Yesterday was my copying day, and it was also my last day of copying until September! I don't want to go into DC during the summer heat, and it's going to be extra crazy and crowded near the National Gallery because of the 250th anniversary of the US and all of the different celebrations taking place. I'll stay away until September.
So since yesterday was going to be the last I would see of this copy for a few months, I focused on developing what may be the most important part of the composition - the man sitting with his back to the viewer, in the lower left foreground of the painting.
This man, probably the group's leader, is a dark silhouette compared to the brilliantly lit group on the far side of the table. He points to something on the page with his bow - he plays the cello, the neck of which he holds in his left hand. I spent the whole day working on him - the black fabric that drapes around his figure is a complex marvel of folds. I used my darkest colors - Ultramarine Blue, Dioxizine Purple, Quinacridone Violet (aren't these names wonderful?) to mix black, and then I lightened it with different opaque colors for the lighter areas. I am not accurately matching the colors yet, but I'll make another try when I come around to him again. I also repainted and darkened his beautifully rich satin shirt. Such sumptuous clothes! The fabrics are very enjoyable to copy.
I also made a first pass on his hair and face, so striking in profile. Here is how the painting looked at the end of the day:
