plate no. 5540
View of Round Island and a Part of St Anne's from Quarantine Island
Marianne North, 1883
recreation guide
This artwork, 'View of Round Island and a Part of St Anne's from Quarantine Island' (1883), is a landscape by Marianne North, an English botanical artist known for her extensive travels and scientific documentation of flora. While the provided metadata classifies the style as Impressionism and the genre as genre painting, North’s documented practice was rooted in accurate botanical illustration and landscape painting executed in oil on cardboard (Source 7). Her work is characterized by 'freedom of hand, the purity and brilliancy of colour and the accurate draughtsmanship of a consummate artist' (Source 7). The painting likely depicts the coastal scenery of St. Anne's, Guernsey, focusing on the natural environment rather than narrative human activity, consistent with her focus on plant life and landscapes during her travels.
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions
materials
6 items
steps
6 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints | Primary medium for the painting | — |
| Cardboard or stiff paper | North typically painted on cardboard rather than canvas (Source 7) | Heavyweight watercolor paper or mounted cardboard |
| Oil of copavia | Historical medium for glazing and underpainting (Source 1) | Linarium oil or odorless mineral spirits for thinning |
| Black, Ultramarine, White | Core pigments for the monochrome underpainting (grisaille) (Source 1) | Ivory Black, Ultramarine Blue, Titanium White |
| Red and Yellow pigments | For glazing and scumbling to add local color (Source 1) | Cadmium Red/Yellow or Alizarin/Cadmium mixtures |
| Varnish | Mixed with oil for later glazing stages (Source 1) | Dammar varnish |
preparation
surface prep
Marianne North typically painted on cardboard (Source 7). The surface should be prepared to accept oil paint, likely with a gesso or primer suitable for paper/cardboard substrates. Unlike canvas, cardboard requires careful sealing to prevent warping from oil absorption.
underdrawing
North was noted for 'accurate draughtsmanship' (Source 7). A precise underdrawing is essential to capture the botanical and topographical details characteristic of her work. Use a light charcoal or thinned oil sketch to establish the forms of the islands and coastline.
underpainting
Employ a grisaille (monochrome underpainting) using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia (Source 1). This step establishes the tonal values and composition without color. The goal is to 'mentally extract the red and yellow colours' and translate what would be left in nature if these colors were not present (Source 1).
color palette
Black
Ivory Black
Underpainting and shadows
Ultramarine
Ultramarine Blue
Underpainting, sky, and water tones
White
Titanium or Lead White
Highlights and underpainting
Red/Yellow Tones
Various reds and yellows
Glazing and scumbling to add local color to foliage and earth (Source 1)
composition
While specific compositional details of this painting are not described in the sources, North’s landscapes generally focus on the natural environment. The composition likely emphasizes the relationship between the land (Round Island, St Anne's) and the sea, viewed from Quarantine Island. Consistent with her botanical focus, the foreground may feature detailed plant life, while the background establishes the geographical context.
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the composition on the prepared cardboard, focusing on accurate topographical and botanical details.
Tip — Ensure proportions of the islands and coastline are correct.
Draughtsmanship
underpainting
step 02
Create a grisaille using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia. Establish all tonal values.
Tip — Mentally exclude red and yellow hues to focus on value structure (Source 1).
Grisaille
first pass
step 03
Allow the grisaille to dry completely.
Tip — Do not proceed until the underpainting is fully dry to prevent muddying.
Drying
refining
step 04
Apply transparent glazes of red and yellow tones using oil as a medium. This adds color while allowing the underlying tonal structure to show through.
Tip — Apply thinly to maintain transparency (Source 1).
Glazing
step 05
Use scumbling (semi-opaque painting) to adjust highlights and cool tones, particularly over darker grounds to create a 'grey bloom' if desired.
Tip — Watch for coldness when scumbling over dark areas (Source 1).
Scumbling
finishing
step 06
Once mastery is gained, mix varnish with oil for final glazing adjustments to enhance depth and brilliance.
Tip — Ensure proper ventilation when using varnish.
Varnish Glazing
critical techniques
Glazing and Scumbling
North’s method, as described in historical oil painting practices, involves building color through transparent glazes and semi-opaque scumbles over a monochrome underpainting. This allows for 'purity and brilliancy of colour' (Source 7) while maintaining structural integrity (Source 1).
Grisaille Underpainting
Using black, ultramarine, and white to establish form and value before adding color. This technique separates value decisions from color decisions, aiding in accuracy (Source 1).
common pitfalls
- →Applying color before the grisaille is completely dry, which can ruin the underpainting.
- →Overworking the glazes, leading to a muddy appearance rather than the desired transparency.
- →Ignoring the 'mental extraction' of red and yellow during the underpainting phase, which compromises the tonal foundation (Source 1).
- →Using canvas instead of cardboard, which deviates from North’s documented practice (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 visual details of the painting (e.g., exact plant species, weather conditions, time of day) are not described in the sources.
- ·The specific pigments North used for red and yellow tones are not listed, only their general role in glazing.
- ·The exact dimensions of the painting are not provided, though North’s works were often small to medium-sized for gallery display.
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
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia bio — Marianne North↗
- part 1 and part 2 — applied to Artist’s medium (cardboard), style (accurate draughtsmanship), and general practice
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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