plate no. 9175

View of the two Churches the one called the Madonna of Loreto, the other the name of Mary at the Trajan column

oilNeoclassicismcityscapearchitecturecolumnbuildingcityscapeskyfigures

recreation guide

This artwork, titled 'View of the two Churches the one called the Madonna of Loreto, the other the name of Mary at the Trajan column,' is a cityscape by Giovanni Battista Piranesi. While Piranesi is historically renowned for his etchings and engravings of Roman ruins and imaginary prisons (Source 8), this specific work is identified as an oil painting in the Neoclassical style. The subject matter aligns with Piranesi’s broader interest in the 'Eternal City' and his engagement with the Graeco-Roman architectural debate, where he championed the superiority of Roman architecture over Greek models (Source 8). The painting likely serves as a romantic or fantastic depiction of ruins, consistent with the late Baroque influences of Claude Lorrain and Salvator Rosa that informed Piranesi’s view of the past as a mutable, dynamic entity rather than a static relic (Source 8).

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

5 items

steps

5 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Canvas or panel	Support for the oil painting	Primed linen or cotton canvas
Oil paints	Primary medium for color and form	Standard tube oil paints
Brushes	Application of paint	Hog bristle and sable brushes
Palette knife	Mixing colors and applying thick impasto if needed	Standard metal palette knife
Vehicles (mediums)	To modify the consistency and drying time of the oil paint	Linseed oil, turpentine, or odorless mineral spirits

preparation

surface prep

The surface should be prepared as a standard ground for oil painting, likely a canvas or panel. While specific preparation details for this exact oil work are not provided in the sources, the general practice of the French School and oil painting traditions involves a prepared ground to support the layers of paint (Source 4). Given Piranesi’s background in printmaking, the surface might be treated to allow for sharp, linear definition, though this is inferred from his graphic style rather than explicit oil painting records.

underdrawing

Piranesi’s work is characterized by strong linear construction and contour. The underdrawing should emphasize the mass and volume of the architectural subjects through clear outlines, consistent with the technique of contour drawing which focuses on the outlined shape rather than minor details (Source 3). This approach allows the artist to establish the 'linear construction of composition' before applying color (Source 4).

underpainting

An underpainting layer may be used to establish the tonal values and chiaroscuro effects. The sources suggest that artists often make notes on the 'massing of light and shade' separately from color arrangements (Source 4). This step helps in defining the three-dimensional perspective and depth of the architectural forms.

color palette

Earth tones (ochres, umbers)

Yellow ochre, burnt umber, raw umber

General use in depicting Roman stone and ruins, consistent with the subject matter

Blues and Greens

Ultramarine, phthalo blue, viridian

Sky and atmospheric effects; used to create complementary contrast with warm earth tones

Reds and Oranges

Cadmium red, cadmium orange, vermilion

Accents in architectural details or drapery if present; used to enhance brilliance through complementary juxtaposition

Whites and Blacks

Titanium white, ivory black

Chiaroscuro effects and defining high-contrast elements

composition

The composition should avoid exact bisections of the picture space and ensure the horizon line does not divide the artwork into two equal parts, instead emphasizing either the sky or the ground (Source 2). The prominent subjects (the churches) should be off-center to create a dynamic balance, potentially balanced by smaller satellite elements (Source 2). The viewer's eye should be led around all elements before exiting the picture, preventing the work from becoming a mere pattern (Source 2). Given Piranesi’s interest in 'messing about' to discover new expressions (Source 8), the composition may feature a complex interplay of detailed areas and 'rest' areas to guide the viewer’s gaze (Source 2).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the architectural forms using contour lines to emphasize mass and volume rather than fine detail.
Tip — Focus on the outlined shape and three-dimensional perspective; use lighter lines for distant objects and darker lines for foreground elements (Source 3).
Contour drawing

underpainting

step 02
Apply a monochromatic or limited palette underpainting to establish light and shadow masses.
Tip — Ensure the gradation of light is true to the juxtaposition of tones, where higher tones are enfeebled and lower tones are heightened at boundaries (Source 6).
Massing of light and shade

first pass

step 03
Block in the main colors, paying attention to the inherent colors of the architectural materials.
Tip — Use colors that are inherent to the model, but feel free to substitute true colors with neighboring scales to enhance harmony (Source 6).
Color blocking

refining

step 04
Refine the color interactions by placing complementary colors next to each other to increase brilliance.
Tip — Surround orange tones with blue tones to make them appear more orange, and vice versa, to intensify the visual impact without changing the pigment (Source 1).
Simultaneous contrast

finishing

step 05
Add final details and adjust the composition to ensure the eye moves through the entire scene.
Tip — Check that no spaces between objects are identical and that the center of interest is clear (Source 2).
Compositional balance

critical techniques

Simultaneous Contrast

Used to enhance the brilliance of colors by juxtaposing complementary hues, such as red and green or orange and blue, which makes each color appear more intense (Source 1).

Chiaroscuro

Created by juxtaposing flat tints of different tones, where the highest tone is enfeebled and the lowest is heightened at the boundary, producing a true gradation of light (Source 6).

Contour Drawing

Used in the underdrawing phase to emphasize the mass and volume of the architectural subjects through outline rather than detail (Source 3).

common pitfalls

→Avoiding exact bisections of the picture space, which can make the composition static and uninteresting (Source 2).
→Placing the horizon line in the exact center, which fails to emphasize either the sky or the ground effectively (Source 2).
→Mixing colors on the palette instead of allowing them to interact optically on the canvas, which can reduce luminosity and intensity (Source 7).
→Ignoring the effect of complementary colors on each other, leading to dull or less vibrant results (Source 1).

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 recipes used by Piranesi for this oil painting are not provided in the sources.
·The exact dimensions and aspect ratio of the original oil painting are not specified.
·Detailed information on Piranesi’s specific oil painting technique (e.g., glazing vs. impasto) is limited, as he is primarily known for printmaking.
·The specific lighting conditions and time of day depicted in the painting are not described in the sources.

grounded in

The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.

The Science of Painting↗
- 4. When two colours separated by more than two others in the order of the spectrum are in juxtaposition — applied to Color interaction and simultaneous contrast techniques
The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- THE FRENCH SCHOOL — applied to General oil painting materials and methodical approach to composition and light
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 6. Put beside each other two flat tints of different tones of the same colour — applied to Chiaroscuro and tonal gradation

cross-referenced from

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

Wikipedia: Composition (visual arts)↗
- part 6 — applied to Compositional principles such as center of interest, horizon line placement, and eye movement
Wikipedia: Contour drawing↗
- part 1 — applied to Underdrawing technique emphasizing mass and volume
Wikipedia bio — Giovanni Battista Piranesi↗
- part 4 — applied to Artist’s style, subject matter, and philosophical approach to the past