The American Scene
A Curriculum Tour for Fifth Grade Students
Outreach Presentation
2015 - 2016
Note to Presenters: The following is a loose “script.” It contains suggested questions you can ask to begin a discussion. You are welcome to follow a different order of the art presented and to develop other questions. The classroom presentation should last approximately 30 to 40 minutes.
Introduction:
Hello, my name is ______________. I am here from the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts to talk to you about some of the works of art you might see when you come to visit the museum soon. Who has been to the Museum? Do you remember any of the works of art you saw there? What was your favorite part of the experience? When you come to the Museum you will get to see many original works of art and make your own artwork. You will even get to dance for a few minutes!
Let’s look at some pictures or reproductions of some of the paintings and sculptures you may see when you visit the Museum. Well-known American artists created these works of art. Some of them were created a long time ago and some more recently. Look very closely to see how each artist has a different style or method of creating art that is unique.
PORTRAIT
Francoise in Green, Sewing, 1908
Mary Cassatt
This type of painting, created 100 years ago by Mary Cassatt, is called a portrait. A portrait is a painting of one or more individuals or people. Although wealthy families often paid or commissioned artists to paint members of their families, this young girl probably lived near the artist and was asked to model or sit for the artist so Mary could paint her picture. What is Francoise doing in the picture?
Francoise is sewing in her portrait, probably because she enjoyed sewing. Many years ago girls often learned how to sew by hand. What can you tell me about the clothes she is wearing? How would the material of the dress feel if you could touch it? In art terms the word texture is used to describe how things feel or appear to feel. Would anyone wear a dress like this today? Where would someone wear a dress like this?
Imagine your portrait is going to be painted by a famous artist. Imagine that this portrait will be seen by all of your family members and friends as well as people 100 years in the future. What type of objects and clothing, and backgrounds would you want included in your portrait? What would these objects say about you?
Notice all the objects in the painting that are either blue or green—can you name some of them? How do these colors make you feel? They are called cool colors. What color is the rug on the floor in the background? The bow in her hair? They are warm colors and are very different than the green or blue colors. The artist used these contrasting colors to add variety or interest to her composition.
Look at the light shining on part of Francoise’s face and one of her arms. Where do you think the light is coming from? (window nearby? Light in the room?) Notice the difference or contrast between the light on the left side of her face and arm and the darker shadows on the opposite side.
Portrait of Irene, 1957
Irving Kriesberg
This reproduction of a painting in the museum is also a portrait. Who is it a portrait of? What do you see that make you say that? How is it different from the portrait of Françoise that we just saw? What more can we say about the differences? (less defined interior, ages of girls, one only the face, etc.) The portrait of Françoise sewing is more realistic in appearance than this portrait of a girl named Irene. In art terms, this is a more abstract work of art.
LANDSCAPE
Medfield, 1877
George Inness
Landscapes are another category of paintings you will find at the Museum. What is a landscape painting? A landscape is a painting that shows a scene from nature in which the place or the land is the main subject.
Let’s look at this reproduction of a landscape painting. What do you see in the picture? Where do you think the artist painted this scene? What makes you think so? How do you think you would feel in this landscape scene?
The artist, George Inness, painted this landscape near Medfield, Massachusetts, where he moved in 1860 to get away from the pressures of living in New York City.
During the 19th century, artists were inspired by the American wilderness. People moved westward to build settlements following the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, and artists like George Inness found religious and spiritual inspiration in nature. Notice how Inness painted the sunlight and sky in this landscape, with the light reflected in the water and light shining on the trees. What time of day do you think it is?
The line where the sky meets the land is called the horizon line. Where is the horizon line in this landscape? Yes, in this picture the artist decided to put the horizon line near the middle of the painting. Sometimes artists paint the horizon line up at the top of the picture with more land showing, and sometimes they place it at the bottom of the picture, with more sky showing.
Let's look at these drawings illustrating different placements of horizon lines. Also notice in these different views of landscapes that the road seems to become narrower and narrower in the distance as it goes back toward the horizon line. The place where the sides of a road or river converge or come together on the horizon line is called the vanishing point. This is a trick that artists use to give the illusion of depth in a painting. In art terms this is called using one point perspective. Look again at the George Inness landscape and notice how the pond becomes narrower as it nears the vanishing point on the horizon line.
Clouds, Giverny, 1911
Theodore Earl Butler
Let's compare the landscape painted by George Inness with one painted by an artist named Theodore Butler. How is this landscape different? (brighter colors, less details, closer up view). What do you see that makes you say that? Where do you think this landscape was painted? What kind and time of day do you think it is? What do you see that makes you say that?
Where is the horizon line in this picture? Notice the road in the picture. It is wider at the bottom of the painting (foreground). Then the road splits into 2 roads and each road appears to become narrower as it moves into the middle ground of the painting, and finally ends at one of two different vanishing points on the horizon line. This artist uses the technique of perspective to give the illusion of depth in his painting. What do you see in the background of this landscape picture?
GENRE SCENES
Holiday in the Country, The Cider Party, 1853
George Henry Durrie
Today we’ve looked at 2 types of paintings. Who can remember the types of paintings we’ve talked about? (portraits and landscapes). Another type of painting at the Museum is like this reproduction. It is a scene of everyday life, painted in a realistic style. In art terms it is called a genre painting. A genre scene captures the day-to-day activities of people in the home or community,
What is happening in this scene? Is this a painting of a country or city scene? Is this a scene of everyday life that you would see today? When do you think it was painted? What do you see that makes you say that?
Notice the people of different races in the picture. The artist, George Henry Durrie, painted this in 1853, as a commentary about the major political debate of the early 19th century: the question of slave holding in the South and the movement to abolish slavery. Durrie used many symbols in his painting, including the animals. What do you think the pig might represent? (a problem) The horse? The dog? The upside-down horseshoe hanging on the door may also represent being out of luck; foretelling the upcoming Civil War being fought over these issues.
Notice how the artist creates the illusion of depth with the diagonal line of the open barn door, leading you to look into the dark interior of the barn.
New York Office, 1962
Edward Hopper
This reproduction of a painting at the Museum is also about everyday life, although the artist’s main focus is on the big city and the architecture.
Describe the colors in this city scene. What time of day is it? What do you see that makes you say that? How does the picture make you feel? What is happening in this picture? What is the woman behind the desk doing? What do you think the letter she is holding says? Although there are other people in the picture, does the woman in the front of the office seem alone?
How many other people are in this picture? Does one of the people seem more important than the others? Why? (larger, up front, etc.) Let’s look more closely at the difference in size of the people. (measure with fingers) The woman holding a letter is nearly twice as big as the 2 people in the space behind her, so she seems to be closer to us. Also notice that the lights on the ceiling get smaller and smaller, suggesting that they go back in space. The woman in the foreground also has more details on her face, while the face of the person behind her is blurry.
As we discussed previously, artists use all sorts of tricks to make a flat, two-dimensional painting look like it has depth, or is three-dimensional. Creating size differences in a painting, with larger, more detailed objects in the foreground, and smaller, less detailed objects in the middle ground or background is another “trick” to create the illusion of depth.
SCULPTURE
Self-Portrait: When the Left Side of the Brain Meets the Right Side of the Brain, 2006
Charlie Lucas
We’ve looked at some examples of paintings you may see when you come to the Museum (portraits, landscapes, and genre paintings). Paintings are 2-dimensional works of art, such as the reproductions we’ve seen today. They have height and width.
You will also see sculptures when you visit the Museum. Sculptures have 3 dimensions, such as this box when opened: it has height, width, and depth (demonstrate this with the folded box).
Sculptures can be made in a variety of media, such as clay, stone, and metal, and they can be modeled, carved, or assembled.
This is a picture of one of the sculptures you may see at the Museum. It is by a well-known Alabama artist named Charlie Lucas. What does the sculpture look like? What is the person holding? The name on the book says “Tinman”. What materials do you think Charlie Lucas used to make his sculpture? (recycled car parts & metal) Charlie Lucas’s decision to use discarded materials reflects the changes in our modern day society. Due to advances in technology, we have produced large amounts of commercial goods like cars and other machinery, leading to an excess of discarded materials. Rather than let materials go to waste, this artist uses those materials to create art.
Charlie Lucas did not go to art school, but he has a strong belief that education can greatly enhance your growth and development as a person. As he says, “education expands you out.”
This sculpture is a self-portrait of the artist, whose nickname is “Tinman”, since he often uses recycled metals, such as tin, to create his sculptures. How is this portrait different from the portrait of Francoise that we saw earlier?
The sculpture by Charlie Lucas is an abstract work of art; however, you will also see more realistic sculptures during your visit to the Museum, including this next one we will discuss.
Hiawatha’s Marriage, 1868
Edmonia Lewis
This sculpture by Edmonia Lewis is realistic in the way it depicts the marriage of Hiawatha and Minnehaha. The sculpture is based on a poem published in 1855 by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The marriage of the hero, Hiawatha, from the Ojibwa tribe, to Minnehaha from the Dakota tribe helped make peace between the two Native American groups. Looking at the sculpture, how do you think Hiawatha and Minnehaha feel about each other?
Charlie Lucas’ sculpture was made of recycled metal. What material do you think Edmonia Lewis used to create this sculpture? Marble is a fairly hard stone that that artists carve to make sculptures. Edmonia carved many details in the clothing that each of the figures is wearing. How do their clothes compare to those of couples in modern-day weddings?
Edmonia Lewis was the daughter of a Native American mother and an African American father. She was around twenty-one in 1865 when President Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves in the South near the end of the Civil War. Edmonia started college and studied sculpture in Boston and traveled overseas to Rome, Italy, a city famous for its ancient marble sculptures. She became well known for her sculptures in a day and time when women, especially African American women, were not often recognized as artists.
Closing:
When you visit the Museum you will see some of the paintings (portraits, landscapes, genre scenes) and sculptures I have shown you today, and you will create your own self-portraits in the studios. You will also experience interactive works of art in the ARTWORKS gallery. Remember not to touch any of the paintings or sculptures in the Museum, as we want to protect the artwork so many other people can come and enjoy the works of art in the future. We look forward to seeing you very soon at the Museum.
A Curriculum Tour for Fifth Grade Students
Outreach Presentation
2015 - 2016
Note to Presenters: The following is a loose “script.” It contains suggested questions you can ask to begin a discussion. You are welcome to follow a different order of the art presented and to develop other questions. The classroom presentation should last approximately 30 to 40 minutes.
Introduction:
Hello, my name is ______________. I am here from the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts to talk to you about some of the works of art you might see when you come to visit the museum soon. Who has been to the Museum? Do you remember any of the works of art you saw there? What was your favorite part of the experience? When you come to the Museum you will get to see many original works of art and make your own artwork. You will even get to dance for a few minutes!
Let’s look at some pictures or reproductions of some of the paintings and sculptures you may see when you visit the Museum. Well-known American artists created these works of art. Some of them were created a long time ago and some more recently. Look very closely to see how each artist has a different style or method of creating art that is unique.
PORTRAIT
Francoise in Green, Sewing, 1908
Mary Cassatt
This type of painting, created 100 years ago by Mary Cassatt, is called a portrait. A portrait is a painting of one or more individuals or people. Although wealthy families often paid or commissioned artists to paint members of their families, this young girl probably lived near the artist and was asked to model or sit for the artist so Mary could paint her picture. What is Francoise doing in the picture?
Francoise is sewing in her portrait, probably because she enjoyed sewing. Many years ago girls often learned how to sew by hand. What can you tell me about the clothes she is wearing? How would the material of the dress feel if you could touch it? In art terms the word texture is used to describe how things feel or appear to feel. Would anyone wear a dress like this today? Where would someone wear a dress like this?
Imagine your portrait is going to be painted by a famous artist. Imagine that this portrait will be seen by all of your family members and friends as well as people 100 years in the future. What type of objects and clothing, and backgrounds would you want included in your portrait? What would these objects say about you?
Notice all the objects in the painting that are either blue or green—can you name some of them? How do these colors make you feel? They are called cool colors. What color is the rug on the floor in the background? The bow in her hair? They are warm colors and are very different than the green or blue colors. The artist used these contrasting colors to add variety or interest to her composition.
Look at the light shining on part of Francoise’s face and one of her arms. Where do you think the light is coming from? (window nearby? Light in the room?) Notice the difference or contrast between the light on the left side of her face and arm and the darker shadows on the opposite side.
Portrait of Irene, 1957
Irving Kriesberg
This reproduction of a painting in the museum is also a portrait. Who is it a portrait of? What do you see that make you say that? How is it different from the portrait of Françoise that we just saw? What more can we say about the differences? (less defined interior, ages of girls, one only the face, etc.) The portrait of Françoise sewing is more realistic in appearance than this portrait of a girl named Irene. In art terms, this is a more abstract work of art.
LANDSCAPE
Medfield, 1877
George Inness
Landscapes are another category of paintings you will find at the Museum. What is a landscape painting? A landscape is a painting that shows a scene from nature in which the place or the land is the main subject.
Let’s look at this reproduction of a landscape painting. What do you see in the picture? Where do you think the artist painted this scene? What makes you think so? How do you think you would feel in this landscape scene?
The artist, George Inness, painted this landscape near Medfield, Massachusetts, where he moved in 1860 to get away from the pressures of living in New York City.
During the 19th century, artists were inspired by the American wilderness. People moved westward to build settlements following the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, and artists like George Inness found religious and spiritual inspiration in nature. Notice how Inness painted the sunlight and sky in this landscape, with the light reflected in the water and light shining on the trees. What time of day do you think it is?
The line where the sky meets the land is called the horizon line. Where is the horizon line in this landscape? Yes, in this picture the artist decided to put the horizon line near the middle of the painting. Sometimes artists paint the horizon line up at the top of the picture with more land showing, and sometimes they place it at the bottom of the picture, with more sky showing.
Let's look at these drawings illustrating different placements of horizon lines. Also notice in these different views of landscapes that the road seems to become narrower and narrower in the distance as it goes back toward the horizon line. The place where the sides of a road or river converge or come together on the horizon line is called the vanishing point. This is a trick that artists use to give the illusion of depth in a painting. In art terms this is called using one point perspective. Look again at the George Inness landscape and notice how the pond becomes narrower as it nears the vanishing point on the horizon line.
Clouds, Giverny, 1911
Theodore Earl Butler
Let's compare the landscape painted by George Inness with one painted by an artist named Theodore Butler. How is this landscape different? (brighter colors, less details, closer up view). What do you see that makes you say that? Where do you think this landscape was painted? What kind and time of day do you think it is? What do you see that makes you say that?
Where is the horizon line in this picture? Notice the road in the picture. It is wider at the bottom of the painting (foreground). Then the road splits into 2 roads and each road appears to become narrower as it moves into the middle ground of the painting, and finally ends at one of two different vanishing points on the horizon line. This artist uses the technique of perspective to give the illusion of depth in his painting. What do you see in the background of this landscape picture?
GENRE SCENES
Holiday in the Country, The Cider Party, 1853
George Henry Durrie
Today we’ve looked at 2 types of paintings. Who can remember the types of paintings we’ve talked about? (portraits and landscapes). Another type of painting at the Museum is like this reproduction. It is a scene of everyday life, painted in a realistic style. In art terms it is called a genre painting. A genre scene captures the day-to-day activities of people in the home or community,
What is happening in this scene? Is this a painting of a country or city scene? Is this a scene of everyday life that you would see today? When do you think it was painted? What do you see that makes you say that?
Notice the people of different races in the picture. The artist, George Henry Durrie, painted this in 1853, as a commentary about the major political debate of the early 19th century: the question of slave holding in the South and the movement to abolish slavery. Durrie used many symbols in his painting, including the animals. What do you think the pig might represent? (a problem) The horse? The dog? The upside-down horseshoe hanging on the door may also represent being out of luck; foretelling the upcoming Civil War being fought over these issues.
Notice how the artist creates the illusion of depth with the diagonal line of the open barn door, leading you to look into the dark interior of the barn.
New York Office, 1962
Edward Hopper
This reproduction of a painting at the Museum is also about everyday life, although the artist’s main focus is on the big city and the architecture.
Describe the colors in this city scene. What time of day is it? What do you see that makes you say that? How does the picture make you feel? What is happening in this picture? What is the woman behind the desk doing? What do you think the letter she is holding says? Although there are other people in the picture, does the woman in the front of the office seem alone?
How many other people are in this picture? Does one of the people seem more important than the others? Why? (larger, up front, etc.) Let’s look more closely at the difference in size of the people. (measure with fingers) The woman holding a letter is nearly twice as big as the 2 people in the space behind her, so she seems to be closer to us. Also notice that the lights on the ceiling get smaller and smaller, suggesting that they go back in space. The woman in the foreground also has more details on her face, while the face of the person behind her is blurry.
As we discussed previously, artists use all sorts of tricks to make a flat, two-dimensional painting look like it has depth, or is three-dimensional. Creating size differences in a painting, with larger, more detailed objects in the foreground, and smaller, less detailed objects in the middle ground or background is another “trick” to create the illusion of depth.
SCULPTURE
Self-Portrait: When the Left Side of the Brain Meets the Right Side of the Brain, 2006
Charlie Lucas
We’ve looked at some examples of paintings you may see when you come to the Museum (portraits, landscapes, and genre paintings). Paintings are 2-dimensional works of art, such as the reproductions we’ve seen today. They have height and width.
You will also see sculptures when you visit the Museum. Sculptures have 3 dimensions, such as this box when opened: it has height, width, and depth (demonstrate this with the folded box).
Sculptures can be made in a variety of media, such as clay, stone, and metal, and they can be modeled, carved, or assembled.
This is a picture of one of the sculptures you may see at the Museum. It is by a well-known Alabama artist named Charlie Lucas. What does the sculpture look like? What is the person holding? The name on the book says “Tinman”. What materials do you think Charlie Lucas used to make his sculpture? (recycled car parts & metal) Charlie Lucas’s decision to use discarded materials reflects the changes in our modern day society. Due to advances in technology, we have produced large amounts of commercial goods like cars and other machinery, leading to an excess of discarded materials. Rather than let materials go to waste, this artist uses those materials to create art.
Charlie Lucas did not go to art school, but he has a strong belief that education can greatly enhance your growth and development as a person. As he says, “education expands you out.”
This sculpture is a self-portrait of the artist, whose nickname is “Tinman”, since he often uses recycled metals, such as tin, to create his sculptures. How is this portrait different from the portrait of Francoise that we saw earlier?
The sculpture by Charlie Lucas is an abstract work of art; however, you will also see more realistic sculptures during your visit to the Museum, including this next one we will discuss.
Hiawatha’s Marriage, 1868
Edmonia Lewis
This sculpture by Edmonia Lewis is realistic in the way it depicts the marriage of Hiawatha and Minnehaha. The sculpture is based on a poem published in 1855 by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The marriage of the hero, Hiawatha, from the Ojibwa tribe, to Minnehaha from the Dakota tribe helped make peace between the two Native American groups. Looking at the sculpture, how do you think Hiawatha and Minnehaha feel about each other?
Charlie Lucas’ sculpture was made of recycled metal. What material do you think Edmonia Lewis used to create this sculpture? Marble is a fairly hard stone that that artists carve to make sculptures. Edmonia carved many details in the clothing that each of the figures is wearing. How do their clothes compare to those of couples in modern-day weddings?
Edmonia Lewis was the daughter of a Native American mother and an African American father. She was around twenty-one in 1865 when President Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves in the South near the end of the Civil War. Edmonia started college and studied sculpture in Boston and traveled overseas to Rome, Italy, a city famous for its ancient marble sculptures. She became well known for her sculptures in a day and time when women, especially African American women, were not often recognized as artists.
Closing:
When you visit the Museum you will see some of the paintings (portraits, landscapes, genre scenes) and sculptures I have shown you today, and you will create your own self-portraits in the studios. You will also experience interactive works of art in the ARTWORKS gallery. Remember not to touch any of the paintings or sculptures in the Museum, as we want to protect the artwork so many other people can come and enjoy the works of art in the future. We look forward to seeing you very soon at the Museum.
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