Leonardo Da Vinci • Rembrandt Van Rijn • Claude Monet • Vincent Van Gogh • Pablo Picasso • Georgia O’Keeffe

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Masterpiece Society Art Appreciation: Vincent van Gogh

Masterpiece Society Art Appreciation: Vincent van Gogh © 2017 Alisha Gratehouse. All Rights Reserved. Copyright Notice: This curriculum may not be reproduced, displayed, modified, stored or transmitted in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical or other- wise, without prior written consent of the author. One copy of this curriculum may be printed for your own personal use. Most images in this lesson are from Wikimedia Commons and are public domain. Fair Use Notice: This curriculum may also contain copyrighted images, the use of which is not always specifically authorized by the copyright owner. However, for the purpose of art appreciation and enrichment, we are making such material available. We believe this constitutes “fair use” of any such copyrighted material for research and educational purposes as provided for in sections 17 U.S.C. § 106 and 17 U.S.C. §107. No copyright infringement is intended.

FIGURE 1 - MUSÉE DU LOUVRE, PARIS, FRANCE

“We cannot measure the influence that one or another artist has upon the child’s sense of beauty, upon his power of seeing, as in a picture, the common sights of life; he is enriched more than we know in having really looked at a single picture.” – Charlotte Mason

“Being an ‘agent of civilization’ is one of the many roles ascribed to teachers. If we are to have any expectations of producing a well-educated, well-prepared generation of deep-thinking, resourceful leaders, then it is essential to give students an opportunity to review, respond to, and ultimately revere the power of the human imagination—past and present. There may be no better way to promote this than to study, understand, and exult in masterpieces.” – Joseph Matthew Piro

Table of Contents

About Masterpiece Society Art Appreciation ...... 5 How to Use This Curriculum ...... 7 Observation & Evaluation Questions ...... 11 Vincent van Gogh Biography ...... 13 Post-Impressionism ...... 16 Fun Facts About Vincent van Gogh ...... 21 Vincent van Gogh Quotes for Copywork ...... 22 Masterpiece #1: Three Sunflowers in a Vase ...... 25 Three Sunflowers in a Vase Enrichment Activity ...... 31 Masterpiece #2: The Reaper (after Millet) ...... 34 The Reaper (after Millet) Enrichment Activity ...... 42 Masterpiece # 3: The Starry Night ...... 45 The Starry Night Enrichment Activity ...... 50 Art Terms to Remember ...... 52 Recommended for Further Study ...... 54

About Masterpiece Society Art Appreciation

Masterpiece Society Art Appreciation is an “open-up & go” art enrichment curriculum created with the busy mom in mind. Although the lessons coordinate with my online art courses, you do not need to purchase the art course to get a well-rounded knowledge of: • the master artist • several of the artist’s famous works • his or her artistic techniques • the art movement in which he or she created

However, if you’d like to delve even further, the art lessons will be the “icing on the artsy cake” and will help your kids and teens form an invaluable relationship with the artist, as well as giving them a deeper understanding of the methods they used.¹

This eBook will be all you need for this study because I include: • internet links to virtual museums, galleries and artwork • internet links to other helpful websites† • printable templates (which can also be used as coloring sheets for younger students) • additional enrichment materials • recommended books for further study† • recommended videos/movies for further study†

†Please Note: Although we love many of the works of the master artists, we may or may not agree with how they lived their lives. Some of the recommended videos, books, or webpages touch on certain facets of their lives that may be unsuitable for children. Please use your own discretion as a parent.

My desire for this art appreciation curriculum is threefold: • to ignite a love, even passion, for the old masters and their works • to encourage kids and teens to actively engage in the art process and have FUN doing so • to inspire them to utilize and further develop their own God-given creativity

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¹ If you are interested in purchasing the art lessons to coordinate with this art appreciation curriculum, click here. The lessons allow your student(s) to go much deeper than your typical artist study. Students will create three unique works of art per artist that will help them explore their creative talents.

How to Use This Curriculum

These lessons are written for elementary through middle school students, although they can be adapted for younger children and even teens. (See below.)

Use these lessons as: • a stand-alone art appreciation curriculum – great for morning time / morning basket or afternoon teatime! • a supplement to your family’s Charlotte Mason art and artist study • a “no mess” art course – simply use the templates as coloring pages for preschoolers and kindergarteners to “create” alongside older siblings (older students can use templates to transfer patterns for painting projects, or they may prefer to color in with pastels or colored pencils) • part of a unit study • part of your history studies • as an accompaniment to Mixing with the Masters art course

General Art Appreciation Tips & Suggestions:

When studying an artist, it is important to look at several of their works in order to define his or her particular “style.” Each volume of the Masterpiece Society Art Appreciation studies three different works of the artist with internet links to even more of his or her pieces.

Feel free to print out a copy of each work of art (included) and place it inside a page protector in a three-ring binder. This will become your “Art Appreciation” notebook. Various notebooking pages are also provided throughout each volume.

Let your student observe each work of art without you saying much (if anything). This allows the art to speak on its own. Simply encourage them to look closely and observe each piece. Does the work have a story to tell? You can encourage them to describe what they see, what they like or dislike. For a more in-depth study, please see below.

Move as slowly or as quickly as you feel is necessary for your student to form a connection with each artist and his or her work. This curriculum is yours to adapt and adjust as you see fit. Adjust it to your education style. Modify it to your student’s specific needs or tastes. Make it fun!

The most important thing isn’t to learn dull, dry facts about art and artists, but rather to instill and cultivate a love of beauty while helping to develop your student’s ability to “see.”

If you want to study one artist over the course of a few weeks, there is plenty more information under the “Recommended for Further Study” links at the end of the lessons.

As you study more and more artists and their bodies of work, it is important to allow your student(s) to compare and contrast their styles and pieces. What are their similarities? What are their differences?

This will ensure a “review” of each artist and their works, and will help your student form relationships with each one while providing a more comprehensive knowledge and appreciation of art.

Additionally, find ways to expose them to the great art masterpieces on a regular basis whether it’s via coffee table books, wall calendars, posters or prints. If possible, visit local art museums, and at the very least, visit the official websites of famous art museums (several museum links are included at the end of lessons). Our goal is simply to ignite a love for beautiful art in each student, and that will happen over the process of time.

Adapting for Different Ages:

The Masterpiece Society Art Appreciation curriculum is geared towards upper elementary and middle school students. But is easily adapted for all students. Below are a few suggestions:

Preschool/Early Elementary

• When studying the artist’s works, simply let them observe the painting (you can tell them the name of the piece and the artist who painted it if you wish) and have them tell you what they see, what they like or dislike. • Encourage them to create their own version of the piece (drawing, coloring, finger-painting, watercolor, etc.). • Print out an art template (included) and let them color it while their older siblings are learning.

Upper Elementary/Middle School

• Have them read an age-appropriate biography of the artist’s life. • Encourage them to study each piece included in this volume, learning its name, the period in which it was painted, the mediums and techniques with which it was painted, etc. • Print out copies of each piece, any notebooking pages (and fill in), any other relevant information to their study and place it in their “Art Appreciation” binder. • Have them answer a few of the “Observation & Evaluation Questions” (pp. 11-12) about each piece. • Print out the art template (included) and color in with pastels or colored pencils or use template to transfer a pattern to a canvas to paint. • For students who would like more in-depth art lessons, purchase the corresponding Mixing with the Masters art course.

Older Teens/High School

• Assign an age-appropriate biography for them to read about the artist. • Have them research each work of art to find out more interesting facts about it. • Encourage them to compare and contrast the artist’s various other works, as well as comparing and contrasting them with the works of other artists. • Let them create their own “Art Appreciation” notebook, decorating and “curating” it as they desire.

• Have them answer several of the “Observation & Evaluation Questions” (pp. 11-12) about each piece. • Print out the art template (included) and color in with pastels or colored pencils or use template to transfer a pattern to a canvas to paint. • For students who would like more in-depth art lessons, purchase the corresponding Mixing with the Masters art course.

A Note about Viewing Art Pieces Online I have endeavored to link artwork from the museums in which they are housed or Wikimedia Commons, which only uses public domain works when possible. Whenever you click on a hyperlink within this curriculum and are taken to the artwork, remember to hover the cursor over the painting. If the cursor shows a plus symbol (+) on it, click again and the painting will be magnified so that you can view it in greater detail.

A Note about Pronunciations After testing several different websites and videos for native pronunciation of proper nouns, I decided to go with “Google Translate.” This site is streamlined and easy to use, and doesn’t have unwanted pop-ups. Additionally, the pronunciations are made by native speakers from the countries of origin. Whenever you see (pronunciation) after a name or place throughout this curriculum, simply click on the hyperlink and it will open up to Google Translate. Then click the “Listen” icon in the lower left hand corner of the left box to hear the correct pronunciation.

A Note about the Lives of Artists It bears repeating: Although we love many of the works of the master artists, we may or may not agree with how they lived their lives. Some of the recommended videos, books, or webpages touch on certain facets of their lives that may be unsuitable for children. Please use your own discretion as a parent.

Observation & Evaluation Questions

Teaching your child or teen to “see” sometimes requires a bit of prompting and/ or probing. Use this list of questions if you want to take each lesson even further. (Pick and choose a few questions. Don’t feel compelled to inundate your kids with the entire list.) If you are utilizing this curriculum with multiple students, these questions will help create some rich discussions of art.

Observe: 1. Look at this work of art. Describe what you see. What else do you see? 2. What is the mood of this painting? How does it make you feel? 3. How would you describe the lines? Shapes? Colors? 4. What stands out most to you in this painting? Why? 5. What interests you most about this work of art? 6. How would you describe the people/place/things depicted in this piece? 7. How is this picture different from real life? 8. Is there anything this painting reminds you of? 9. Tell me about the colors in this piece. Which color is most prominent? 10. Which part of this painting do you think is the most important part? 11. How do you think the artist created this piece? 12. If you could meet the artist, what questions would you ask him/her about this painting?

Understand: 1. What do you think is happening in this painting? 2. Does this painting tell a story? What do you think that story is? 3. If you were inside this painting what would it feel like? What sounds would you hear? What fragrances (or odors) would you smell? 4. What do you think it would be like to live at the time of this painting?

5. What do you think the artist is trying to convey or communicate in this painting? 6. What do you think the artist’s mood was when he/she created this piece? Why? 7. What do you think this painting is about? Why? 8. If you were able to name this painting what would you call it? 9. What interests you most about this piece?

Compare: 1. How is this painting like/different than others by this artist? 2. How is this painting like/different than paintings of other artists? 3. Is this painting like/different than real life? How?

Evaluate: 1. What do you think is good about this painting? 2. What do you think is bad about this painting? 3. Would you consider this a “great” work of art? Why or why not? 4. Does this piece inspire you? Why or why not? 5. What do you think is worth remembering about this piece? 6. Do you think this piece would inspire someone else?

Vincent van Gogh Biography

Vincent van Gogh (pronunciation) was born on March 30, 1853 in Groot-Zundert (pronunciation), Holland. As the son of a pastor, he was raised in a strict, religious home and cultured atmosphere. However, Vincent struggled with emotional instability and lack of direction throughout his early years. He worked unsuccessfully as a bookstore clerk and an art salesman, but he believed that his true calling was to preach the gospel. Unfortunately, he was unsuccessful in this vocation as well. It wasn’t until he was in his late 20s that he decided to pursue another love and began to paint. His first drawings and paintings were dark and somber-toned, depicting scenes from daily life of the local peasants. His most famous painting from this period is The Potato Eaters. When Vincent moved to Paris, France to be with his brother, Theo, he saw the beautiful works of the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painters. It was then that he began to add color and movement to his paintings. Unhappy with the Parisian artist scene, he decided to move to the city of Arles (pronunciation) in the South of France. The sunlight, the beauty, and the color inspired Vincent to paint some of his most famous paintings through which he endeavored to “express” his feelings at the time. He also hoped to start an artist colony with his friend and fellow painter, Paul Gauguin (pronunciation), called the Studio of the South. Unfortunately, the friendship between Van Gogh and Gauguin was unstable (to say the least). After only a few months, a bitter argument between the two ended with

Vincent cutting off part of his ear and nearly bleeding to death. Gauguin left after this incident and the two never saw each other again. Not long after this terrible episode, the villagers of Arles signed a petition to have Vincent admitted into an asylum. It was extremely difficult for him there because he was not allowed any freedoms, nor was he allowed to paint. After he was released he continued to paint for a while, but voluntarily admitted himself into a different hospital, the Saint-Paul Asylum in Saint-Rémy, France (pronunciation) later on. Here, he was allowed many freedoms and even given an extra room in which to set up a studio and paint. Painting provided comfort for Vincent, and gave him a sense of purpose. It was in this hospital that he painted The Irises, the Olive Trees series, landscapes of the local area, and his famous work, Starry Night. He did not live long after this. On July 29, 1890, Vincent van Gogh died of a self- inflicted gunshot wound to the chest, believing he was a failure as an artist, and having only sold one painting in his lifetime. Yet, his distinctive style of painting inspired a whole new form of modern art called, Expressionism. The only art review to appear in his lifetime was by art critic, Albert Aurier (pronunciation) who wrote:

“What characterizes his work as a whole is its excess of strength, of nervousness, its violence of expression. His color, we know already – unbelievably dazzling, with this metallic, jewel-like quality. In his categorical affirmation of the character of things, a powerful figure is revealed: masculine, daring, very often brutal, yet sometimes ingeniously delicate.”

Today, Vincent van Gogh is considered the greatest Dutch painter after Rembrandt. He completed more than 2,100 works, consisting of 860 oil paintings and more than 1,300 watercolors, drawings and sketches. His paintings that no one wanted to buy in his lifetime are now worth millions and millions of dollars!

Vincent van Gogh (1853 – 1890)

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Post-Impressionism

Vincent van Gogh painted during the Post-Impressionist art movement at the end of the 19th century in France. Times were changing, and the Impressionist movement of the mid-19th century, which focused on loose brushwork, brighter, intense color palettes, and capturing the impression of the moment, was declining. However, it had paved the way for other artists to evolve in their own styles and find innovative ways of expressing them- selves through their art.

Paul Cézanne (pronunciation), an artist who had exhibited with the Impressionists, became dissatisfied with their lack of order and structure in painting. He felt that all of the potential of Impressionism had been exhausted and he was eager to take its ideas and concepts in new directions.

Cézanne wanted to “make of Impressionism something solid and durable, like the art of the museums.” Other artists believed Impressionism focused on insignificant subject matter. They wanted to move beyond its “passive representation” of life and allow each artist’s unique and personal view of his surroundings to be expressed. So, Impressionism gave way to Post-Impressionism, a new movement which focused on the bolder use of color and line, geometrical forms and patterns, and light in painting. Prominent Post-Impressionist artists along with Paul Cézanne were, Georges Seurat (pronunciation), Paul Signac (pronunciation), Paul Gauguin (pronunciation), Vincent van Gogh, and others. But although they are all considered part of the same movement, they worked individually, rather than as a group.

Comparisons and Contrasts Between Impressionism and Post-Impressionism Post-Impressionism was a movement that developed as a reaction against Impressionism. Although the two movements shared some common ground, such as real-life subjects, distinctive brushstrokes, the use of vivid colors, and capturing light, that is where the similarities ended. Post-Impressionist artists wanted to create more form and structure in their artwork, as well as give expression, emotion, and meaning to each piece. With Post-Impressionism, the viewer has a more active role of interpreting a work of art, whereas with Impressionism, the viewer only needs to passively observe the piece. And while the Impressionists were a unified, mutually supportive group with a common goal in mind, there really was no cohesive or unifying theme among the Post-Impressionists. Each artist took certain aspects of Impressionism and exaggerated it.

Two Main Thoughts Within the Post-Impressionism movement, there were two main thoughts: 1. Intellectual/Scientific • Cézanne’s use of the color plane • Seurat’s dot theory 2. Spiritual or Romantic • Van Gogh’s and Gauguin’s expression of emotions using color and light Both thoughts, however, followed the same path of distorted reality. But while some artists concentrated on “technique,” others focused on “self-expression.”

A Brief Glimpse at Important Post-Impressionist Artists

Paul Cézanne Paul Cézanne didn’t enjoy working in the quick painting style of the Impressionists. His process was slow and methodical, focusing on the basic shapes of his subject matter, as well as painting them in unusual, tilted arrangements. He maintained a saturation of color in his work like those of Impressionist painters, but geometric structure (spheres, cones, cubes, cylinders, etc.) were key features in his work. He is best known for his still life paintings, landscapes, portraiture, and self- portraits. Choosing oil paints as his medium, he used color and tone to suggest three-dimensional form. Cézanne’s work would inspire Cubism (pronunciation), an art form in which subjects are analyzed, broken down into basic shapes, then reassembled in abstract form. Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse both referred to him as “the father of us all.”

Paul Gauguin Paul Gauguin was a painter, sculptor, engraver, ceramist, and writer. In his paintings, he used bold color contrasts for defining surfaces and forms, as well as heavy outlines. He created simplified, flat compositions based on shapes. Expression and meaning were important in his artwork, which he wanted to be symbolic, rather than simply reflecting real life. Besides the use of bold color, he is best known for exaggerated body proportions and stark contrasts in his paintings. Gauguin would inspire the art movement known as Primitivism (pronunciation), which focused on tribal, prehistoric, or folk art.

Vincent van Gogh Vincent van Gogh worked with vibrant and contrasting colors, for an emotionally- charged effect, placing very little emphasis on accuracy in drawing. The bold, thick,

© 2017 Alisha Gratehouse, masterpiecesociety.com 18 expressive brushstrokes in his paintings contained extreme diagonals and curved or parallel brushwork, expressing either great joy or deep anguish. He is best known for his vivid landscapes, self-portraits, flowers, and still life. Van Gogh would inspire Expressionism (pronunciation), an art movement in which the image of reality is distorted in order to make it expressive of the artist’s inner feelings or ideas. Georges Seurat and Paul Signac Artists such as Georges Seurat and Paul Signac explored scientific approaches to color and composition, developing the art style known as Pointillism (pronunciation). Pointillism is a painting technique in which dots of color are applied in patterns on a canvas to form a bigger image. The look is often soft and impressionistic, but the process is extremely painstaking, taking years to finish in some cases. Collectively, all of these Post-Impressionist artists inspired Fauvism (pronunciation) a style of painting with vivid expressionistic and unnatural use of color, and Symbolism (pronunciation), an art movement or style using symbolic images and indirect suggestion to express mystical ideas, emotions, and states of mind.

Post-Impressionism

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Fun Facts About Vincent van Gogh

• Vincent van Gogh was multilingual – fluent in Dutch, French, German, and English.

• Neither Americans, nor Brits pronounce his name correctly: Americans pronounce it Van-GO, and British pronounce it Van-GOFF. But since he was Dutch, the correct pronunciation is van-HOKGH, with a little phlegm-iness to it. (Yeah, I went there!) Listen to the correct pronunciation here and here.

• He was tried to be a pastor in a coal-mining village, following in his father’s footsteps, before deciding his vocation was in the art world. The people called him the “Christ of the Coal Mines.”

• Contrary to popular belief, Vincent didn’t cut off his entire ear, just part of his ear lobe. (Ouch!)

• He produced his most famous work of art, The Starry Night, while residing in a mental hospital.

• For the most part, Vincent was ignored, even ridiculed, by the art establish- ment in his day. And sadly, he only sold one painting during his entire lifetime. But today, his paintings are most beloved and sell for upwards of $100 million!

• After his death, Vincent’s brother’s wife gathered together all his paintings and letters, dedicating herself to getting his work the recognition it deserved.

• There were actually four Vincent van Goghs! Vincent, the artist, was named after his older brother who died at birth. Both of them were named after their paternal grandfather, Vincent, and Vincent’s brother, Theo, named his son Vincent.

Vincent van Gogh Quotes for Copywork

• “I am seeking, I am striving, I am in it with all my heart.”

• “I want to touch people with my art. I want them to say, ‘He feels deeply, he feels tenderly.’”

• “I am still far from being what I want to be, but with God's help I shall succeed.”

• “It is good to love many things, for therein lies strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done with love is well done.”

• “I don't know anything with certainty, but seeing the stars makes me dream.”

• “There is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.”

• “If you hear a voice within you say, ‘You cannot paint,’ then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.”

• “I always think that the best way to know God is to love many things.”

• “I put my heart & soul into my work, & have lost my mind in the process.”

• “What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?”

• “I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day.”

• “I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it.”

• “I try more and more to be myself, caring relatively little whether people approve or disapprove.”

• “One may have a blazing hearth in one's soul and yet no one ever came to sit by it. Passers-by see only a wisp of smoke from the chimney and continue on their way.”

• “Be clearly aware of the stars and infinity on high. Then life seems almost enchanted after all.”

• “If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.”

• “Only when I fall do I get up again.”

• “I experience a period of frightening clarity in those moments when nature is so beautiful. I am no longer sure of myself, and the paintings appear as in a dream.”

• “If I succeed at putting some warmth and love into the work, then it will find friends.”

• “My brush goes between my fingers as if it were the bow on a violin, and absolutely for my pleasure.”

Masterpiece #1: Three Sunflowers in a Vase

Introduction

In Dutch literature, the sunflower was a symbol of devotion and loyalty. And for Vincent van Gogh, the color yellow symbolized happiness. So, during a time of excited optimism (which was rare for him), Vincent painted a series of sunflowers with which he planned to decorate the Yellow House studio and the bedroom of his artist-hero, Paul Gauguin.

He wrote to his brother, Theo:

“I am hard at it, painting with the enthusiasm of a Marseillais eating fish stew, which won’t surprise you when you know that what I’m at is the painting of some sunflowers. If I carry out this idea there will be a dozen panels. So, the whole thing will be a symphony in blue and yellow. I am working at it every morning from sunrise on, for the flowers fade so quickly. I am now on the fourth picture of sunflowers…”

(Click here to read more about his decoration plans.)

Background

In 1887, while living in Paris, Vincent van Gogh painted a series of sunflowers, but it would be the series which he painted in Arles in 1888, that would be among his most famous works. Click here to view the Paris series. (After clicking on the link, click again on the green icon on the right side of the page to open up the “Category Slideshow”.)

Van Gogh didn’t quite fit in among the avant-garde (modern and unconventional) artists in Paris. Though, he heard from them how beautiful the village of Arles, in the South of France, was. Arles was filled with intense sunlight, beauty, and the color with which Vincent sought to saturate his paintings. So, he decided to relocate there.

His Arles sunflower series was painted while he was preparing to receive his friend, Paul Gauguin. It was his greatest wish to start an artist colony with him, and he wanted to call it, “The Studio of the South.”

Vincent invited Gauguin to move to Arles in February of 1888, but he didn’t actually come until October of that year. (Click here to see a painting of Vincent’s bedroom at the Yellow House, here to see a painting of his chair, and here to see his painting of Gauguin’s chair.)

He wrote to his brother, Theo, about his sunflower paintings saying,

“You know that Gauguin likes them extraordinarily. He said to me about them, among other things, ‘That – that’s the flower!’ You know that Jeannin has the peony, Quost has the hollyhock, but I have the sunflower in a way.”

Sadly, the friendship between Van Gogh and Gauguin was highly volatile. Their personalities were very different, and instead of complementing each other, they clashed on a regular basis.

After only a few months, a bitter argument between the two ended with Vincent cutting off part of his ear and nearly bleeding to death. Gauguin left after this incident and the two never saw each other again, although they did continue to correspond with each other through letters. Even though this period was short and tumultuous, Vincent’s preparation for it gave the world of art these amazing sunflower paintings, including our focus painting, Three Sunflowers in a Vase. Click here to view it on a larger scale.

Dutch Floral Still Life

Although Van Gogh was a Post-Impressionist painter in France, remember that he was actually Dutch by birth. Early in his artistic life, he was influenced by fellow Dutch artist, Rembrandt van Rijn (as evidenced in his first, much darker paintings), and most likely, other Dutch painters.

The 17th century in Holland was the “golden age of flower painting.” Floral still life was very much a part of the Dutch culture, and would have continued to so be

© 2017 Alisha Gratehouse, masterpiecesociety.com 26 during Vincent’s day (in the 19th century). The society at the time was also a deeply devout Protestant Christian one. Therefore, paintings of flowers were meant to serve as reminders of one’s own mortality – as something beautiful and blooming one moment, then fading and dying the next.

As you look at the series of sunflowers Vincent painted, you will notice that some are dying, and some are already dead, leaving only the seed heads. So, he may have subconsciously painted with this thought of mortality in mind. Though, the seeds symbolize that life will soon be bursting forth again.

The Arles Sunflower Series

The Arles series consists of seven paintings: four initial paintings, and three copies or “repetitions” made by Vincent himself.

Intitial Paintings:

• Three Sunflowers in a Vase • Five Sunflowers in a Vase (Sadly, this painting was destroyed when Japan was bombed during World War II.) • Still Life: Vase with Twelve Sunflowers • Still Life: Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers

Repetitions:

• Sunflowers (repetition of Still Life: Vase with Twelve Sunflowers) • Sunflowers, yellow background (first repetition of Still Life: Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers) • Sunflowers, yellow-green background (second repetition of Still Life: Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers)

What do you think about the sunflower paintings? Do you like them or not? Which one is your favorite? Why? Which one is your least favorite? Why Are the colors vibrant or gloomy? How does each piece make you feel? Why?

Mediums and Techniques

Unlike his friend, Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh found it difficult to paint from his imagination. Rather, he needed the object right in front of him in order to paint it. So, he worked feverishly from daybreak to dusk trying to capture the sunflowers before they wilted and faded away. Therefore, the paintings show the sunflowers in various stages – from full bloom, to faded, to withering, to dead.

Each of these paintings were created alla prima (or wet-on-wet) in Vincent’s signature style of wavy brushstrokes, with heavy, impasto brushwork.

He wrote to his brother, Theo, saying,

“I’m convinced that the canvases gain from drying right through here in the South, to the point where the impasto is thoroughly hardened, which takes a long time – that is to say, a year.”

In the same letter, he wrote:

“I very much like a still life with yellow background and foreground.”

Vincent’s use of color – particularly the yellow spectrum – was considered quite innovative at the time. And the fact that he was able to use newly invented pigments made a wider range of colors possible.

Genuine or Fake?

In 1987, a Japanese businessman paid the equivalent of almost $40 million dollars – a record-setting price for a work of art – for one of the repetitions of Still Life: Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers (the last painting listed under “Repetitions”).

Unfortunately, immediately after the painting sold, many art critics raised suspicions as to whether or not it was a genuine Van Gogh. Some suggested it was a forgery, perhaps by his artist friend, Émile Schuffenecker (pronunciation).

Some of the reasons for this were:

• The painting is on jute fabric canvas (not something Vincent normally used)

• It is not as vibrantly colored as his other paintings; it has a “muddier” look to it, even though it has been professionally cleaned • It is the only sunflower painting that wasn’t signed • It was never mentioned in Vincent’s letters to Theo (yet the others were)

However, in 2002, after a thorough investigation, the painting was authenticated as genuine by two experts from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.

Click here to view it again. What do you think? Genuine or fake?

More Information

Would you like to find out even more about Van Gogh’s sunflower paintings? Check out the book and video recommendations under “Recommended for Further Study” at the end of these lessons.

Three Sunflowers in a Vase

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Three Sunflowers in a Vase Enrichment Activity

If you would like to enrich your study of Three Sunflowers in Vase with a “no fuss” art activity, simply print out the template on the following page. Older students can use it as transfer pattern for painting projects, or they may prefer to color in with pastels, charcoals, or colored pencils. Younger students can use it as a coloring page to “create” alongside older siblings. For in-depth art lessons on each of the masterpieces we study in this volume, check out my Mixing with the Masters art course.

Masterpiece #2: The Reaper (after Millet)

Introduction Vincent van Gogh started out his artistic “career” in Holland by emulating many of the Dutch artists whose paintings were done with the chiaroscuro (pronunciation), or light and dark painting technique. And at a rather low point in his life, when painting was the only thing that could comfort him, he continued to copy master artists that he admired. One of his favorite painters was Frenchman, Jean-François Millet (pronunciation), who painted during the art movement known as Realism. Realism began in the mid-19th century, and emphasized the natural, realistic representation of objects and figures in ordinary life. Millet is best known for his nostalgic tributes to farmers and laborers, and is said to have had great compassion for people who worked the soil with their own hands, much like Van Gogh did. His painting, The Reaper, was Van Gogh’s inspiration for our focus piece in this lesson.

Background In 1889, Vincent van Gogh admitted himself into the Saint-Paul asylum in Saint- Rémy, France. There he was given a room to live in, plus another one to serve as a studio. But after being there for a while, and limited in subject matter to paint, he began to produce a series of copies of some of his favorite Realist artists. And foremost among them was Jean-François Millet. Altogether, Vincent made twenty-one paintings that were “translations” of Millet’s works. He had no intention of literally copying the original paintings, but rather used them as inspiration to produce his own interpretations of them. He infused his versions with spiritual meaning and emotion through his use of vibrant color, symbolism, and his signature wavy brushstrokes.

Referring to his works after Millet, Vincent wrote, “It’s not copying pure and simple that one would be doing. It is rather translating into another language – the one of colors – the impressions of chiaroscuro and white and black.” He went on to compare his copies of these artists to a musician’s interpretation of Beethoven. His brother, Theo, called the series some of his best work.

A Side by Side Comparison

Millet’s painting, The Reaper (previous page, left), was done between 1866 and 1867 with pastels on card-board. Click here to see a larger version. Be sure to click the cursor/magnifier to view it super-sized, and use the scrollbars to navigate around. Van Gogh’s version (previous page, right) was done with oils on canvas in 1889. Click here to see this painting enlarged. Again, click the cursor to magnify the image. Both paintings portray a man in the harvest field with his scythe. While Millet’s realist painting was simply depicting a scene from everyday life, Vincent attached a more spiritual interpretation to his. In a letter to his sister, Wilhemina, Vincent compared people to wheat, and the reaper with his scythe to death. He wrote, “For I see in this reaper – a vague figure fighting like a devil in the midst of the heat to get to the end of his task. I see in him the image of death, in the sense that humanity might be the wheat he is reaping…But there is nothing sad in this death, it goes its way in broad daylight with sun flooding everything with a light of pure gold.” Is that what you see in this painting? Why or why not? To me, what stands out most about this piece is the brightness of color – the vibrant blue sky against the brilliant golden yellows of the wheat field and the reaper’s clothing. It’s as if you can feel the warmth of the sun beaming down on his back as he gleans the day’s harvest. Vincent may have had a gloomier outlook, but his use of color makes for a bright and cheerful piece (in my opinion). How does this painting make you feel?

Mediums and Techniques As mentioned in the previous section, Van Gogh painted this piece on canvas with oil paints. And like all his works of this period, it was painted in the alla prima style with the heavy impasto technique.

His trademark use of wavy brushstrokes gives the piece a feeling of movement, as if the tips of the wheat are nodding or waving in the breeze.

A Look at More of the Copies Below are several more examples of the copies after Millet that Vincent created. You will see a side-by-side comparison, plus you’ll be able to click on links to see each image enlarged. The Sower

We’ve looked at The Reaper, so let’s take a look at The Sower. Click here to view a larger version of Millet’s original, and here to view a larger version of Van Gogh’s copy. Vincent actually made over 30 versions of The Sower, exploring the symbolism (or representation of ideas) of what “sowing” means. He wrote,

“One does not expect to get from life what one has already learned it cannot give; rather, one begins to see more clearly that life is a time of sowing, and the harvest is not yet here.” In the paintings, the sower is throwing his seed over the soil, while in the distance, a ploughman is ploughing his field. Vincent’s version of the sower, is a much more simplified than Millet’s. His color palette is again in yellows and blues, although not as vibrant and intense as The Reaper.

Peasant Woman with a Rake

Next, is Peasant Woman with a Rake. Click here to see Millet’s version – a wood

engraving printed on gray paper, although he also produced a painting of it (left). Click here to see the painting on a larger scale. But if you will look closely at the backgrounds, you will see that Vincent actually copied from the woodcut. His “translation” of this work is much more colorful with soft blues, greens, pinks, and warm gold tones. Click here to view the Van Gogh version up close.

Peasant Woman Binding Sheaves

The last copy I want you to look at is called, Peasant Woman Binding Sheaves (and also known as, Woman Pulling Flax). Click here to see Millet’s woodcut, and here to view Van Gogh’s version. A woman is bent over, bundling up the harvest of flax. Just like The Sower and The Reaper, this painting is done mostly in blues and yellows, but on a more muted scale than the other two.

Compare and Contrast Which paintings do you prefer: Millet’s realist paintings in earthy tones, or Van Gogh’s expressive “translations” in bright colors? Why? If you’d like to do a further study on all the copies by Van Gogh, click here.

More Information

Would you like to find out even more about Van Gogh’s copies after Millet? Check out the book and video recommendations under “Recommended for Further Study” at the end of these lessons.

The Reaper (after Millet)

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The Reaper (after Millet) Enrichment Activity

If you would like to enrich your study of The Reaper (after Millet) with a “no fuss” art activity, simply print out the template on the following page. Older students can use it as transfer pattern for painting projects, or they may prefer to color in with pastels, charcoals, or colored pencils. Younger students can use it as a coloring page to “create” alongside older siblings. For in-depth art lessons on each of the masterpieces we study in this volume, check out my Mixing with the Masters art course.

Masterpiece # 3: The Starry Night

Introduction

Vincent van Gogh once wrote in a letter to his sister, Wilhemina,

“I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day, colored with the most intense violets, blues and greens. If you look carefully, you’ll see that some stars are lemony, others have a pink, green, or forget-me-not blue glow. And without laboring the point, it’s clear that to paint a starry sky, it’s not nearly enough to put white spots on blue-black.”

And through his painting of the Starry Night, we are able to see the rich colors that he saw in his mind’s eye.

In this iconic painting of whirling wind and clouds, bright, shining stars, and a large, glowing crescent moon, we catch a glimpse of Vincent’s passion for the “colorful” nighttime.

Background

In mid-June of 1889, while voluntarily living at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole (pronunciation) lunatic asylum, Van Gogh painted one of his most famous pieces, the Starry Night.

He had written to his brother, Theo,

“Through the iron-barred window I can see an enclosed square of wheat… above which, in the morning, I watch the sun rise in all its glory.”

Around the same time, he wrote to his sister, Wilhemina,

“This morning I saw the countryside from my window a long time before sunrise, with nothing but the morning star, which looked very big.”

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For some time, Vincent had been dreaming of creating a “starry night” piece. But painting at night – especially from the hospital/asylum in which he was living was problematic.

As mentioned in the Sunflowers lesson, Vincent found painting from his imagination difficult. His friend, Paul Gauguin, had encouraged him to do so, but for the most part, he needed his subject matter in front of him. Therefore, if he was painting a landscape, he would need to paint it en plein air (pronunciation), which means “outside.” He would need to haul his box of paints and brushes, canvases, easel, chair, and a special drawing grid he used out of doors and paint the land as he saw it.

In fact, in 1888, Vincent painted his first nocturnal scene, Starry Night over the Rhône (pronunciation), en plein air at night. At that time, he used gas lamps to illuminate his canvas and palette so he could see to paint. But since he was now confined to a hospital, he would have to depend on his imagination and paint from his makeshift studio.

Vincent most likely took scenes and elements from his previous works from real life and infused the painting with ideas from his ingenious mind.

Mediums and Techniques

In the painting, Starry Night, Van Gogh layered thick brushstrokes of oil paints in dashes and dots all around the canvas, depicting the sky just before sunrise. Click here to see this painting on a much larger scale. (Be sure to click the cursor again to magnify the image and use your scrollbars to navigate around the painting so you can see his heavy impasto brushwork.)

In this stellar work of art (see what I did there?), Vincent has shown us the movement of the wind and clouds and the brilliant glow of the stars and moon. He presents a powerful sky above an imagined village with the warm, cozy glow of lamplight radiating from the windows of the houses. The result is this stunning masterpiece!

A Closer Look

True to what he wrote to his sister, Vincent presented a night scene with vivid colors. Rather than showcasing a black sky, he used multiple shades of dark and light blues, grays, as well as black. (If you haven’t looked at the Starry Night up close yet, then click here and magnify it so you can see all the distinct colors he used.)

Around the bright orange crescent moon, he painted with pale yellow, and even touches of mint green, accentuating its aura. And encircling each star are varying shades of yellows, golds, oranges, blues, whites, and again, mint greens. The swirling wind and clouds are painted in lighter shades of blues, with touches of gray, white, yellow, and green.

Beneath the majestic sky lies the sleepy little village – a church steeple rises towards the heavens, and buildings are painted in small blocks of yellows, oranges and greens. A few houses show yellow light from their windows, giving us the impression that some of the villagers are stirring before the break of dawn. And in the foreground, to the left, the imposing cypress tree spirals up into the sky.

The dominance of the dark blue, gray, and black in this piece is balanced by the orange, yellow and white in the sky and village.

Symbolism of the Starry Night Throughout the years, many have looked at this painting and tried to attach some sort of meaning to it. What was Vincent van Gogh trying to show the viewer? Was he simply painting a beautiful night scene, or did this work have a deeper meaning? There are many different interpretations of this piece, but the one I like most is that it symbolizes hope. Even in the dark of night, there is still light – no matter how dark (or hopeless) a situation seems, there is still light (or hope) that shines through. Darkness cannot hide the light, but light can illuminate the darkness. How would you interpret this painting? Why?

Compare and Contrast Both “Starry Nights” Take a look again at Van Gogh’s two “starry night” paintings: • Starry Night over the Rhône • Starry Night Remember to click on both images a second time to super-size them. Study the colors. Look at the wavy brushstrokes. Notice the thick, impasto brushwork. How do these paintings compare? How do they differ? How does each one make you feel? Do you like one more than the other? Why or why not?

Fun Fact

In the letter to his sister, Wilhemina (mentioned in the “Background” section of this lesson), Van Gogh wrote:

“This morning I saw the countryside from my window a long time before sunrise, with nothing but the morning star, which looked very big.”

Scholars have determined that the “morning star” which Vincent referred to was the planet, Venus, which was in fact visible at dawn in the spring of 1889 in Provence. At that time, Venus would have been at its brightest possible luminance. If you look at the painting, just to the right of the cypress tree, the bright “star” surrounded in all white is actually Venus.

More Information

Would you like to find out even more about Van Gogh’s Starry Night? Check out the book and video recommendations under “Recommended for Further Study” at the end of these lessons.

The Starry Night

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The Starry Night Enrichment Activity

If you would like to enrich your study of The Starry Night with a “no fuss” art activity, simply print out the template on the following page. Older students can use it as transfer pattern for painting projects, or they may prefer to color in with pastels, charcoals, or colored pencils. Younger students can use it as a coloring page to “create” alongside older siblings. For in-depth art lessons on each of the masterpieces we study in this volume, check out my Mixing with the Masters art course.

Art Terms to Remember

Below is a list of terms and definitions that we discussed in this study of Van Gogh:

1. alla prima – art technique meaning “all at once” or “wet on wet,” in which the artist layers wet oil paints, one after another, not waiting for the layers to dry in between

2. avant-garde – (modern and unconventional) artists

3. chiaroscuro – art technique meaning “light and dark” which is the use of light and shadows in paintings to produce rounded, sculpted-looking figures

4. complementary colors – colors on opposite ends of the color spectrum

5. Cubism – art form in which subjects are analyzed, broken down into basic shapes, then reassembled in abstract form.

6. en plein air – French phrase for painting out of doors

7. Expressionism – art movement in which the image of reality is distorted in order to make it expressive of the artist’s inner feelings or ideas

8. Fauvism – a style of painting with vivid expressionistic and unnatural use of color

9. impasto – a technique in which paint is laid thickly onto the canvas in such a way that the brush strokes remain visible

10. Impressionism – art movement which focused on loose brushwork, brighter, intense color palettes, and capturing the impression of the moment on canvas

11. Pointillism – painting technique in which dots of color are applied in patterns on a canvas to form a bigger image. The look is often soft and impressionistic.

12. Post-Impressionism – art movement which focused on the bolder use of color and line, geometrical forms and patterns, and light in painting

13. Primitivism – art movement which focuses on tribal, prehistoric, or folk art

14. Realism – an art movement that began in the mid-19th century, stressing the natural, realistic representation of objects and figures in ordinary life

15. repetition – an object or pattern repeated in art

16. Symbolism – an art movement or style using symbolic images and indirect suggestion to express mystical ideas, emotions, and states of mind

Recommended for Further Study

Want even more enrichment materials to complement your Vincent van Gogh study? Here is a list of resources:

(Please Note: Although we love many of the works of the master artists, we may or may not agree with how they lived their lives. Some of the recommended videos, books, or web pages touch on certain facets of their lives that may be unsuitable for children. Please use your own discretion as a parent.)