Charles Demuth (1883 – 1935) I Saw the Figure 5 in Gold (1928)
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Art Masterpiece: 4th Grade, Lesson 2 (November) Charles Demuth (1883 – 1935) I Saw the Figure 5 in Gold (1928) Oil on Cardboard, 30" x 35 1/2" Pronounced: Dee-mooth Art Style: Precisionism Art Terms: Symbol, Depth, Value Activity: Symbol Collage Medium: Magazine clippings, Construction Paper and Markers Meet the Artist Charles Demuth was born in 1883 and grew up in Pennsylvania. His health was frail and as an adult he had severe diabetes. He was one of the first people in the United States to receive insulin. He had official art training at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia and traveled to learn about art. He was an American watercolorist who turned to oils late in his career, developing a style of painting known as Precisionism (also known as Cubist Realism). He liked to take an “ordinary and unattractive object and make it a work of art”. He used many symbols in his art. His artwork also displays value. Value is the lightness or the darkness of a color. He was received well by the New York art world in his lifetime. Demuth died in his Lancaster home on October 23, 1935, at age 51 from the effects of diabetes. About the Artwork I Saw the Figure 5 in Gold is one of a series of eight abstract portraits of friends that Demuth made between 1924 and 1929. This particular painting pays homage to a poem by William Carlos Williams. This portrait consists of not a physical likeness of the artist’s friend but an accumulation of images associated with him—the poet’s initials and the names “Bill” and “Carlos” that together form a portrait. Williams’ poem “The Great Figure” describes the experience of seeing a red fire engine with the number 5 painted on it racing through the city streets. While Demuth's painting is not an exact illustration of the poem, we can certainly sense its “rain/and lights” and the “gong clangs/siren howls/and wheels rumbling.” Art Style Precisionism/Cubist Realism A style of representation in which an object is rendered in a realistic manner (Realism), but with an emphasis on its geometric form (Cubism). A Realist paints art that looks like it would really appear in life. A Cubist arrange their artwork using geometric (circles, squares, triangles, etc) shapes to show what they are trying to paint. Art Terms Symbol Is an object, shape or color that has special meaning. Represents a real object or an idea. Depth The apparent distance from front to back or near to far in a work of art. Techniques of perspective are used to create the illusion of depth in a two dimensional painting. Value The lightness or darkness of a color. Pink is a light value of red, navy is a dark value of blue. Questions about I Saw the Figure 5 in Gold What did you see immediately when you looked at this painting? (No. 5, color red) What do you think this is a picture of? Tell the students to try to think of something that is red and has a number on it, if they have difficulty making a suggestion. (It is a painting of a fire engine.) Tell the students that the painting is based upon a poem by Demuth’s friend William Carlos Williams, “The Great Figure”. (Poem is printed on the last page) Tell the students to look carefully to see if they can find the artist's initials in the painting. (C. D. - located at the bottom left) Explain to the children what initials are. What are your initials of your name? Tell the students that Charles Demuth had a friend whose initials are also in the painting. Ask: Can you find another set of initials? Where? (W.C.W. - locate at the bottom center. Initials of his friend William Carlos Williams) Do you see another word that probably refers to William Carlos Williams? (“Bill” located in the top left and “Carlo” located below the top line of the large 5). What colors do you see in this painting? (red, gold, black, white) Are they dull colors or bold colors? (bold) What did he do with the numeral 5 to make the painting look like it has depth? (The numerals get smaller so they appear farther and farther away, the colors change with the distance) Activity Symbol Collage – Magazine clippings, Construction Paper and Markers Supplies Construction paper in various colors – 8 1/2” x 11” Magazines Construction paper scraps Markers Scissors Glue sticks Pencils **Art Guide Notes** This lesson will be used for the “Art Walk” in January. Please leave artwork in your grade level class folder located in the filing cabinet in room 6. If you would like to help with preparation for the “Art Walk” please let one of the Art Masterpiece coordinators know. Directions 1. Have students write their name and room # on the back of the paper. 2. Have the children think about symbols that are important to them: their first initial, number of their age, the number of a sports jersey, birth date, etc. 3. Have the kids mentally think about that symbol, and think about the emotions that symbol gives them: happy, sad, proud, excited, etc. 4. With that emotion in mind, have them pick the color of construction paper that they want as the background of their collage. Remind them that their collage should always keep in mind that emotion. 5. Using construction paper scraps and magazines have them make a collage. They can use their scissors to cut out the shapes and symbols they are looking for, or they can find them in the magazines and cut them out from there. 6. Have them use a glue stick to put the shapes and the symbols onto their “canvas”. They can start with geometric shapes and add on their symbols. 7. They can add to their collage using markers. 8. Encourage creativity…remember, there is no wrong way to do this! 9. When the students are done have them title their artwork. Write the title on a label sticker and place it on the back of their work. “Art Walk” - Remember to please leave the artwork in your grade level class folder located in the filing cabinet in room 6. Make sure the students names are on the back of their work. “The Great Figure” By William Carlos Williams Among the Rain And Lights I saw the figure 5 In gold On a red Firetruck Moving Tense Unheeded To gong clangs Siren howls And wheels rumbling Through the dark city .