PAINTING METHODS OF THE IMPRESSIONISTS

F

BY BERNARD DUNSTAN, R.A.

WATSON-GUPTILL PUBLICATIONS, NEW YORK

PITMAN PUBLISHING, LONDON

JOHN CONSTABLE 1776 -1837

J. M. W. TURNER 1775-1851

GUSTAVE COURBET 1819-1877

EDOUARD MANET 1832 -1883

CLAUDE MONET 1840 -1926

PIERRE AUGUSTE RENOIR 1841 -1919

CAMILLE PISSARRO 1830 -1903

EDGAR DEGAS 1834-1917

PAUL CEZANNE 1839 -1906

GEORGES SEURAT 1859-1891

JOHN SINGER SARGENT 1856 -1925

MARY CASSATT 1845 -1926

JAMES ABBOTT McNEILL WHISTLER 1834 -1903

EDOUARD VUILLARD 1868 - 1940

PIERRE BONNARD 1867 -1947

WALTER RICHARD SICKERT 1860 - 1942

4E EARLIER 19thCENTURY

f

IMPRESSIONIST MASTERS 40

1 , " ~ F T E R IMPRESSIONISM 116

, .

R THREE AMERICANS IN EUROPE 132

I PART FNE. THREE HEIRS OF IMPRESSIONISM 154

CONCLUSION 178

BIBLIOGRAPHY 180

W E X l81

Academic Tradition, The: 34-35; broken tones, 35; croquis, first idea; demi- tiente, 34; equise(s), sketch 33; ebauche, monochromatic lay-in; en plein air, 35

Academic procedure: broken tones, 35; Degas use of, 78; Manet, 35; Renoir "darks thin lights thick," 58

Academic Sketch, 33 Academic drawing style, 125-7; Seurat Aerial Perspective, 44 Andre, Albert, on Renoir, 60 Assistants aid, 176 Artist's colorman, 10. See also Colorman

and Manufacturer of paints

Balaye touch, 128 I

Back lighting, 168 Barbizon painters, 43; influence on Pis-

sarro, 68; 77 Beeswax, 27 Bemard, Emile: on C6zanne, 125; ideas

about painting, 125; on C6zanne1s watercolor technique, 121

Black: importance of, 128; Cezanne, 122; 144; as ground, 37; Renoir's use of, 65, 60

Black mirror, 35. See also Claude glass Blue: drawing by Cgzanne, 121, 122; out-

line of Gauguin , 122 Body color, Tumer's use of, 26. See also

Gouache Bonnard, Pierre: "Bathroom" composi-

tions, 168; choice of subject, 165; color, 164; drawing, 168; influence of Renoir, 165; intuitive nature, 156; I'idee pre- miere, 165; Portrait of Pierre Bonnard before His Canvas, by Vuillard, 164; palette, 167; paintbox (picture), 166; subject matter, 169; reworking a paint- ing, 169; unsystematic method, 168-9; wit, 168; PAINTINGS: Boating on the SeinelCanotage sur le Seine, 165; text, 168; Dining Room in the County, Vernon/Salle a Manger au Campagne, Vernon, 166; Nude, 167; text, 168; Still Life with Fruitbowl/Nature Morte au Compotier, 169; Woman with a Dog: Still Life with BananaslFemme au Chien: Nature Morte aux Bananes, 168; text, 169; COLORPAINTINGS: The English Dining Room on the Garden/ Salle a Manger a la Jardin, 102; text, 165; Seascapes, San TropezlMarine, San Tropez- La Port

Broken tones, 35. See also Academic Tradition

Brushwork: Ce/zanne, 121; comma-like brushstroke, 125; Constable and Claude Lorraine compared, 21; Con- stable's sketches, 18; Courbet, 37; De- gas, Monet, and Cgzanne compared,

122; "the Dot", 143; glazings and scumblings, 26; Impressionist, 44; Monet and Pissarro compared to Cezanne, 125; Pissarro, 69; plus palette knife (Constable), 23; pure color, 43; Renoir discusses, 57; description of 60, 61; Sargent, 142-4; Seurat, 127; See also Scrubbing in, 122; taches, small touches, 159; separate touches, 43; Watteau and Renoir, 59; wet-in-wet, 143; Whistler, 149; wipingand rubbing (Bonnard), 165;

Camaieu, 177. See also Colored under- painting

Carolus-Duran, 140 Canvas: White, 121 (Cezanne); in rolls,

65; 169. See also White canvas Cassatt, May: Counterproof, The, 136;

115; color etchings, 139; Degas, and, 134-6; influences on, 134; May Cas- satt at the Louvre, by Degas, 134; Pas- tels,135; Printmaking, 138-9; Struc- ture, 138; PAINTINGS: Girl Arranging Her Hair, 139; Girl Tying on a Dress/ JeuneFilleEssayant une Robe, 138; La Coiffure, 138; text, 139; Mother and Child, 136; large detail of, 132-3; text, 136; The BathlLa Toilette, 135; text, 135; Young WomanPickingFruit, 137; text, 138; COLOR PAINTINGS: Emmie and Her Child, 98, Mother, Young Daughter, and Son, 97

Cathedral Series, by Monet, 13; 42; large detail of, 40- 1

Cezanne, Paul: 168; Black, use of, 122; Brushwork, 121; Cezanne at workon a landscape, (photo), 118; color and tone, 119-20; Convex surfaces, 125; drawing technique, 122. See also Pissarro, Drawing of; Early work, 119; Early training, 119; Logic of Color, The, 122-5; Monet, and, 125; Romantic nature, 119; 126; palette, 125; Parallax Effect, The, 122; perspective, 125; Pissarro, draw- ing of, 70; text, 69; rate of painting, 121 -2; relationship to Impression- ism, 118-9; relationship to Cubism, 125; sur le motif, 125; 126; Tech- nique, discussion of, 68; PAINTINGS: Gardner Vallier, The, 125; Land- scape, 119; discussion of brush- work, 121; House in Province, 120; Kitchen Table: Vessels, Basket and Fruit, 123; Man with a PipelL'Homme au Pipe, 124; use of black, 122; Still Life: Pears/Nature Morte: Poires, 123; Sainte-Victoire MountainlMont Sainte-Victoire, 121, brushwork; Victor Choquet in an Armchair, 120; COLOR PAINTINGS: Garden

Urn, ThelGrand Vase au Jardin, 94; Still Life: Apples and a Pot i f Primroses, 94

Claude glass, 35. See also Black mirror Classical construction, 70 (Cezanne) Claude Lorraine, 17: compared to Con-

- Z stable, 21; compared to Turner, 24

Colored underpainting, 177. See also

U m Camaieu

Color: And tone, 119; Awareness of, 125; ground by hand, 65, 19; Impressionist, X 42; comparison of Bonnard and Turner, 164; comparison of Bonnard and Vuillard, 164; Logic of, The, 122; Suffused color compared to strong modeling, 169

Color etching, 139 Colorman, 10; Mullards workshop, 65;

New pigments, 12. See also Manufac- turer of paint

Constable, John, 77: Brushwork, 18; Color, 19, 26; Big sketch, The, 23; Method, 78, 21, Painting medium, 19; Open air sketches, 17; Palette knife, 23; Relationship to Impressionists, 16; Supports, 18; Repainting canvas, 23-4; PAINTINGS: Barges on the Stour, 21; Landscape Study: Cottage and Rainbow, 17; Sketch for, Leaping Horse, The, 22; (Large detail), 14-15; Large detail, text reference, 16, 23; Self , Portrait, 16; Spring, East Bergholt ' Common, 20; photographed by raking light, 20; text; Study of Clouds and Trees, 18; text, 20; Study of Sky, 18; text, 18; Willy Lott'sffouse, 19; text on brushwork, 19; COLOR PAINTINGS: Leaping Horse, The, 81

Convex surfaces, 125 Corot, 8, 77; use of photography, 13; in-

fluence on Pissarro, 68; on Seurat, 127 Counter proof: Cassatt, 115, 136; Degas,

115,136 Courbet, Gustave, 37: black ground, 37;

color; influence on Ckzanne, 37, 119, 121; on Whistler, 146; on the Impres- sionists, 37; on Monet, 37; on Pissarro, 37; Palette knife, use of, 31; Sketching outdoors, 43; surface, 37; with Monet, 50; PAINTINGS: Beach at Etretat, L'Eternite, L'AtelierFhe Studio (De- tail); text reference, 37; COLOR PAINT- INGS: Still Life, Apples and Pome- granaite, 84

Couture, Thomas: as Salon painter, 33; method, 34; on Sickert, 172; Girl's Head, 34

Craftsmanship: lost, 110; of Renoir, 63; of Whistler, 149

Croquis, 34. See also Academic Tradition Cubism, 125,167

David, Jacques Louis, 146 de Boisboudran, Lecoq, 146,111,151 Degas, Edgar, 76; 177; America, visit to,

117; attitude, 156; Cassatt, and, 134; Counterproof, 136, 115; Different tra- dition, 76: academic tradition, and, 34; classical artist, 42, 159; Distemper pro- cedure, 161, 158, 113; Drawing with brush, 143; Drawing and redrawing, 78; Early work in oil, 78; Drawing of Edouard Manet, 105; Grounds used, 109; Influences, 76-77; Ingres, Degas and, 77; May Cassatt at the Louvre, 135; method, 78; mixed media, 113; Monet, with, 53; Palette, 109; Pastels, 110-1 13: comments on Whistler's, 153; paste, 115; compared to Monet's, late oils, 112; peinture a I'essence, 78; Printing techniques, 115; reworking a painting, 169; Scale, and, 108; Sculpture, 115; Self-portrait with Zoe (photo), 78; Sickert, influence on, 171, Photography, effect of, 13; Scraping down, 79; Scrubbing in, 122; Subject matter, 42; Technical experiments, 26; Visual memory, 167; PAINTINGS: At the CafelAu Cafe, 109; text, 109; Ballet SceneIScene de Ballet, 80; Ballet Scene from Myerbeer's Opera, "Robert IaDiable, The," 107; Study of Nuns for, 107; Beach ScenelBains de Mer: Petite Fille Peigne par Sa Femme, 77; Before the Ballet, 112; Cabaret ScenelLe Cafe Chantant, 114; Frieze of Dancers, 112; Foyer, ThelLe Foyer, 108; text, 108; Pagans Reading with Degas' Father, 113; Pink and Green, 80; Races, The (Detail), 114; Seated WomanlFemme Assise (Detail), 79; text, 78; Spartan Youths Exercising1 Jeunes; Spartiartes S'Exerciant a la Lutte, 106; text, 78; (Detail); text 107; Woman at a WindowlFemme a une FenGtre, 110; text, 109; Woman at Her ToiletIFemme a sa Toilette, 11 1, text, 112-3; COLOR PAINTINGS: Singer in Green/La Chanteuse Verte, 93; Three Dancers at their Toilette: Trois Dan- seuses a la Toilette, 92; Woman Putting on Her Gloves/Femme se Mettant ses Gants, 91

Design, architectural, 118; as emphasis, 47

Distemper: author's experiments, 161; Degas, 110, 113, 158; "Domestic fresco," 158; discussion of, 158-9; Mural painting, 158; Vuillard, 157, 159

Dot, the, 71; Seurat, 129-31 Drawing: Bonnard, 168; Cassatt, 135;

C&zanne, 122; for composition, 78; for painting, 25; Degas, 76; Monet, 48-9; Pissarro, 70; Sargent, 140; Seurat, 126;

sight size, 164; sketches for painting, 176; use of, 178; with brush, 107

Dutch masters, 17, 146

Earth Colors, 14, 128. See also Palettes individual

Ebauche, 34. (See also Academic Method); Degas' use of, 78; Sickert, 171

Easel on wheels, 75 Ecole des Beaux-Arts, training, 34 ,35 Edges, Sargent, and Degas, 143 En plein airllandscape painting outdoors,

35 Equisse, 34. See also Academic Tradition Eragny, 75

Farington, 29,27 First impression, 44 "Finish," 3 3 Fisher, Archdeacon, 21 Fixative for pastel, 113 French Academic Tradition, 171, 177;

Degas' series of operations, 78; The French, 177. See also Academic Tradi- tion

Garden Studio, A, 51 Gauguin, 122 Geometric composition, 71 Glazing, Turner's, and stumbling, 27;

Sargent, 145 Gleyre, as Salon painter, 32; preparing

palette, 149; atelier, 57, 147 Golden section, 131 Gouache, 26,113. See also Body color Grandi, 27 Ground: absorbent, 147; function of

white, 148; paper, 109; wood panels, 12; cardboard, 109; varnishing, 126. See also Mahogany panels, 127.

Half-tone, 119, 128, 34. See also demi- tiente under Academic Tradition

Hatched modeling, 127 Hals, Franz, 37, 134 Hampstead, 21 Homer, William, I, 129 Hochede, Paul, 52

Illumination, 35 Imprimatura, 148. See also Academic

Tradition, 34 Ingres, 146, 141, 63, 77; method, 78;

"finish," 33; Ingtist, 63 "Intimist," 156 Ingrist, 63. See also Ingres Impasto, 23 Impressionism: 43. Brushwork, 43; Can-

vas, The, 43; Evolution or revolution, 32; Historical definition, An, 42; Pissar- ro's definition of, 44; placement of

form, 121; Technical definition, A, 42; Weather, 43; White Ground, The, 43

Keene, Charles, 176

La Grenouillere, 46 Landscape: brushwork, 122; composi-

tion, 16; 17th Century, 17. See also Dutch Masters

Large scale pictures: Renoir's roller sys- tem, 67; reaching, Monet; Constable, 16; Monet, 50; Seurat's first, 127

Lemoinae, John, Sickert, 176 London, 134 Lustre, 129

Machine, 50. See also Academic Tradi- tion

Mahogany panel, 26; veneer, 11 Manet, Edouard, 32: brushwork, 35;

Claude's glass, 36; Impressionist, as an, 42; influence of Couture, 35; method, 34-5; simplified academic procedure, 35; PAINTINGS: Luncheon on the GrassIDejeuner sur I'Herbe, 33; text, 33; Monet Painting in His Floating Studio, 51; Portrait of Eva Gonzales (Detail), 35; text, 35; Self Portrait with Hat, 32; Oysters, 36; COLOR PAINT- INGS: The WaitresslLa Serveuse de Bock, 8 4

Manufacture of paint, 10. See also col:: orman; Artist's Colorman

Matisse, 167 Matiere (handling), 34, 77. See also

Academic Method Medium($: linseed and turps, 13; Renoir,

60; comparison of, 19; Renoir, 60, 58; Whistler, 147

Megilp, 11 Monet, Claude, 46, 56: at work, 52;

awareness of color compared to Ckzanne, 125; brushwork, 50-1; closer look, a, 49; depression, 52-3; drawing, 48-9; Garden studio, 51; Gleyre's, in- fluence of, 35; influences, 46; influence on Sargent, 140, 142; on Ckzanne, 119; method, 30, 46; motif, 48; Not only an eye, 47; Large paintings, 50; later work, 50; palette, 51, Photograph of Monet in his studio in front of one of the Nympheas panels, 46; Photog- raphy, effect of, 10; Series, working in, 53; Thames series, 52; Haystacks series, 53; Poplars series; Rouen Cathedral series, 53-4; Water Lilies, handling of, 52; PAINTINGS: Autumn at Argenteuil, 48; text, 43, 49; Study for Dhjeuner sur I'Herbe, 49; (Detail), text, 50; Rouen Cathedral: Tour d'Albane, Early Moming, 52; La Gare St. Lazare, 53; LaPointe de la H&ve, 55; LaPointe

127; palette, diagram of, 131; lustre, 129; sur le motif, 126; influence of Cou- ture, 35; Seurat (photo), 126; Re- sponse to Impressionist structure, 118; PAINTINGS: BathinglBaignade, La, 128; text, 127, 44, Bridge at Cour- bevoie, The Pont de Courbevoie, Le, 130; text, 131; Painter at Work, The Peintre au Travail, La, 130; Sunday Afternoon in Summer on the Grand JattelUne Dimanche d'ete a I'lle de la Grand Jatte, 129; Study for, 127, 146; text, 126; (Large detail, 126--7); COLOR PAINTINGS: La Luzerne, St. Denis, 96; Models, ThelLes Poseuses, Ensemble (small version), 96; text, 126; Model in Profile, 95

Sickert, Walter Richard: apprenticeship I with Whistler, 146, 170; brushwork,

172; 173; colors, 172; drawing, use of, 176; palette knife, criticism of Courbet,~

i use of, 37; photographs, use of, 176, 13; Selfpottrait, drawing, 170; teach- ing at R.A. Schools, 176; Underpaint-

I ing, 171; Venetian period, 172; later l

l style, 176; PAINTINGS: Antique Shop, The, 173; Mornington Crescent Nude, 171; text, 173; RaisingofLazarus, The, 176; Santa Maria della Salute, 172; School of San Marco, The/Scuola di

l San Marco (Ospedale Civile), 174; Study for Ennui, 177; Two Seated

l Women in Boaters, 175; COLOR PAINTINGS: La Carolina in an Interior, 104

Sims, Charles: on Constable's method, 21; TurneJsMethod, 27; Whistler, 147 1 Sisley, 212, 8

Sketching: As part of Academic Tradition, 34; Constables, use of, 16-17, 23; oil

1 on panel, 127; preparing paper for, 17; pochade, 147; Seurat's, 127; "sketches", 43; note, 31, book, 26,31

Society Portraitists, 168

~ Subject matter: "advanced" vs. official, 33; Weather, 43; composition, con- temp, 42; Renoir, 59 sensation, 163; Turner and Monet, emphasis of, 47; Intimist, 156; children and young wo-

I men, 34; still life, 125 Sur le motif: CGzanne, 125; 19th Centu ry

doctrine, 177; Pissarro, 75; Pre- I Raphaelites, 142; Sargent, 140; Seurat,

126 Symbolists, 158

Technical soundness of Impressionist paintings, 51

Technical experiments, Degas, 76 Technique, 121: a la colle 157, 161, alla

prima, 49, 144; priming 58, 148;

pumissing ground, 27; scraping down, 7, 8, 36, 78, 142, 144, 147, 150; scrubbing in, 122; wet-in-wet, 143. See also Academic tradition Brushwork, Underpainting, Method

Tempera: as underpainting, 77, 172,173; rediscovey, 13; Italian and Flemish method, 44, 172; Degas, 110

Theatrical scene-painting, distemper, 157 Titian: influence on Renoir, 63; 76; Bon-

nard, 167 Traditional studio practice, 8; method of

composition, 78, ground, 17 Training the Memo y in Art, 11 1 Tonal: values, 140; ground 44, relation-

ships, 35, 119; See also Academic Tradition

20th Century, 157 Tube colors, 10 Turner, J. M. W., 77: "abstract," 28;

body color, 26; brushwork, 26; color, 131; drawings, 28; Eastlake, on ground, 44; 26; Late work, 28; medium, 27; memoy, 29; method, 24-26,29; mahogany veneer, 26; mix- ing paint, 10; Unsystematic system, 29; oil medium, 25; sketchbook, use of, 26, 31; outdoor, 43; watercolor and oil technique, 27, 25; watercolor box, traveling, 11; Varnishing days, 31; PAINTINGS: An Artist Painting in a Room with a Large Fanlight, 27; text, 27; Bay with East Cowes Castle in the Background, 31; text, 31; Dogana and Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, The, 28; Dort or Dordrecht: The Dort Packet-Boat from Rotterdam Be- calmed, 29; Frosty Morning, 25; text, 24; Rouen Cathedral, 52; text, 54; (Large detail 40-41); Staffa, Fingal's Cave off the West Coast of Scotland, 30; Windsor Castle from Salt Hill, 26; text, 27; COLOR PAINTINGS: Dolbar- den Castle, 82; text, 24; Snowstorm: Steamboat off a Harbour's Mouth, 83

Underpainting: Flemish, 127; Sickert, 171, 173; explanation of, 175

Varnish or stand oil medium, 19 Velasquez, 134 Vermeer, 157 Visual memoy, training, 151-3, 110 Vollard, 136; 125, 122 Vuillard, Edouard, 166: and Bonnard,

156; cardboard ground, 109; Classical influence, 157; color, 157; composi- tion, 163; detachment, 156; distemper portraits, 159; distemper procedure, 161; drawing, 163; visual memoy, 167; method, 164; with oil, 163; photo of Vuillard as a young man, 156; pastel

notes, 163; peinture a I'essence, 79; photography, use of, 13; Style, 158; PAINTINGS: Aux Clayes, 161; In Front of the HouselDavant le Maison, 159; In the GardenlDans le Jardin, 158; Lunch at Villeneuve-sur YonnelLe Dejeuner a Villeneuve-sur Yonne, 160, text; Detail of, 160; Outskirts of Paris/Environs de Pans, 157; Portrait of Pierre Bonnard before his Canvas, 164; Professor Henn Vaquez assisted by his son Dr. Parvu, working in St. Antoine HospitaIlLe Professeur Henn' Vaquez et son assistant Travaillant a 11h6pital St. Antoine, 162: text, 163; Woman S weeping, 163; COLOR PAINTINGS: Dr. Vaquez a I'H6pital St. Antoine, 101

Watercolor: Chzanne, 121; shells, 10; de- velopment of, 10; Degas, 110; glycerine, addition of; scale, 76; Turner and body color, 55

Watteau, 77, 59 Wax, medium, 27; as sculpture, 115 Weather, 43 Weir, Alden, 149 Whistler, James Abbott MacNeill, 146,

176; Analyzing a painting of, 50; brushwork, 147; apprenticeship of Sickert, 170, 172; craftsmanship, 149; ground, 147, 148; imprimaturs, 148; influences, 146-7; method; palette, 147-50; photo of palette, 100; pastel notes, 163, 153; Whistler at work in his studio (photo), 146; scraping down, 150; Training the visual memoy, 151; PAINTINGS: Beach at Selsey Bill, The, 152; Harmony in Gray and Green, Miss Cicely Alexander, 147; text, 78, 148; Nocturne in Black and Gold: The Fire Wheel, 148; text, 149; Nocturne in Black and Gold, Southhampton Wat- ers, 151; Portrait of Thomas Carlyle: Arrangement in Gray and Black, No. 2, 150; Sea and Sand, The, 153; COLOR PAINTINGS: Beach in Holland, 100; text, 147; Rose et Vert, I'lris; Portrait of Miss Kinsella, 99; text, 150-1

White: canvas, 58; area, 147; ground, 43; 128

Winsor and Newtons factory, 13; paint- box, 11

Workshop tradition, 10