MASTERWORKS OF ART
From Da Vinci to Picasso
A Series of 8 Art Posters Teacher’s Guide
produced by Knowledge Unlimited®, Inc.
www.knowledgeunlimited.com
MASTERWORKS OF ART: FROM DA VINCI TO PICASSO. Prepared by the staff of Knowledge Unlimited. This booklet accompanies the Masterworks of Art: From Da Vinci to Picasso poster series. Copyright © 1998 by Knowledge
Unlimited, Inc., Madison, Wisconsin. ISBN 1-55933-012-0
INTRODUCTION
Ever since the first primitive humans felt a need to draw on the walls of a cave, man has been expressing
himself through art. Through the ages, art has been used to inform, to advertise, to propagandize, to
immortalize, to beautify, and, in its purest form, to provide an outlet for the deepest expressions of the
human soul.
However, in spite of its presence in virtually every area of our lives, art remains an often neglected area
of study. We see this poster series being used as a kind of “ice-breaker” — a way of introducing the
neophyte to the wondrous world of great art.
The series is designed to be used across the curriculum. It can be integrated into virtually any area of
study, from language arts to social studies, to science.
In selecting the eight works for this series, we were deliberately eclectic. We wanted the series to give a
broad sampling of different artistic styles and periods, from the ethereal 15th century portrait of Ginevra
de’ Benci to the very modern, yet primitive, Still-life: Apples on a Pink Tablecloth by Henri Matisse.
Of course, it would be impossible to provide a truly representative sampling of great art through the
ages in only eight works. But, it is our hope that this poster series will whet your students’ appetites for
more, making the further study of art less “intimidating,” and paving the way for a lifetime of appreciation
for the great beauty and aesthetic pleasures that art offers.
Judith Laitman
Publisher
Knowledge Unlimited, Inc.
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About the Artist______________________________
LEONARDO DA VINCI
(1452-1519)
One writer called him “the most talented person who ever lived.” Leonardo
da Vinci is recognized as one of the greatest painters of all time. But he also
excelled in sculpture, architecture, music, science, inventions, civil and military engineering, geology, anatomy, botany, and astronomy. Today when
people think of the greatest “universal genius,” they think of Leonardo da
Vinci.
Leonardo was born in the village of Vinci, near Florence, Italy. He was sent
as a boy to study painting, sculpture, and engineering with a master painter
and sculptor named Andrea del Verrocchio. Very early in his career,
Leonardo painted an angel as a small addition to his master’s larger painting,
Baptism of Christ. The angel Leonardo painted is clearly superior to the rest of
the painting. The only comment Leonardo left about his teacher is, “Poor is
the pupil who does not surpass his master.”
In his late 20s, Leonardo went to play the lute in the court of Lodovico Sforza, who became the Duke of Milan. The
lute he played was of his own design — shaped like the head of a horse. While in Sforza’s service, Leonardo painted
The Madonna of the Rocks — the first painting to show the style he would later use in such famous paintings as the
Mona Lisa. During the same period, Leonardo also painted The Last Supper, a mural on the wall of a monastery. Many
people think it is one of the greatest paintings in the world because it displays Leonardo’s amazing mastery of anatomy
and perspective. Leonardo performed many other services for the Duke, including water-diversion projects and complex
canal systems.
In 1499, French invaders forced the Duke to flee Milan, and Leonardo returned to Florence. There, he painted the
famous Mona Lisa, the mysterious portrait of the wife of a merchant — perhaps the most famous painting in the world.
Later, Leonardo studied maps and provincial fortifications. He also designed weapons, including a breech-loading
cannon and a “tank” with armor. Many of his sketches showed Leonardo to be far ahead of his time. Some of his
designs anticipated the machine gun, the helicopter, and the propeller. In later life, Leonardo concentrated on studies
of anatomy. He was the foremost student of anatomy of his time. As an old man, Leonardo accepted an invitation from
King Francis I to live in France, where he died in 1519.
About the Painting ____________________________________________________________________
GINEVRA DE’ BENCI
The portrait of Ginevra de’ Benci was probably completed about 1474. In Leonardo’s time, it was the custom for
young ladies to have their portraits painted just before their weddings. Critics think this may have been the occasion
for this painting. Ginevra was married in January, 1474.
One of the most interesting things about the painting is actually a flaw. A large piece appears to have been cut off
from the bottom. Critics say this piece probably contained the lady’s hands, perhaps in a pose similar to that of the
Mona Lisa. The odd, square shape of the painting further attests to the theory of its having been cut. There is yet
another clue on the back of the painting itself. A wreath has been painted on the reverse side of the canvas, and its
lower third is cut away.
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The remarkable thing about the Ginevra portrait is the coolness of her expression, as though she were not even slightly
interested in the portrait-painting. One critic has called her expression on the “exquisite, melancholy beauty.” Another
said, “Possibly Ginevra was cool by nature, or trapped for social or economic reasons in a loveless match, but it is
hard to escape the feeling that Leonardo was not fond of her.”
Ginevra de’ Benci is the best-preserved of all Leonardo’s early pictures. It shows clearly the contrast of light and
shadow that characterized many of his later paintings. The pallor of Ginevra’s face is set off against the dark, spiky
foliage behind her. This foliage is juniper, which, in one Italian dialect, is “ginevra.”
Notice the background of the painting, which is veiled in a thin mist, created with overlaid oil glazes. Leonardo
became the best the world has known at using this softening, blurring technique. The effect is called “sfumato” (literally,
“vaporized”). As one critic described the effect, “The delicate haze that clings to and surrounds the shapes produces a
dreamlike atmosphere through which the inmost nature of natural objects of personality may be sensed more deeply
than in the dry glare of noon.”
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
1. Obtain a picture of Leonardo’s famous painting of the Mona Lisa. Find and list similarities and differences
between it and Ginevra de’ Benci. For example, compare the skin tones, hair, facial expression, background, style
of clothing, and so on. What are the major differences? Can you find evidence that Mona Lisa was a much later
painting?
2. Study the portrait of Ginevra de’ Benci. Try to imagine what kind of woman she was, for what occasion she had
her portrait painted, even what she was thinking at the time of the painting. Then write a brief essay describing
what you think Ginevra was like.
3, “Ginevra” means “juniper”— and Leonardo painted Ginevra de’ Benci on a background of dark juniper leaves.
Portrait painters often included symbols of special signs or tokens that help identify their subjects — such as the
juniper in this painting, a favorite pet, tools that represent the subject’s job, and so on. Imagine you are a portrait
painter. With a pencil, design a “layout” for a portrait of someone you know well. Leave space for the head and
body; then decide what kind of background and what clothes and tokens would be just right for the subject you
have chosen. Sketch these in until you have a pleasing layout.
4. Leonardo da Vinci was far ahead of his time in his ideas about many kinds of machinery and architecture.
Research some of Leonardo’s sketches for new machines and buildings. Then pretend you are a modern-day
Leonardo, designing a new machine or new kind of building. Sketch out your ideas, with directions if necessary,
into as full a plan as possible. Share your ideas with your discussion group.
5. Nearly 7,000 pages of Leonardo’s notebooks still exist today, as well as his “Treatise on Painting.” The notebooks
are full of Leonardo’s ideas about anatomy, architecture, geology, flight, and many other subjects. Find an English
translation of the notebooks or the “Treatise” in your library and read a short section of a subject that interests
you. Present a short report to your discussion group about what you read. Explain whether you think Leonardo’s
ideas would have worked if he had had the means to pursue them in his own time.
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About the Artist_______________________
REMBRANDT VAN RIJN
(1606-1669)
Rembrandt is one of the greatest and best-loved artists in the
world. Those who study his paintings find in them a deep
wellspring of intelligence, emotion, and insight. Art critic
Kenneth Clark once said Rembrandt “digs down to the roots
of life; and he seems to open his heart to us. We have the
feeling that he is keeping nothing back.”
Rembrandt was born in 1606, the son of a miller, in the
Dutch town of Leyden. He left Leyden University at age 15
and, in 1624-5, spent six months apprenticed to the painter Pieter Lastman. Lastman introduced Rembrandt to the
Baroque art that was to influence most of his early paintings. The High Baroque style combines illusion, light, color,
and movement in highly dramatic scenes. In Leyden, Rembrandt experimented with “chiaroscuro,” the use of contrasting light and shadow.
In 1632, Rembrandt’s rebellious spirit led him to seek his fortune in Amsterdam. His great desire and ability to translate
human feelings into visible form soon made him the most sought-after painter in that city. Soon after his move,
Rembrandt painted The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp, a group portrait of the Amsterdam Guild of Surgeons. This unusual
painting, with its strong use of chiaroscuro, showed how he could turn an ordinary group sitting into a dramatic portrait.
The painting helped to make him famous, and for ten years he prospered. Rembrandt began to dress in rich clothes and
to live an opulent life that was well beyond his means.
About 1642, Rembrandt’s business as a painter took a turn for the worse. By 1656 he was bankrupt. Turning from
more profitable subjects, he now painted to please himself instead of his public — and he suffered socially and
financially because of it. He now concentrated on Biblical subjects, landscapes, and studies of the Jewish people
among whom he lived. These later paintings show increasing emotion, tenderness, and psychological depth. They
emphasize human suffering, forgiveness, and, above all, compassion. In all, Rembrandt produced about 650 paintings,
300 etchings, and some 1,500-2,000 drawings. He died in poverty in 1669.
About the Painting ____________________________________________________________________
THE MILL
Rembrandt has been called a magician of light and shadow. With these tools he reveals what is often hidden and
often hides what we expect to see. Nowhere is the magic of light more powerful than in the landscape entitled The
Mill.
At first, the scene looks brooding, dark, uninviting. The subjects — a huge windmill and several small, shadowy
peasants — seem almost too common to catch our interest. But careful study reveals much more. The windmill,
silhouetted on a hill against the sky, illuminated by a great swatch of sunlight, takes on almost religious importance.
In contrast, the people working below the windmill seem small and insignificant — almost as if they were under its
power, or perhaps its protection.
Many critics have commented that Rembrandt’s art shows two distinct sides of his personality — a hearty engagement in life, and a complete, almost spiritual, withdrawal. Rembrandt’s careful observation of people allowed
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him to capture the most subtle and profound human emotions. Yet he painted his landscapes in his studio from
memory and imagination alone. A landscape such as The Mill seems to represent the side of the artist that craved a
serene distance form the noise and demands of public life.
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
1. Rembrandt painted more than 60 self-portraits! Find some of these in the art section of your library or on the
Internet. What can an artist learn by painting a picture of himself? Why might an artist feel more at ease using
himself as a model, instead of a stranger? What can we learn by studying an artist’s self-portraits? Answer these
questions in a short paragraph.
2. Many art critics have said that light and shadow are the “main characters” in Rembrandt’s paintings — even those
that are full of people and action. In your library, find a reproduction of a Rembrandt painting in which light and
shadow clearly play an important part. Study the painting. Then write a brief paragraph, explaining why you think
Rembrandt used light and shadow as he did in this painting.
3. Jan Steen, Frans Hals, and Jan Vermeer are three well-known Dutch artists who lived and painted during
Rembrandt’s time. Find out more about one of these artists. How did this artist differ from Rembrandt in his
choice of subjects, use of color, and choice of details? Write a brief essay comparing and contrasting the two
artists’ ideas about art.
4. Rembrandt is nearly as famous for his masterly etchings as for his paintings. As a research project, find out what
steps the process of etching involves. How has the process changed since Rembrandt’s day? Prepare a brief presentation, in which you explain the process of etching. You may want to make sketches to help you illustrate the
various steps.
5. What does the art of Rembrandt have in common with the art of other great artists such as da Vinci, Raphael, Van
Gogh, or Picasso? Is it a mastery of drawing? The choice of subjects? A special sense of color? Or is it something
more than any of these specific skills? Pretend you are an art critic. What criteria would you require an artist to
meet before you would call him a truly great artist?
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About the Artist_______________________________
GILBERT STUART
(1755-1828)
Gilbert Stuart spent his youth in Newport, Rhode Island, where he attended a school for poor children. But, as one critic pointed out, “School
served Stuart principally as a reservoir of companions he could lead
astray.” Stuart taught himself to draw and paint at an early age. After a
brief stay in Scotland as a young man, he returned to Newport, where he
earned a name as a portrait painter. But by 1775, at the outbreak of the
American Revolution, Stuart went to England and Ireland to try to better
his fortune.
Rebellious by nature, Stuart scorned formal art training, declaring, “I will
not follow any master. I wish to . . . see [nature] with my own eyes.” But
when he failed to make a living in England, he finally sought instruction
under the great American painter Benjamin West. The style of painting
popular in Stuart’s time — often called the “Grand Style” — required the
painter to make his subject look noble and grand, no matter what his actual appearance. Stuart despised this idea.
He once said, “A dressmaker may alter a dress, . . . a tailor a coat, but a painter may give up his art if he attempts to
alter to please. It cannot be done.”
Most artists of Stuart’s day considered drawing in line to be essential to painting. But Stuart never learned how the
draw! Instead, he used rounded “patches” to paint almost as a sculptor uses clay — to build up the shape the roundness
of a cheek, a forehead, or a chin. In Stuart’s portraits, the eye is able to travel all around the head, to feel its weight and
depth, as well as its expression. Today, art critics agree that one of Stuart’s greatest contributions to painting was his
method of “modeling” the human head.
Stuart returned to the United States in 1793. His paintings were much in demand and he was generally regarded as
the best portrait painter in America. He painted portraits of six presidents, including three of George Washington.
One of these was used for the U.S. one-dollar bill. Despite his great success, Stuart always spent money faster than
he made it. He died in poverty in 1828.
About the Painting ____________________________________________________________________
THE SKATER
Have you ever been faced with a task you were afraid you couldn’t do? That’s how Gilbert Stuart may have felt about
painting The Skater. He was not used to painting full-length portraits. In fact, critics used to joke that he could not
paint the human body below the shoulder. But Stuart surprised everyone with his portrait of William Grant of
Scotland.
Some critics say Stuart owed the success of The Skater to the Greek god Apollo. In the National Gallery of London
was a cast of a famous Greek statue called Apollo Belvidere. Some art historians say Stuart used this statue as the
model for his picture of William Grant. They say he first painted Mr. Grant’s head in the usual manner. Then he
sketched the Apollo backwards, by looking into a mirror. This sketch he fitted underneath the completed head.
Clothes, skates, and a broad-brimmed hat completed the disguise.
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Whatever “tricks” Stuart used to produce The Skater, the public was delighted. Art critics of Stuart’s day agreed that
The Skater was a “noble portrait, large as life, . . . which produces the most powerful effect.” The Skater was the only
work in which Stuart painted his subject in motion.
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
1. The Skater is a portrait of a Scottish gentleman named William Grant. Today, little is known about Mr. Grant. Study
The Skater carefully. Notice his expression, his clothes, and the position of his body. Then write a brief paragraph
explaining the kind of man you think Mr. Grant was.
2. A portrait painter like Gilbert Stuart must learn to study faces very closely. To see how important this is, make two
quick portraits of your own. Ask a friend to sit in front of you. Sketch your friend’s face, paying close attention to
every feature. Then make a second sketch. This time, make the entire sketch without lifting your pencil from the
paper, or taking your eyes from your friend. You may be surprised how much better the second sketch is — even
though you didn’t look at your paper at all!
3. Gilbert Stuart painted during the late 1700s, when portraits were very fashionable. Today, portrait painting is much
less common. Write a brief paragraph explaining why you think this is so. You may want to think about these
questions: Why did people want portraits painted of themselves or family members? What other ways do we have
of meeting those needs today?
4. Gilbert Stuart painted portraits of many famous American statesmen — including George Washington, Thomas
Jefferson, James Madison, and others. Find a reproduction of one these portraits. Then find a portrait of the same
person by a different artist — perhaps in a history textbook. Compare the two portraits. In what ways is Stuart’s
portrait different? Which of the two do you like more? Which do you think was probably a better “likeness” of the
subject?
4. In Gilbert Stuart’s day, most portrait painters followed the theories of the so-called “Grand Style” of painting. Read
about this theory of art and its influence during the 18th and 19th centuries. Make a list of the rules a painter had
to follow to create a portrait in the Grand Style. Then find out to what extent Gilbert Stuart accepted or rejected
these rules. Write a brief essay describing Stuart’s special contributions to the art of his day.
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About the Artist_____________________
MARY CASSATT
(1845-1926)
Toward the end of her life, Mary Cassatt said, “A woman’s
vocation is to have children.” Apparently, she did not think
her own occupation as a painter was suitable for most
women. Cassatt was born in Pennsylvania but had the good
fortune to live in Paris, Heidelberg, and Darmstadt as a
young girl. At an early age, she was introduced to all the rich
culture of Europe and its artistic heritage.
Cassatt was frustrated by her early art studies at the
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia. She decided that to be an artist she must study in Europe. For
a proper young Victorian lady to do so alone was unthinkable. But despite the disapproval of friends and relatives, she
moved to Paris in 1866. There her studies consisted mostly of copying the Old Masters in the Louvre. Cassatt also studied the paintings that were exhibited at the prestigious Paris Salon. Cassatt probably went to see the exciting art exhibitions at the Paris World’s Fair of 1867. In spring of 1872, she submitted a painting to the Paris Salon, and, much to her
surprise, it was accepted.
From then on, Mary Cassatt became a protégé of the painters who also exhibited at the Salon, including Edgar Degas,
Claude Monet, Edouard Manet, and Gustave Courbet. Cassatt became close friends with Degas and was instrumental
in forming a new group of painters who would eventually be labeled the impressionists. Mary Cassatt was one of the
first to recognize in them a new and vital strain of art.
Cassatt’s decision to live in Paris could not have been more fortunate. That city would be the center of all that was
new in art for many years. In Paris, Cassatt would imbibe the culture of one of the richest periods of art in history.
Mary Cassatt is the only major American female painter of the Impressionist period. She is most famous for her portraits
of women and children.
About the Painting ____________________________________________________________________
THE BOATING PARTY
The Boating Party is one of Mary Cassatt’s largest and most ambitious works. In this painting, our eyes seem to go
first to the large, dark-blue figure of the man rowing the boat. This figure is unusual because we see him from the
back. We can almost feel the strong pull of his arms.
Many other features make the picture a fascinating one. The high horizon in The Boating Party allows the family and
boat to be almost silhouetted against the bright blue sea. A strip of darker land runs like a frame across the top. The
picture is interesting also because of its lack of shadow. The one crossing the baby’s face is the sole effect of what
seems to be — from the brilliance of the colors — very bright sun. The picture also seems “anchored” in the upper
left and lower right by large masses of opposite color: the light mass of the sail seems balanced by the darkness of
the man’s clothing.
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Notice the angle of the man’s arm and the oar of the boat. They meet to point directly at the child. So, too, do the
white bodice of the woman’s dress, the dip of her hat, the line of the sail, and even the edge of the boat all direct our
eyes at the child, who is the center of attention in the painting. The child also seems to be the center of the man’s
and woman’s attention, as they gaze at each other.
Notice how Cassatt has cropped the right side and bottom of her painting. By slicing off the boat this way, she nearly
thrusts the rowing man and the nearest boat bench out of the frame at us. We feel almost as though we were sitting
behind the man in the boat itself.
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
1. Mary Cassatt was the first American woman of her day to become a major artist. For centuries, women have had
difficulty breaking into the world of art. Find out more about a woman artist you admire. Choose one of her paintings
or other works of art. Study it closely. Then write a brief essay about why you think it is special and whether you think
it is clear that the work was done by a woman. Use details to explain your decision.
2. Mary Cassatt was the close friend of painter Edgar Degas. For many years, she looked up to him as a teacher and
mentor. Study several paintings by Degas. Then look closely at The Boating Party. Can you find any details that
remind you of Degas, or that show his influence on Mary Cassatt? In what ways is her painting different from his?
3. When art critics talk about paintings, they often talk about something called “balance.” In typically “balanced”
paintings, there seems to be an equal amount of light and dark, large and small areas throughout the painting. But
many artists try deliberately to make a painting “unbalanced” — perhaps to surprise the viewer, or to emphasize a
certain area of figure. In The Boating Party, there are a number of large, solid-colored areas. Do you think Mary
Cassatt has used these areas to create a balanced painting? Or do you think she “unbalanced” this painting on
purpose? If so, why? Give details to explain your answers.
4. Look closely at The Boating Party. Now look at the painting again — but this time imagine some changes. First,
imagine you can see the whole boat, instead of just part of it. Second, imagine the boat were smaller and farther
out on the lake. How do you think these changes would affect the impression the painting gives you? Why do you
suppose Mary Cassatt chose to paint the boat from such a close-up angle? As an experiment, make two drawings
of a simple object, such as a tree or an apple. First, draw the whole object in the middle of the paper. Then do as
Mary Cassatt did with her boat. Bring your subject way up close and, as you draw it, let some of it run off the
edges of your paper. Compare the two drawings.
5. Mary Cassatt’s painting, The Boating Party is said to show the influence of Japanese prints, which inspired many of
the impressionist painters. As a research project, look up some 19th century Japanese prints in the art section of
your library. By paying attention to line, color, shadow, and other details, find out in what ways Mary Cassatt may
have copied the habits of these Japanese printmakers in The Boating Party.
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About the Artist_____________________
VINCENT VAN GOGH
(1853-1890)
Vincent Van Gogh was born in Holland in 1853. As a young
man, he worked as a salesman, a teacher, and a missionary
before he learned to draw and paint. The paintings from Van
Gogh’s Dutch period are full of dark, heavy forms. His main
subjects were the peasants among whom he lived.
On a visit to Paris, Van Gogh met a group of artists called
the impressionists. Their pictures were full of bright light and
intense emotion. The impressionists strongly influenced Van Gogh and changed his ideas about painting. It was during these years that his painting shifted to a “post-impressionist” style characterized by “pointillism” — a method of
art in which tiny dots of pure color are blended together to give a luminous effect.
Van Gogh began to experiment with new subjects, including flowers, views of Paris, and portraits. He once wrote
to his brother, Theo, “I want to paint men and women with that something of the eternal which the halo used to
symbolize.” His colors became brighter, the forms simpler, and light began to play a more important role. In The
Night Café, painted in 1888, Van Gogh used his new understanding of light to re-create the too-bright glare of a
nightclub.
In 1888, Van Gogh moved to the small town of Arles in southern France — a region famous for its intense sunlight
and radiant landscapes. There, in just 15 months, he produced 200 paintings. They are his life’s best work — full of
energy and color. He spoke of the mountains, valleys, and field as a “kingdom of light,” colored by “a beautiful
melancholy.” Besides, wrote Van Gogh, “It’s fun to work in very wild places where I have nearly to bury my easel in
the stones to prevent the wind from blowing everything away.” Van Gogh hoped to start an artists’ colony in the
beautiful setting of Arles. Sadly, this dream never came true.
Even in Arles, Van Gogh was lonely and poor. His paintings did not sell. He often felt he was going insane. Then at
age 37, he committed suicide. But he left a legacy of incomparable beauty that has made him one of the most widely
appreciated artists of all time.
About the Painting ____________________________________________________________________
FARMHOUSE IN PROVENCE
Farmhouse in Provence illustrates the lush natural beauty and bright sunlight that sustained Van Gogh in Arles. He
once wrote to his brother, who was about to be married, “[I hope] that a family will be for you what nature, the
clods of earth, the grass, the yellow corn, the peasant, are for me, . . . something not only to work for, but to console
and restore you when there is need.”
Nature, for Van Gogh, was a bountiful and understanding teacher. “I study nature, so as not to do foolish things,” he
said. “I don’t mind so much, whether my color is exactly the same, as long as it looks beautiful on my canvas, as
beautiful as it looks in nature.” In Farmhouse in Provence, Van Gogh has kept his colors pure, his forms simple. It is
not strictly a “realistic” painting, but it achieves the goal Van Gogh had set for himself, to “exaggerate the essential
and leave the obvious vague.” Thus, the small details of the plants, the house, the fence, and the man are omitted.
But the “essentials” of this scene — the sunny warmth, the movement of the grain stalks and the clouds, the spirit of
vitality — reach us in full, glorious strength.
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SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
1. Pretend you are Vincent Van Gogh. Collect materials for painting — watercolors, acrylics, oil paints, or even
felt-tip markers. Quickly sketch a scene in pencil — anything you choose. Then color the scene in the manner
of Van Gogh. Remember, Van Gogh rarely painted a brown chair brown, or a smooth chair smooth. He used
surprising colors and hundreds of short strokes to make his subjects seem important and unusual. Use your
brush or marker this way too!
2. Vincent Van Gogh wrote thousands of letters to his brother, Theo. Find a copy of these letters in your library.
Choose one of the following subjects: poverty, religion, happiness, love, death. Read several of the letters, looking
for clues that tell you what Van Gogh thought about that subject. Write down passages from the letters that give a
good idea of Van Gogh’s opinion. Share these ideas with your discussion group.
3. To Van Gogh, color was the single most expressive part of the painting. Find a picture of one of his best-known
works in your library. Prepare a brief presentation in which you explain why you think Van Gogh chose the colors
he did. Tell what effects the colors have on you as a viewer. How would the feeling of the painting be changed if
different colors had been used?
4. Van Gogh achieved some of his greatest artistic effects using many short brush strokes or small dots that blend
together when looked at from a distance. Use this method to paint a picture of a scene or person. Try painting the
entire picture using these short brush strokes without any continuous lines. Then paint the same scene in your
usual manner. Which do you like more? Why?
5. Vincent Van Gogh had a long and complex relationship with the artist, Paul Gauguin. The two artists had great
respect for each other, even though they argued often. Find out about their personalities and their approaches to
art. Prepare a presentation in which you explain how Van Gogh and Gauguin differed, and how they influenced
each other’s art.
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About the Artist_____________________
HENRI DE TOULOUSE-LAUTREC
(1864-1901)
Few artists were more independent than Henri de ToulouseLautrec. He kept abreast of all that was new in art, yet he followed no trends. Today, his name is synonymous with brightly
colored posters and paintings of the “Belle Epoque” — the exciting whirl of social life that brought the 19th century in Europe
to a close. Surrounded by costumed dancers, socialites, and
the steamy night life of Paris, Lautrec observed all with an
absolutely steady and dispassionate eye.
Lautrec was born in Albi in 1864 to parents of French nobility. At age nine he moved with his family to Paris, where
he began his studies and showed an early talent for drawing. At age 14, he broke both thighs and contracted a bone
disease that stunted his growth and left him permanently crippled. As an adult, his physical deformity and his love of
flashy clothes made him an oddly striking figure. Lautrec was especially drawn to Montmartre, an ill-famed Paris district
lined with bars, cafes, dance-halls, and theaters — a pleasure-seeker’s haven. He often used garish colors and grotesque
exaggerations to convey the qualities of artifice and excitement that he saw in this atmosphere.
Line — not light or color — was the vehicle of Lautrec’s artistic genius. He could capture, in a few quick strokes of
the pen or brush, the movement and atmosphere of an entire scene. A good example is his poster Jane Avril at the
Jardin de Paris, produced in 1893. This uncluttered, linear style showed the strong influence of Japanese art. He diluted
his oil paint strongly with turpentine, giving a pure, bright sheen to his colors. These paints applied in broad, sweeping
strokes often allowed the buff color of his canvas or poster board to show through.
In later life, Lautrec’s sociable personality changed. He drank to excess and was repeatedly hospitalized for delirium
brought on by alcoholism. He died in 1901 of an illness related to his alcoholism.
About the Painting ____________________________________________________________________
AT THE MOULIN ROUGE
Between 1890 and 1896, Lautrec painted about 30 pictures of the Moulin Rouge. This famous music-hall housed a
ballroom, a gallery, and elaborate gardens where customers could take donkey rides or ponder a life-size model of
an elephant. The Moulin Rouge was sought out by all social classes, from tourists to leaders of the underworld. A
dazzling “reopening” of this pleasure palace became the subject of the painting At the Moulin Rouge.
The figures in At the Moulin Rouge are real people, all acquaintances of Lautrec. The artist himself appears as the
short, bearded man in the background. Oddly, the centerpiece of the painting is the elaborate red-blonde chignon of
the woman seated with her back to us.
At the Moulin Rouge illustrates Lautrec’s uncanny mastery of composition. The bar itself forms an obvious diagonal
line that is echoed by the diagonal row of men’s top hats. These two lines are offset by the flaring backs of the chairs.
The woman in the foreground, known as “Nelly C.,” was added after the painting was finished. She is bathed in a
greenish glare, which, as one critic noted, makes her “oddly reminiscent of a green and yellow Chinese lantern.”
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
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1. One of Toulouse-Lautrec’s greatest talents was to “capture” a pose in a few rapid strokes of his pen. Learning to do
this can be fun! Collect several large pieces of paper and a felt-tip marker. Ask one member of your group to be a
model. Have the model strike several different poses — standing, leaning, bending, gesturing — holding each for
a slow count of fifteen. Quickly draw each pose, using strong, quick lines that fill the whole page. Draw with the
whole arm — not just the fingers!
2. Toulouse-Lautrec made many colorful posters announcing new books or new performances. Designing a poster
involves challenges that a painter does not face. For example, a poster is supposed to catch the viewer’s attention
quickly, unlike a painting that is meant to be studied. Usually a poster contains words as well as images, and the
artist must fit this text into the poster’s design. As a research project, study several of Lautrec’s posters. Make a list
of the limitations he had to observe in designing them. Then design your own poster, advertising an imaginary
new novel or musical performance.
3. Toulouse-Lantrec once said he wanted to use line as a “vehicle of color.” Study the way Lautrec used lines in At
the Moulin Rouge. Then write a brief paragraph, explaining what you think Lautrec meant by his statement. Give
specific examples from the painting to support your explanation.
4. One of the most exciting things about Toulouse-Lautrec’s paintings is his ability to show us the inner thoughts of
the people he painted. Each of the “characters” in At the Moulin Rouge seems deep in thoughts of his or her own.
Study the facial expression of one of these characters, and try to imagine what that person is thinking. Write down
these thoughts in the first person, as if you were writing in a diary.
5. Toulouse-Lautrec has been called a truly independent painter because he joined none of the artistic movements of
his day. As a research project, find out what kinds of art trends were most popular in France during Lautrec’s lifetime. Then write a short essay, explaining these trends and the specific ways in which Lautrec followed, or rejected,
them.
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About the Artist_____________________
HENRI MATISSE
(1869-1954)
Henri Matisse dedicated his life to the creation of beauty. The
simple act of painting brought him joy and satisfaction
throughout his life. No object was too small or insignificant to
catch Matisse’s eye. And what he saw he remembered, building up a kind of “library” of visual ideas. As one critic wrote,
“A vase, a woman’s form, so small a thing as a leaf — these
were enough to awaken within him a sense of pleasure which
he loved to linger over, for he possessed . . . [a] childish wonder
. . . which enabled him to look at the world with new eyes and
a fresh sensation of discovery.”
Matisse was born in 1869 in the French town of Le Cateau-Cambresis. He showed no interest in art until, in his 20s,
he tried copying a painting during a hospital stay. From that time, he never stopped painting, even giving up his law
career to pursue it. He also visited museums, traveled widely, and happily played the violin when he thought no one could
hear. He believed strongly in learning from the Old Masters, and many artists of his day called him “old-fashioned.” But
today, Matisse is famous for the discipline and control that shaped his art training — and his life.
Many critics say light itself is the main subject of Matisse’s art. “He has a sun in his belly,” said the artist Picasso.
Matisse traveled the world — from the Mediterranean to the South Seas — in search of new ways to see and paint.
The quest for brightness and light led Matisse to found a new art movement called “fauvism.” The fauves — “wild
beasts” in French — used wild, unrealistic colors and a free style in their lines and shapes. Their unconventional art
shocked the general public. In La Desserte (1908), the decorative shapes and lines seem more alive, even more real,
than the actual subjects of the painting — the woman, the table, and the chair.
In later life, his fame established, Matisse never stopped experimenting with new forms of art. When illness finally
prevented him from painting, he created hundreds of colorful pictures with crayons and paper cut-outs. Matisse died
in southern France in 1954.
About the Painting ____________________________________________________________________
STILL LIFE: APPLES ON A PINK TABLECLOTH
Matisse himself once confessed that he meant always “to keep my anxieties and anguish to myself and record only
the beauty of the world and the joy of painting.” Still Life: Apples on a Pink Tablecloth fulfills this promise. In 1920,
an exhibition of Near Eastern art renewed Matisse’s love of orderliness and simplicity. From then on, his paintings
were characterized by a “genius of omission” — that is, everything that can be left out has been left out. Only the
basics remain. But these basics are often arranged and colored in such a way as to seem almost three-dimensional.
This still life contains five apples, a crumpled tablecloth, a pitcher, and a gaudily papered wall. But the painting offers
much more than just these primitive elements. In looking at this painting, we are enjoying the harmony and contrast
of the colors, the interplay of round and linear forms, and the rhythm of repeated patterns. The colors are bright and
uniform; shading is kept to a minimum. We are treated to the simple joy Matisse found in making beautiful art.
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Suggested Activities
1. As an old man, Henri Matisse made many beautiful designs with paper cut-outs. Your library probably has books
showing these designs. Pretend you are Matisse. You have spent your whole life painting — but now you want to
make some fresh designs in a whole new way. Your only tools are colored paper, scissors, and glue. Using your
imagination — and NO pencils or pens — cut out simple shapes of people, animals, or other objects. Glue them
into the most pleasing design you can. What can you do with paper cut-outs that you can’t do with pencils or
paints?
2. Henri Matisse discovered the importance of composition when painting a still life. Choose five objects, such as
books, fruit, or pencils, and arrange them the way you think they look best. Make a quick sketch of this scene.
Now gather up your five objects and let them FALL into a new arrangement. Make a sketch of your new still life.
Which sketch is more appealing? Why?
3. In 1910, Henri Matisse saw an important exhibition of Near Eastern art. This art made a strong impression on him.
As a research project, find reproductions of several paintings Matisse made AFTER 1910. Then find some examples
of Near Eastern art. Write a brief paragraph describing the similarities you find.
4. Study the colors in Still Life: Apples on a Pink Tablecloth. Notice that the three most important colors are variations
on the primary colors — red, blue, and yellow. But none of these colors appears in its pure, or brightest, form.
Matisse mixed red, blue, and yellow with white to get the delicate colors in his painting. Using watercolors or
acrylics, copy this painting — using colors of your choice. Is your color scheme more appealing or less appealing
than the original? Why?
5. Henri Matisse led a group of artists called the fauves. Find out what is meant by the art movement called “fauvism.”
Also find out what other artists belonged to this group. Write a short essay explaining how their art was different
from any other, and how it has influenced art in the 20th century.
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About the Artist_______________________________
PABLO PICASSO
(1881-1973)
Many people say Pablo Picasso was the boldest, most innovative painter
of our time. And he was not only a painter. Picasso is also well known for
his sculpture, ceramics, and drawings. In every medium, he challenges
the viewer to see a part of the world in a new, startling, and often frightening, way. We see a chair standing on a table, or a woman constructed of
hard, circular disks — and we wonder why a painter would choose such
odd and unreal positions and shapes. But Picasso once said, “When I want to
paint a cup, I will show you that it is round; but it may be that the general
rhythm and construction of the picture will oblige me to show that roundness as a square.”
Picasso was born in Málaga, Spain, in 1881. He was considered a genius
as a child and was already an outstanding painter in his young teens. At
age 23, he settled permanently in France. Many of his artistic “periods” are famous. In the first of these, the “Blue
Period,” he used a palette of almost nothing but blues, and featured subjects full of moodiness and sadness.
The Blue Period lasted only about three years and was followed by a “Rose Period,” then by a period of larger-thanlife figures. Then, in 1907, Picasso painted Les Demoiselles d’Avignon — a painting of five large, angular women
with striking mask-like faces. The painting launched an artistic movement, known as Cubism that would last for years
and be adopted by artists all over the world. As one writer said, “This picture [and the whole school of Cubism]
marked a decisive break with traditional notions of beauty and harmony.” Cubism now is a style of painting in which
the painter divides his subjects into a series of flat planes and angular, “cube-like” shapes.
In the 1920s, Picasso changed his artistic directions again. During this “Neoclassical Period,” he painted large, fullbodied human figures. The Lovers is one of the most famous of these. But the pleasing, harmonious style of this period
was not to last. In 1937, in his famous anti-war painting, Guernica, Picasso expressed his personal political rage at the
bombing of the town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). The painting shows chaos, disaster, and
human suffering in a strangely terrifying way. There is a feeling of helplessness in the suffering that is the essence of
persecution and political strife.
Later in his life, Picasso’s style of painting and sculpture seemed to mellow, as though he had reconciled with himself
the anger and frustration of earlier years. No matter what style Picasso chose, he was always the leader of the trend.
Few, if any, painters in history have been able to excel in so many different styles and manners of painting. Most art
critics are sure that Picasso’s paintings will be treasured for generations.
About the Painting ______________________________________________
THE LOVERS
Picasso painted The Lovers during his “Neoclassical Period” — a period during which he painted many large, “classical”
figures like these. Most are women or women with children. Most of these figures are full-bodied, stately, and healthylooking.
The dominant feeling of this painting is one of unity, or perhaps sympathy, between the two lovers. Picasso has created
this effect in several ways. First, nearly every detail of the postures of the two figures shows that they are responsive to
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each other. The woman’s head is inclined toward the man’s. The pair’s left arms are bent in the same angle. The
man’s right arm encircles the woman as hers reaches toward him. The attentiveness of the man is evident in his
glance. He seems ardently concerned with his partner.
Notice the colors in which Picasso has dressed his lovers. The woman wears a green mantle; the man a suit of red.
These complementary colors work together, making the two figures seem like two halves of a larger whole. Their
interaction seems to create a far greater unit than would any two more separate figures. The colors of the painting are
all of nearly equal value — adding to the sense of harmony.
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
1. Notice how real and “human” the figures in The Lovers are. As an experiment, try to redraw The Lovers in a more
abstract way. In art, “abstract” means “not realistic.” In abstract art, a face may be drawn as just a triangle, an arm
as just a line. The important idea is that the shapes you choose for body parts still have meaning for YOU — no
matter how strange they may look. When you have completed your drawings, compare them with each other, and
with the original. What insights do you think can be gained from drawing in an abstract way?
2. Picasso used the complementary colors red and green to dress the two figures in The Lovers. These colors help
form a bond, or feeling of oneness, between the lovers. As an experiment, make a quick pencil drawing of your
own in which two figures dominate the drawing. The figures don’t have to be human, or even recognizable. Make
a photocopy or tracing of your drawing, so you have two copies. Color one pair of figures with your choice of complementary colors. Then color the other pair with non-complementary colors of your choice. Notice how different
the figures seem in each drawing. Notice the bond that is created between figures of complementary colors. Did you
achieve a similar bond, or close feeling, with your non-complementary colors?
3. Many painters shun the use of clear, distinct outline for their subjects. Picasso used this technique freely. How
would you describe the use of line in The Lovers? What purpose does it serve? With what other tools, besides line,
do painters make boundaries between figures of objects in a painting? As an experiment, use lines to draw a figure — a man, a horse, an apple, anything you like. Now re-create the same figure, but WITHOUT using lines.
Compare your results with those of the other members of your group.
4. The figures in The Lovers seem in deep sympathy with each other. Picasso used gestures, facial expressions, and
colors to help produce this effect. As an experiment, create your own painting of either “lovers” or “haters.” Use
as many of Picasso’s tools as you can to create either a loving atmosphere, or a feeling of hate and distrust, in
your figures. Compare your painting with those of your group members.
5. As a research project, find out more about Pablo Picasso’s art. Select a painting from one of his other periods —
for example, the Blue Period or the Cubist Period. Write a brief essay, telling how the painting you chose represents
its period, why Picasso painted it the way he did, and so on. Use as many details from the painting as possible to
support your ideas.
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