plate no. 3648
Winter
recreation guide
This artwork, titled 'Winter' (likely a variant of 'The Shortening Winter's Day is Near a Close'), is a quintessential example of Joseph Farquharson’s celebrated winter landscapes. Farquharson, known as 'Frozen Mutton Farquharson' due to his frequent depiction of sheep in snowy settings, specialized in realistic genre scenes that captured the atmospheric conditions of the Scottish Highlands, particularly his estate at Finzean (Source 1, Source 4). The painting depicts a shepherd tending sheep with the evening sun shining through snowy trees, a subject that became iconic through its reproduction on Hallmark Christmas cards (Source 1). Farquharson’s success relied on his ability to render these 'snow scenes' with a balance of realism and sentimental appeal, often exhibiting them annually at the Royal Academy (Source 1, Source 4).
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions
materials
7 items
steps
6 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints | Primary medium for the landscape and figures | — |
| Canvas | Support surface | Linen or cotton canvas, primed |
| Linseed oil | Medium to thin paint and increase gloss/flexibility | Refined linseed oil |
| Mineral spirits or turpentine | Solvent for thinning initial layers and cleaning brushes | Odorless mineral spirits |
| Charcoal or thinned paint | For initial sketching of the composition | Vine charcoal or raw umber thinned with solvent |
| Paintbrushes | Application of paint | Hog bristle for impasto, sable for details |
| Palette knives | For scraping or applying thick paint, particularly for snow texture | Standard palette knives |
preparation
surface prep
The canvas should be primed with a traditional oil ground to ensure proper adhesion and drying. Farquharson worked in oils, and traditional practice involves preparing the surface to accept the 'fat over lean' layering technique (Source 8).
underdrawing
Begin by sketching the subject onto the canvas using charcoal or thinned paint. This establishes the placement of the shepherd, sheep, and trees before applying color (Source 8).
underpainting
Apply a thin, lean initial layer of paint to establish values and composition. This layer should contain less oil than subsequent layers to adhere properly to the ground (Source 8).
color palette
White/Off-White
Lead white or Titanium white mixed with cool grays
Snow-covered branches and ground, capturing the 'snow encumbered branches' (Source 1)
Warm Yellows/Oranges
Yellow ochre, cadmium yellow, vermilion
The evening sun shining through the trees, creating contrast with the cold snow (Source 1)
Cool Blues/Grays
Ultramarine, cerulean, mixed with white
Shadows in the snow and the twilight atmosphere of the winter day (Source 1, Source 4)
Earth Tones
Raw umber, burnt sienna
The shepherd’s clothing and the sheep, grounding the figures in the landscape (Source 1, Source 4)
composition
The composition likely features a central visual element of the shepherd and sheep, framed by snowy trees. Farquharson’s works often include a human figure engaged in everyday labor within a dramatic landscape, creating a genre scene that is both realistic and sentimental (Source 3, Source 4). The arrangement should guide the eye through the scene, using the line of the trees and the path of the light to create depth (Source 2).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the composition using charcoal or thinned paint, placing the shepherd and sheep in relation to the trees and light source.
Tip — Ensure the proportions of the figures and trees are accurate before applying paint.
Initial sketching
underpainting
step 02
Apply a thin, lean wash of color to establish the basic values and temperature of the scene, focusing on the contrast between the warm sunlight and cool shadows.
Tip — Keep this layer thin to allow for proper drying and adhesion of subsequent layers.
Lean underpainting
first pass
step 03
Begin building up the snow and trees with thicker paint, using the 'fat over lean' principle to ensure stability.
Tip — Each additional layer should contain more oil than the layer below to prevent cracking (Source 8).
Fat over lean
refining
step 04
Refine the details of the shepherd and sheep, ensuring they appear integrated into the landscape. Use palette knives to scrape or add texture to the snow if needed.
Tip — Palette knives can help create the tactile illusion of snow texture (Source 8).
Palette knife application
finishing
step 05
Add final highlights to the sunlight filtering through the trees and adjust the shadows to enhance the atmospheric effect of the winter evening.
Tip — Use translucent layers to deepen shadows and opaque highlights to capture the light.
Glazing and highlighting
varnishing
step 06
Allow the painting to dry completely (up to two weeks) before applying a varnish to protect the surface and unify the sheen.
Tip — Oil paint dries by oxidation, not evaporation, so patience is required (Source 8).
Varnishing
critical techniques
Fat over Lean
A basic rule of oil painting where each additional layer contains more oil than the one below, ensuring proper drying and preventing cracking. This is essential for building up the complex layers of snow and light in Farquharson’s style.
Palette Knife Application
Used to scrape off paint or apply thick textures, particularly useful for rendering the rough, snow-covered branches and ground.
Atmospheric Perspective
Farquharson’s winter scenes rely on the contrast between warm sunlight and cool shadows to create depth and mood, a hallmark of his realistic style.
common pitfalls
- →Applying lean layers over fat layers, which can lead to cracking and peeling of the paint film (Source 8).
- →Over-modeling the figures, losing the broad masses that define the landscape. Farquharson’s works balance detail with atmospheric effect (Source 5).
- →Ignoring the 'fat over lean' rule, which is critical for the longevity of oil paintings (Source 8).
- →Attempting to deceive the eye completely rather than expressing the feeling of the scene through painted symbols, which can result in a 'meretricious' attempt at realism (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.
- ·The exact year of this specific 'Winter' painting is not available, though it is likely a replica or variant of the 1903 work.
- ·Specific pigment recipes used by Farquharson are not detailed in the sources, so modern equivalents are suggested.
- ·The exact dimensions of this specific version are not provided, though replicas range from 51x76 cm to 117x171 cm (Source 1).
- ·Detailed brushstroke techniques specific to Farquharson are not described, so general oil painting practices are applied.
grounded in
The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.
The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- ON COPYING — applied to Technique advice and avoiding over-modeling
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia: The Shortening Winter's Day is near a Close↗
- Background — applied to Overview, subject matter, and artist context
Wikipedia: Joseph Farquharson↗
- Biography — applied to Artist style, nickname, and general practice
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Traditional techniques — applied to Materials, fat over lean rule, and drying times
Wikipedia: Genre painting↗
- Definition — applied to Understanding the genre and sentimental appeal
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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