Technical Aspects

The rediscovery of a lost painting technique

Autonomous studies and experiments

During 35 years of autonomous experimenting, from about 1923 until about 1958, Egon von Vietinghoff rediscovers the knowledge not taught in technical handbooks and academies. Since the impressionists had broken away from this tradition, some 150 years ago, and had developed their own kinds of painting based on different theories, the knowledge of multi-layer mixing of oil and resin has been lost.

This technique has been reconstructed by him in mid-life only, after many setbacks. It is the basis of the style practiced in his later period of creative work. His unique mastery, his unmistakable style and his competence as an author are based on his intensive studies of Old Masters and his long years of experimentation and testing.

When painting in several layers, two or three colors are spread separately one upon the other. In order to keep them separate (unlike to wet-on-wet painting), the lower coat of color must be dry or both layers must contain a separating binder. For this purpose, specific methods serving as prerequisites of a painter's virtuosity have been developed in various European countries. They are based on resins and oils as carriers of the color pigments.

Several liquid layers of color (glazes) can be applied either thick, semi-covering or translucent, one on top of the other. Different steps of light reflection bring about depth and color differentiations not possible in one-layer painting. The plasticity thus obtained does not need any conspicuous construction of perspective. This knowledge is the basis of the color depth and the luminous power typical of Vietinghoff's paintings.

At an early stage, Vietinghoff realizes that he cannot satisfactorily reproduce his inner pictures and his artistic intentions when using industrially made materials. His differentiated transcendental (meditative) way of seeing requires painting techniques which needs first-class natural substances produced with great care - beside of some indispensable colors from chemical origin.

He therefore produces himself the colors he needs. Even the necessary solvents and binders are prepared by him. He stands at his work bench for hours grinding the pigments with a heavy stone on a glass plate. On the positive side, the sometimes heavy and strenuous work keeps him fit for a long time.

He boils natural glue and canvas, which he tacks on frames or sticks on chip boards sawed by himself to measure. This is followed by up to 7 priming coats plus the grinding down, tinting and isolating of the grounding. Usually at least half of his time goes into this manual preparation before he can start to paint.

By carrying out all the steps of producing the grounding, the paint and the varnish, his spirit is in every phase of preparation occupied with the effect the raw material will have on the general impression of the painting.

Without this effort, the painting would lack its convincing freshness, its depth of color and its natural brilliance. His pictures are a successful synthesis of his artistic vision and his manual power of representation. Together, craftsmanship and artistic intention lead to well-rounded works of art.

Another essential contribution to the natural effect of his paintings is made by the main use of natural substances which are as pure as possible for the production of colors and binders. For this he uses organic raw materials such as egg, casein, linseed and poppy seed oil, leather glue, wax, gum arabic, cherry tree resin, larch turpentine, fossil resin and different earths.

Thus Vietinghoff produces characteristic colors which he mixes to give the exact desired effect and which have the characteristics and durability he can rely on. For some colors, however, he does need chemical pigments as well.

His "Handbuch zur Technik der Malerei" (Handbook of painting technique, in German only) is a compendium of all his work experiences, and appears in the well-known Editions DuMont in 1983 (2nd edition 1991). Here Vietinghoff brings in the sum total of his life-long observations, defines the translucency of color (a property which have previously gone unnoticed in literature) and tackles the theory of chromatics as seen by the creative artist.

Among other things, he gives practical ideas concerning color production, brushwork and picture composition, including examples of pictures of well-known masters and also his own work. He has thus made available to future generations the lost knowledge of the traditional oil-resin painting technique.