Battle of Anghiari
Course Title: Paint Like Da Vinci: Battle of Anghiari Recreation
Leonardo Da Vinci was honored in 1505 with a commission to immortalize the Battle of Anghiari in Florence. Later, a mere 65 years after the historic event had unfolded, his task was to create a powerful portrayal of this significant battle to be housed in the prestigious Plaza Vecchio, later known as the Hall of 500.
Reuben Sketch of The Battle of Anghiari
The Battle of Anghiari
Artist Name: Sir Peter Paul Rubens
Dated: 1821
Medium: engraving on paper
Dimensions: 45.50 x 6150 cm
Location: Scottish National Gallery Of Modern
Edelinck Sketch of The Battle of Anghiari
A Short Life For The Battle of Anghiari
For over a decade, a potential unfinished masterpiece by Leonardo captivated audiences at Plaza Vecchio. He often left work incomplete and experimented with untested techniques. Issues with the original Battle of Anghiari may have prompted him to abandon the project.
Painting Over Leonardo Da Vinci
In the mid-1500s, the Hall of 500 was under construction and undergoing an expansion. Back then, a renowned artist was given the prestigious task of bringing the Battle of Anghiari to life in a truly extensive and significant project.
Battle of Marciano by Vasari
Vasari, known for his unwavering commitment to safeguarding entrusted works of art, is said to have built a wall as a lasting tribute to Leonardo’s genius, regardless of whether his masterpiece was completed. This newly constructed wall proudly displays Vasari’s masterpiece painting of 500 soldiers, capturing the essence of his talent.Moreover, Plaza Vecchio boasts a stunning array of beloved artworks, making it an absolute must-visit for art enthusiasts.
Circa Trova: Seek and You Shall Find
In Vasari’s captivating painting “The Battle of Marciano,” a lone soldier courageously holds a green banner inscribed with “Circa Trova,” which translates to “Seek, and you shall find.” Fast forward to 2011, a hole was carefully drilled, unveiling a surprising 3 cm gap between the walls behind the painting. Upon closer inspection, it became abundantly clear that the materials did not belong to Vasari, but were instead part of Leonardo’s commonly used materials. This discovery sheds new light on the painting’s origins and adds an intriguing layer to its history. This discovery sheds new light on the origins of the artwork and invites us to delve deeper into its fascinating history.
Recommended Prerequisites:
Creating working Images in Photoshop
How To Paint With A Limited Palette Like A Pro
Get Accurate Colors With The Color Checker!.
Build a Color Checker for under $10.00.
Battle of Anghiari Recreation
I used Photoshop to create the working image for a 60-inch wide by 48-inch high canvas. The gridlines consist of 10-inch-wide by 8-inch-high blocks. Upload the image to an iPad for easy adjustments and reference.
The initial sketch is created using thinned-down burnt umber paint applied with a liner brush. The recreation should be completed and modified it for any necessary corrections before proceeding to the detailed Grisaille Phase.
I complete the Grisaille section of this Da Vinci recreation through multiple stages using only black and white. I meticulously prepare and detail the entire piece, incorporating shading and highlighting, before moving on to Blocking and Glazing.
We will number each soldier for easy reference in our video series before we glaze and block this large-scale recreation. Due to the painting’s size, we will work on different areas in phases instead of trying to complete the whole painting at once.
Materials List for Oil Painting Reproduction:
Prepare the canvas by applying gesso, rotating it horizontally and vertically, and sanding it smoothly between each coat for a flawless finish.. As a result, I painted the canvas about two times to create a working surface supporting this reproduction type.
Explore the links to Amazon, where these items were purchased for reproduction.
Tools:
- Proportional Divider–Purchase a Proportional Divider from Amazon for $9.99 Today.
- Color Checker
- Glass Palette
- Palette Knife
- Ruler
- Red or Black Pastel pencil for gridlines
Canvas For Reproduction:
60″ X 48″ prepared canvas
Oil Paints:
All reproductions use a minimal pallet of six colors:
Glazing Mixture:
- Pure Refined Linseed Oil for mixing and thinning
- Windsor Newton Glazing and Blending Medium for glazing and thinning for details
Sketching With Paint:
Gamblin Gamsol is a solvent artists use to clean their brushes and thin down brown paint for the initial sketch on canvas. Remember not to use Gamsol or any other cleaning solvent for anything other than sketching. For example, George Werbacher uses brown paint thinned with Gamsol when needed for the initial oil painting sketch. In addition, George uses linseed oil only when prepping oil paints for use in all his reproductions and originals
Demonstration Videos:
George Werbacher
Oil Painting Reproduction Artist
Hi, I'm George, a passionate painter. I share all my work for free to help fellow artists. I'm offering a course on recreating famous artworks. Feel free to ask me any questions!
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