plate no. 2145

Veranda. Essentuki.

Pyotr Konchalovsky, 1948

oilPost-Impressionisminteriorverandaarchitecturechairtreeswindowinterior

recreation guide

Pyotr Konchalovsky’s 'Veranda. Essentuki' (1948) is a Post-Impressionist interior that reflects the artist’s lifelong engagement with the structural solidity of Cézanne and the expressive color intensity of Van Gogh, influences he actively sought out during his Parisian studies (Source 4). As a founding member of the 'Knave of Diamonds' group, Konchalovsky’s practice was defined by a synthesis of modern French breakthroughs with Russian primitivism, favoring bold, non-naturalistic color juxtapositions over strict realism (Source 4). The work likely employs the principles of simultaneous contrast, where adjacent colors modify each other’s appearance to create vibrancy and depth, a technique essential to the Post-Impressionist style (Source 3).

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

4 items

steps

4 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (Ultramarine, White, Black, plus Red and Yellow earths/ochres)	Primary pigments for the grisaille underpainting and subsequent glazing/scumbling layers.	—
Oil of Copavia (or modern stand oil/linseed oil blend)	Medium for the initial oil layers to ensure proper flow and drying time, as historically recommended for this method.	Stand oil or a mix of linseed oil and odorless mineral spirits
Varnish	To be mixed with oil for later glazing stages to increase transparency and depth.	Dammar varnish or synthetic resin varnish
Canvas or wood panel	Support for the oil painting.	—

preparation

surface prep

Prepare a rigid support (canvas or panel) with a neutral ground. While specific preparation for this 1948 work is not detailed in the sources, the referenced oil painting practice suggests a dry, stable surface is required before applying the initial monochrome layer (Source 1).

underdrawing

The sources do not specify Konchalovsky’s underdrawing method for this specific piece. However, given his Post-Impressionist style and the emphasis on color contrast over linear precision, the underdrawing should be loose and structural, focusing on the mass and volume of the veranda elements rather than fine contour details (Source 8).

underpainting

Begin with a monochrome grisaille underpainting. This layer should establish the tonal values of the composition using only black, ultramarine, and white, mixed with oil of copavia (Source 1). This step mentally extracts the red and yellow colors, focusing on the structural light and shadow as if those hues were absent from nature (Source 1).

color palette

Ultramarine

Pure ultramarine blue

Part of the initial grisaille underpainting to establish cool shadows and mid-tones.

White

Titanium or Zinc white

Part of the initial grisaille underpainting to establish highlights and mid-tones.

Black

Ivory black or Mars black

Part of the initial grisaille underpainting to establish deep shadows.

Red and Yellow tones

Vermilion, Cadmium Red, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Yellow

Applied in subsequent glazing and scumbling layers to introduce color and warmth, exploiting simultaneous contrast.

composition

The composition likely relies on the juxtaposition of distinct color bands to create chiaroscuro and gradation of light, rather than smooth blending (Source 2). Konchalovsky’s general practice involves arranging elements to emphasize structural solidity and color harmony through contrast, consistent with his Cézannesque influences (Source 4). Specific layout details of the veranda are not described in the sources, so the artist should focus on balancing positive and negative space to create a unified, albeit non-naturalistic, interior scene (Source 5).

step by step

underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing

underpainting

step 01
Apply a monochrome grisaille layer using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia. Focus on establishing the correct tonal values and structural forms of the veranda.
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors; paint only what remains in terms of value and form.
Grisaille underpainting

first pass

step 02
Allow the grisaille to dry completely. Then, begin applying transparent glazes of red and yellow tones over the underpainting.
Tip — Use a mixture of oil and varnish for greater transparency, similar to tinting an engraving with watercolors.
Glazing

refining

step 03
Apply semi-opaque scumbles of red and yellow tones where needed to adjust color intensity and temperature. Pay attention to how adjacent colors influence each other.
Tip — Observe how the underlying grisaille shows through the semi-opaque layer, creating a 'grey bloom' or coldness if applied over darker grounds.
Scumbling

finishing

step 04
Refine the color contrasts by adjusting the juxtaposition of hues. Ensure that the lightest tones are not lowered and the darkest tones are heightened by the surrounding colors, leveraging simultaneous contrast.
Tip — Be aware that the eye may perceive colors inaccurately due to mixed contrast; step back frequently to assess the true effect.
Simultaneous Contrast

critical techniques

Glazing and Scumbling

Used to build up color layers over a dry monochrome underpainting. Glazing adds transparent color, while scumbling adds semi-opaque color, allowing the underpainting to influence the final hue.

Simultaneous Contrast

Exploiting the optical effect where adjacent colors modify each other’s appearance. This is crucial for achieving the vibrant, non-naturalistic color harmony characteristic of Post-Impressionism.

Chiaroscuro through Color Juxtaposition

Creating gradations of light and shadow by placing flat tints of different tones side by side, rather than blending them smoothly.

common pitfalls

→Applying glazes before the underpainting is completely dry, which can muddy the colors and ruin the transparency.
→Ignoring the effects of simultaneous contrast, leading to colors that appear dull or inaccurate when viewed together.
→Over-modeling details, which contradicts the Post-Impressionist emphasis on broad masses and structural form.
→Failing to account for mixed contrast, where the eye’s tendency to see complementary colors after prolonged viewing distorts color perception.

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 the 'Veranda. Essentuki' painting (e.g., exact furniture, window placement, specific color schemes) are not described in the sources.
·Konchalovsky’s specific palette choices for this 1948 work are not detailed; the guide relies on general Post-Impressionist and historical oil painting practices.
·The exact proportion of oil to varnish for glazing is not specified, requiring artist experimentation.

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, glazing, and scumbling techniques
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- Simultaneous Contrast — applied to Color harmony and contrast adjustments
- Chiaroscuro and Juxtaposition — applied to Creating light and shadow through color placement