Learning to Look Lesson 1 Styles of Portraiture Impressionist and Post Impressionist Art Introduction: (5 min) Good morning students. Our names are and and we are here for another great year of LTL. Do you remember Learning to Look from last year? What were some of the things you talked about? Remember in Kindergarten you learned about the 6 elements of art. Can anyone tell me what one is? Color Texture Light Shape Space Line Last year in LTL we studies American Art from the Colonial Times to the 1890 s. Do you remember how we looked at paintings and discussed some of the techniques and details artist use to convey feelings, thoughts and ideas? We studied paintings and discussed each of the elements of art. This year we will be studying Impressionist and Post Impressionist European Art. Throughout the year we will look and discuss paintings, as well as, create some of our own artwork. This year we will be studying art from 1850-1900. Impressionist artists lived, worked and studied at some point in their lives in Paris. They created a new style of painting that at the time was not always well received. We will begin by asking what was new and different about these paintings. Why were some of the paintings severely criticized? How do people feel about them today? First we will start with an artist who came just before this time. By looking at his work, we will hopefully be able to see and understand what was new and different about impressionist and post impressionist art.
Eye Exercises: Open your big like an owl. Close your eyes tight like a mouse. Look up, look down, look left, look right. Open your eyes big, close your eyes tight, now we are ready to look. Portrait: (7 min) Madame Jacques- Louis Leblanc Jean- Auguste- Dominque Ingres (J.A.D Ingres) Turn the picture around and do not reveal the title. Begin to ask questions about the portrait. What is this a picture of? A woman Do you know what type of painting this is? What do we call a painting of a particular person? A portrait What do you notice about the woman? What kind of clothing is she wearing? Elegant black dress. (does it look expensive or cheap? Why?) Jewelry. Look carefully at the shawl, do you notice anything about the design? Can you spot the letter E? The E stands for Grand Duchess Elisa, Napoleon s sister. Madame Leblanc served in her court. Do you notice what she is holding with her left hand? A black and silver purse Look at the jewelry up close, what do you see? A gold chain and watch, two rings and earrings. Do you think this is what Madame Leblanc really looked like? What do you notice about her skin? Smooth, Clear, almost like a porcelain doll. (Do you notice any wrinkles?) No. May have made her more perfect than she really was. What do you notice about the how Madame Leblanc is pictured? Is she standing or sitting? Relaxed? Seated, in a relaxed position, looking directly at the viewer. What mood does her facial expression suggest?
Tranquil, relaxed, graceful, serene, quiet What is the main shape of the painting? A triangle. (There is a large triangle of her figure and chair and a small triangle of her head and shoulders) Remember from our shape discussions that are triangles stable restful shapes. Conveys no movement. Is this formal or informal? Formal Where is it set? Inside a home (her home in fact) What do you notice about the lines in the painting? Very easy to see. (trace the clear contour lines) The clear outlines were a hallmark of his style and many used this as a way to judge other paintings. What element of art is particularly important in this painting? Some will mention line. Texture: Ingres creates realistic paintings by emphasizing texture. Texture Bag: (5 min) Have children reach into the bag and pull out different textures. Describe in words and point out where you see the texture on the painting. Do you think Ingres worked quickly or slowly in order to capture all the lines and patterns that make up various textures? Slowly Look carefully at the tulle, shawl, the flowers, the gold chain This carefully painted perfect style with clear lines and texture became the standard for painting through the 19 th century. Impressionist art was new, modern and very different. Second Portrait (7 min) The Monet Family in their Garden in Argenteuil Edouard Manet Reveal the painting without telling the students the name.
This is a painting by Edouard Manet. It is very different from the first. What are some of the differences you notice? How many people are in the painting? Three What do you call a portrait of more than one person? A group portrait Do you think the people are related? Why or why not? They seem familiar with one another. The boy lays against the woman. (This is a family portrait of Claude Monet, his wife Camille and their 7 year old son Jean.) Emphasize the difference between MANET and MONET. What is the setting of the painting? In their garden hence the name: The Monet Family in Their Garden in Argenteuil What season do you think it is? Why? Summer Green grass, trees, out of doors, working in garden Where do you think Manet set up his easel to paint this picture? Directly in front of Mme Monet, outside Impressionist sketched and painted outside because they wanted to capture the light and how the light changed. They wanted to paint as we see things naturally. What is Monet doing in the painting? Working in his garden. Did you know that Monet is a very famous impressionist painter himself? He loved his garden and painted many pictures of flowers and his own gardens during his life. In fact, you can still visit his garden in France today. Can you find: a watering can, a rooster, a hen, a baby chick, a red fan? Is this a formal or informal pose? Informal the people don't seem to be posing at all. What is the mood of the painting? Casual, relaxed, warm, happy This painting is an example of a new style of painting developed in France in the 1870 s called Impressionism. Claude Monet was one of the leaders of the
Impressionists. Manet did not consider himself one but was friends with Monet who encouraged him to try painting this way. Compare the two paintings: (3 min) Can you see the brush strokes in Manet s painting or are they all smoothed over the way they were in Ingres painting? The brush strokes are very clear, almost like a sketch. (because it was done quickly to capture natural light and colors) What about the lines here? Are they sharp and easy to see? No they are blurry, not clear and detailed. Manet eliminates detail. What about the colors? They are bright all over and reflect the sunlight. Do you notices texture in Manets painting? No, he paints all objects with the same texture. Look at the dress and grass for example. Writing/Drawing Activity (20 min) Explain that Manet was not the only artist in the garden that day. Renoir another Impressionist painter also painted a portrait of Madame Monet and Jean that day. Pretend that you were a visitor that day along with Manet and Renoir. What did you see, hear, smell? Would you sketch the Monet family also? Or perhaps another scene from the garden? Spend some time writing about your experience and drawing your own picture of the Monet family.