Overview

Major Goals/Aims

            Impressionism marked a turning point in the history of art bringing about a change from the manner in which we view the painted subject.  Beginning with artist Edouard Manet, the world and its subjects became a canvas of quick, short brushstrokes, flickering patches of color and reflections of light dancing before our eyes.  Instead of painting what they knew according to rules and principles, the Impressionists painted what they observed and felt.  The natural countryside and cityscape, people at leisure, as well as cafes, concerts, and the theatre were favorite subjects for the Impressionist painters.

To share my love of painting, and my two favorite artists, Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh, I’ve created this unit as an introduction to the art of Impressionism.  My aims are as follows:

1.        Students will investigate the Impressionist artists Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh.

2.        Students will interpret and appreciate the unique painting style of Impressionism.

3.        Students will analyze and interpret Monet’s “Waterlilies” and van Gogh’s “Sunflowers”.

4.        Students will explore web sites about the artists Monet and van Gogh, and compare and contrast their works of art.

5.        Students will creatively design a waterlily mural painting, and a sunflower still-life painting using tempera paint.

Through the use of technology and the Internet, students are given the opportunity to visit the art collection of Monet’s house and gardens in Giverny, http://giverny.org, and the collection at the van Gogh museum in Amsterdam, www.vangoghmuseum.nl. Visits to their favorite artist’s homes, gardens, and museums, help in gaining valuable information on their lives and works. 

           Students become familiar with Monet’s “Waterlilies” and van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” by viewing posters in class and original paintings on the Internet.  They learn to interpret and appreciate the unique painting style of Impressionism, as they analyze and interpret these paintings through an artist’s eyes.  Students explore web sites of the artists and are able to compare and contrast their work.  As the culminating fine art activity, students creatively design a “Waterlily” mural painting and a “Sunflower” still-life painting, using tempera. Those already familiar with acrylic paint may chose to do an acrylic painting on canvas.

Target Students

               I’ve created this lesson for my sixth grade major talent art class.  However, it is easily adaptable to all age groups:

-          K – 12

-          After school classes

-          Community organization groups

-          Scouting

-          Senior citizen groups

-          College level courses

 The class meets for four, forty-minute periods per week in the art classroom. This unit can usually be completed in one month.  Library visits and computer lab visits aid in our web exploration of these artists. Students have Internet access at home which lends itself to my assigning homework to gather additional research and background information at home.

Standards Addressed

                 This unit fulfills the New York State Learning Standards for the Arts, English Language Arts, and Technology.

 The Arts:

Standard 1. Creating, Performing, and participating in the Arts.

Students will actively engage in the processes that constitute creation in the visual arts.

 Standard 2. Knowing and Using Arts Materials and Resources.

Students will be knowledgeable about and make use of the materials and resources available for participation in the arts.

 Standard 3. Responding to and Analyzing Works of Art.

Students will respond critically to a variety of works in the arts, connecting the individual work to other works and to aspects of human endeavor and thought.

Standard 4. Understanding the Cultural Contributions of the Arts.

Students will develop an understanding of the personal and cultural forces that shape artistic communication and how the arts in turn shape the diverse cultures of past and present society.

English Language Arts:

Standard 1. Language for Information and Understanding.

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding.

Standard 2. Language for Literary Response and Expression.

Students will read, write, listen and speak for literary response and expression.

Standard 3. Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation.

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and evaluation.

Technology:

Standard 5. Technology.

Students will apply technological knowledge and skills to design, construct, use and evaluate products and systems to satisfy human and environmental needs.