The Color of the Moon Gallery Worksheet: Apollo XI — To the Moon, July 16, 1969, 1969/2009 by Jamie Wyeth

Looking questions:  What do you see in this work? Describe all the details.

 Describe the colors used by the artist.  Do you think it would have had the same impact if he used oil paints?  What is the mood of this painting? How do the colors impact the mood?  How does it make you feel?  If you could tell a story about the painting,

what would it be?  Find another painting in the exhibition and compare it with Apollo XI. Jamie Wyeth, Apollo XI — To the Moon, July 16, 1969, 1969/2009, Watercolor on paper, Adelson Galleries

Background: Jamie Wyeth came from an impressive artistic background. He was the son of Andrew Wyeth and grandson of iconic illustrator N.C. Wyeth. Yet at 20, when he documented the five manned Gemini missions, Jamie gained attention for his own talent and unique view of the world.

As part of the NASA art program, Jamie painted watercolors documenting the space program. He traveled to Cape Canaveral, Florida (then known as Cape Kennedy) to observe launches and painted several watercolors of the Apollo XI launch site. NASA even took him by helicopter to see rocket splashdowns—the landing of a spacecraft by para- chute in a body of water—including the first manned trip to the moon on the Apollo XI mission in 1969.

At Home Activity:Find a photograph of the actual launch of Apollo XI. How does it compare to this painting? Does this painting look realistic? Explain your answer.

Download a copy of this activity on Learn with the Michener: www.LearnMichener.org