositional elements: the horizon line, tree masses, and any figures or paths. Keep lines loose and minimal.
Tip — Avoid hard lines; think in terms of light and shadow masses.
Direct sketching
underpainting
step 02
Apply a thin wash of neutral tones (grisaille) to establish the value structure of the painting. This helps in managing the 'chiaro-scuro' and gradation of light (Source 3).
Tip — Ensure the underpainting is dry before proceeding to avoid muddying the colors.
Grisaille
first pass
step 03
Block in the major color masses using broad, loose brushstrokes. Focus on the sky and large tree forms. Use the 'loosely brushed style' characteristic of Chase’s Munich training and later Impressionist work (Source 6, Source 7).
Tip — Pay attention to the 'law of simultaneous contrast' to enhance the vibrancy of adjacent colors (Source 3).
Alla prima (wet-on-wet)
refining
step 04
Add details and refine the edges. Use glazing and scumbling techniques to adjust tones and create atmospheric depth. Glazing involves applying transparent coats of color, while scumbling uses semi-opaque paint to modify underlying tones (Source 5).
Tip — Use scumbling over darker grounds to create a 'grey bloom' or atmospheric haze, typical of landscape effects (Source 5).
Glazing and Scumbling
finishing
step 05
Review the overall composition for coherence and balance. Ensure the 'noble sense of color' is maintained, with powerful rendering of light and shadow (Source 7).
Tip — Step back frequently to assess the overall effect rather than getting lost in details.
Final adjustments
critical techniques
Loose Brushwork
Chase employed a 'loosely brushed style' in his figurative and landscape works, influenced by his Munich instructors and later Impressionist trends (Source 6, Source 7).
Color Contrast
Utilizing the principles of color contrast to enhance the visual impact of the landscape. Juxtaposing colors can produce a 'true gradation of light' and harmonize the composition (Source 3).
Glazing and Scumbling
These techniques allow for the modification of tones and the creation of atmospheric effects. Scumbling over darker grounds can produce a 'grey bloom,' useful for depicting distant elements or haze (Source 5).
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the paint: Impressionist style relies on loose, confident brushstrokes. Over-blending can destroy the optical mixing effect (Source 7).
- →Ignoring value structure: Without a proper underpainting or value study, the colors may appear flat. The 'chiaro-scuro' effect is crucial for depth (Source 3).
- →Using muddy colors: Mixing too many colors on the palette can lead to dullness. Keep colors fresh and vibrant, consistent with Chase’s 'noble sense of color' (Source 7).
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 analysis of *Tompkins Park, Brooklyn* is not available in the sources.
- ·Exact compositional layout (e.g., placement of figures, specific tree types) is not described in the provided texts.
- ·Chase’s specific underdrawing method for this particular canvas is not documented.
grounded in
The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 6. Put beside each other two flat tints... — applied to Step-by-step process for color contrast and glazing/scumbling effects.
The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Underpainting and glazing/scumbling techniques.
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia bio — William Merritt Chase↗
- Style and subject matter — applied to Overview, color palette, and critical techniques regarding loose brushwork and color sense.
Wikipedia: Landscape painting↗
- Landscape painting — part 1 — applied to General composition notes and landscape tradition context.
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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