Masterpiece: “Children’s games” 1560
Artist: Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1525?-1669)
(Pee-ter Broy-gull)
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Concept: Action Drawing (How do we look when we move?)
Lesson: Crayon Resist Drawing
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Objectives:
• Have the students draw an outdoor activity or game.
Vocabulary: Renaissance, color, repetition, unity, movement.
Materials:
• 9” x 12” white construction paper
• Crayons and pencils,
• Paint sponges
• Plastic containers
• Brown tempera
• Tap water.
** Please Note **
Cut the drawing paper to 8” x 10” before class.
Wait for artwork to dry.
Mount the artist’s “blurb” to the back of 9” x 12” paper.
** Troubleshooting Thoughts **
Make sure they draw an outdoor/action activity!
Process:
1. Look at and discuss the painting “Children’s Games”. Discuss how long ago
this picture was painted.
2. Point out how red is used repeatedly to lead the eye around the painting.
3. Have the children identify as many games as possible. Ask the children to
imagine and draw how their hair, arms, legs, and clothes might be moving
while they’re at play.
3. Hand out 8” x 10” drawing paper to the students.
4. Ask the students to draw an action scene of something they like to do.
They may use their pencils first.
5. Use crayons to color in their picture. Remind them they should use red the
same way Bruegel did.
6. When they are done with their drawing, have them go to the paint station
area to sponge over their artwork with very diluted brown tempera paint.
7. Make sure they write their name and title their activity. Hang when dry.
1ST GRADE--PROJECT #1
Artist: Pieter Bruegel
Masterpiece: Children’s Games
Lesson: Drawing, Action Scene, Crayon-Resist
Project Sample:
Art Masterpiece
PIETER BRUEGEL
(1525? – 1569)
“Children’s Games”
1560
Bruegel was born in Northwestern Europe, better known as the Netherlands, and is considered to be
the greatest Flemish artist of the 16th century. It was between the years of 1560 and 1569 that
Bruegel produced his most influential work. He developed an original style that holds narrative and tells
the viewer a story with great depth and symbolic meaning. Bruegel’s subject matter varied, however, he
was most intrigued by portraying the daily life of peasant folk. It is said that Bruegel would dress up as
a peasant and go to the gatherings in order to get a better understanding of his subjects. Bruegel’s
work had great perspective and captured a bird’s eye view. As an artist Bruegel was successful during
his lifetime. He began a dynasty of Flemish artists that followed in his footsteps well into the 17th
century. Bruegel was interested in capturing the spirit of human nature, uninhibited and natural.
Appropriately, in his painting “Children’s Games”, Bruegel created an encyclopedia of games that
children play, some of which are still played today.
Art Masterpiece
PIETER BRUEGEL
(1525? – 1569)
“Children’s Games”
1560
Bruegel was born in Northwestern Europe, better known as the Netherlands, and is considered to be
the greatest Flemish artist of the 16th century. It was between the years of 1560 and 1569 that
Bruegel produced his most influential work. He developed an original style that holds narrative and
tells the viewer a story with great depth and symbolic meaning. Bruegel’s subject matter varied,
however, he was most intrigued by portraying the daily life of peasant folk. It is said that Bruegel
would dress up as a peasant and go to the gatherings in order to get a better understanding of his
subjects. Bruegel’s work had great perspective and captured a bird’s eye view. As an artist Bruegel
was successful during his lifetime. He began a dynasty of Flemish artists that followed in his
footsteps well into the 17th century. Bruegel was interested in capturing the spirit of human nature,
uninhibited and natural. Appropriately, in his painting “Children’s Games”, Bruegel created an
encyclopedia of games that children play, some of which are still played today.
PIETER BRUEGEL
(1525?-1569)
Pieter Bruegel is an artist from the Renaissance period. His actual
birthdate is not known but believed to be around 1525. He was born
near Antwerp; a city in the country now called Belgium. Antwerp was
an important city during Bruegel’s time and people from all over the
world came to trade and buy things. Many wealthy people came to buy
art to fill the walls of their large mansions.
Breugel went to Italy in 1552 to study the art of famous Italian
artists of the time. He learned to paint people in a more natural and
three-dimensional way. Most of his early paintings were of
landscapes but then he started painting people more. Many of his
paintings show his great interest in the poor people, or peasants, who
lived, in the countryside. Quite often his paintings are pictured from
a high vantage-point to give the viewers a bird’s eye view of the
scene. He would paint people doing common everyday things. It is
said sometimes he would dress up like a peasant and go to gatherings
to get a close view of these people and get ideas for paintings. There
is usually a lot going on in a Bruegel painting. When people look at a
Pieter Bruegel painting, they often think he used very few colors. At
first glance, his pictures seem to be an overall brown, gray, or dark
yellow. But if you look closely, you’ll be surprised to see he used some
bright colors too.
Breugel’s two sons also became famous artists, but neither of them
had their father’s imagination or was able to put the same kind of
human feeling into their paintings.
Bruegel died in 1569 at the approximate age of 42.