Mrs. Keyfitz's Art Blog

Arnolfini Wedding by Jan van Eyck (1434)

What we learned-

• The artist’s signature can be seen above the mirror, which reads “Johannes de Eyck fuit hic 1434” (Jan van Eyck was here, 1434).
• Several items related to the Flemish marriage tradition are incorporated in the painting, including: oranges, shoes, a broom hanging from the door frame and the bride’s covered head.
• Indicators of the couple’s wealth can be found in the amount of fabric in the bride’s dress as well as the size of the groom’s hat.

Discussion Questions:

1. What is the mood of the painting?  Why aren’t the bride & groom smiling?
2. If the painting’s title did not include the word “wedding,” would you know this was a marriage portrait?  Why or why not?

Guernica by Pablo Picasso (1937)

What we learned-

• Picasso was the father of Cubism, which explains why the figures and faces are contorted and rearranged (a signature of the movement!).
• This mural was commissioned by the Spanish government to remember the bombing of Guernica (in Basque Country) during the Spanish Civil War on April 26, 1937 during which many civilians were killed.

Discussion Questions:

1. Why did Picasso choose to only use black, white and gray (no color) in the mural?
2. What does the light bulb (to which many of the figures are raising their arms or eyes) represent?
3. Are there any other events you’ve learned about in history which could be commemorated in art?  What would you paint?

Lascaux Cave Paintings (circa 17,000 B.C.)

What we learned-

• The artworks focused on the animals with which the artists would have been familiar, including horses and bulls.  In one part of the cave where bulls are featured, one of the bulls painted measures 17 feet- the largest animal painting ever found in a Stone Age cave!
• The Paleolithic painters of Lascaux employed a variety of colours, including red, yellow, black, brown, and violet. All these pigments would have been obtained locally from readily available materials such as iron-rich clay ochre and manganese dioxide and charcoal. No brushes have been found at Lascaux, thus one presumes that the paint was applied with moss or fur pads, or crude crayons made from solid lumps of pigment. Reeds and hollowed horns might also have been used as paint-sprayers.
• The most famous chamber at Lascaux is The Great Hall of the Bulls, featuring the famous four black aurochs (male cattle) including one huge figure. Another famous chamber is known as the Nave, which includes an image known as “The Crossed Bison”, a fine example in the use of perspective.

Discussion Questions:

1. What was the purpose of the cave paintings? 
2. How do you think the cave people learned to/ figured out how to paint on the cave walls? 

Icarus by Henri Matisse (1947)

What we learned-

• Matisse spear-headed the artist movement called Fauvism, which translates in English (from French) to “wild beasts.”
• In the latter years of his life, Matisse moved from his previous medium of painting to paper cuttings (created in a jazz-like style) as a result of his severe arthritis.  He had assistants cut pieces for him to arrange on the picture plane.
• This picture tells the story of Icarus who, according to Greek mythology, attempted to escape Crete by flying with homemade wax wings only to fly too close to the sun where his wings melted and he met his end. 

Discussion Questions:

1. Despite not giving Icarus a face, what do you think Matisse wanted us to interpret as Icarus’ feeling in this work? 
2. Is a work without detail (only the major symbols) still effective?  Is it still art?

School of Athens by Raphael (1509-1510)

What we learned-

• Raphael was one of three artists (including Michelangelo & da Vinci) who lead the Italian Renaissance movement in painting.  (Michelangelo was his biggest rival!)
• Pope Julius II commissioned Raphael to paint frescoes in several rooms of the Vatican palace, including the above painting (which is Raphael’s best known work).
• This particular work documents the history of Greek philosophy, with Aristotle and Plato as the central figures and other key philosophers and figures surrounding them.  (Including “cameos” by da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael as three of the featured men!)
• Visit http://agutie.homestead.com/files/school_athens_map.html for an interactive chart of “who’s who” in the School of Athens!

Discussion Questions:

1. Raphael was challenged by having to paint portraits of many men of whom there was no previous documentation (Nobody really knew what they looked like!).  How would you paint someone you’d never seen?
2. What do you think the groupings of people in the painting represent?  Why do you think Aristotle and Plato are the central figures?

Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh (1889)

What we learned-

• Since the work has been completed, astrologists have confirmed that van Gogh’s skyscape is an accurate depiction of where the stars would have been during the time it was painted.  Who says Post-Impressionists aren’t accurate? :)
• Van Gogh used swirling motions around the stars and throughout the sky to create a sense of movement (3rd graders, think about the “Make a Splash” project we’re currently doing!).
• A leader of the Post-Impressionist movement (which was primarily French, though Van Gogh himself was Dutch), van Gogh utilized a very thick paint application known as impasto.  This particular work took 8 months to dry, the paint was so thick!

Discussion Questions:

1. Though van Gogh was not a Christian (Something that surely contributed to his troubled life!), there are pieces of God’s glory and beauty that can be found in his work!  How is God glorified in “Starry Night?”
2. Even with only four “and a half” colors (black, white, yellow and blue- and the green that resulted from blues and yellows beside each other), van Gogh created in “Starry Night” one of the most famous artworks in history.  Does an artwork need a lot of color to be successful?

Night Watch by Rembrandt van Rijn (1642)

What we learned-

• The painting was commissioned by Captain Frans Banning Cocq and 33 members of his company to hang in the dining hall of the Arquebusiers (the name of their company).
• The lighting leads the eye to the three most important people in the picture: the captain, his lieutenant and the little girl who is holding the symbols of the Arquebusiers (chicken claws on her belt and the militia’s goblet).
• Rembrandt, a leader in the Dutch Golden Age, is still regarded as one of the most important painters in history (especially in Dutch history).

Discussion Questions:

1. As this is a painting commissioned by a large group, are there any other groups (historically or currently) who Rembrandt could have portrayed in a similar fashion?
2. What did Rembrandt use in his painting to draw attention and acclaim to his subjects?