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Volunteers Assisting Students and Teachers
All About Art
Meet the Masters
An Original versus A Reproduction
The original painting is the one created In the art gallery or museum, where by the artist. It is often very valuable the original usually hangs, someone because it is the only one in the world. takes a photograph of the painting.
The photographic film is used to make The original painting can be reproduced hundreds and hundreds of prints or in books or as posters and postcards reproductions of the original painting. which you can put on the wall.
Adapted from Looking at Paintings, by Frances Kennet and Terry Meash.
Periods of Art
DATE PERIOD DESCRIPTION
15,000 10,000 BC Cave Paintings Lascaux, France and Altamira, SpainPrimitive paintings of daily activities. Neolithic -From hunting to farming - start of crafts.
1400 BC Stonehenge -Structure in England - purpose unknown.
3000 1225 BC Egyptian -Middle Kingdom Art served religious purpose - monuments to dead.
1100 700 BC Greek -Architecture, sculpture - worship of Gods greatly influenced architecture, up to present. Parthenon Classical -Greek art produced during rule of Alexander the Great.
400 100 BC Hellenistic -Glorified the spread of Greek civilization in Asia.
100 - 476 AD Roman -Similar to Greek art which the Romans admired tributes to prosperity.
500 - 1000 Early Christian
1200 Byzantine -Began when Constantinople was made new capitolof Roman Empire. Subjects dealt with new Christian faith.
500 - 1500 Middle Ages -(Dark Ages) Empty interval between Classical and Renaissance.
1000 - 1200 Romanesque -All Western Europe had Christian base - building ofchurches.
1200 - 1400 Early Gothic -Basically an architectural style -Notre Dame - began with Crusades.
1450 - 1550 Late Gothic subject. Continued architectural style but added painting andsculpture - began to move away from religion as only
1500 - 1600 Renaissance (rebirth) Historic events coinciding with the Renaissance Fall of Constantinople, Exploration of New World, Spiritual Reformation: During the Middle Ages it was believed that history was made only in Heaven. In the Renaissance it was believed human achievements
on earth were also worthwhile. da Vinci, Michelangelo.
1550 - 1563 Mannerism Revolt against classical balance - artificial style first experimentation in art.
1600 - 1750 Baroque Spirit of Counter Reformation - irregular, grotesque.
1750 Rococo gaudy. French movement - outgrowth of Baroque - ornate,
1750 - 1800 Neo-classical Return to Greek style - used by early Americancolonial painters and architects.
1800 - 1850 Romanticism Started in England - not a style but a state of mind.Bach to nature - picturesque - Claude Lorrain Naturalism -events Outgrowth of Romanticism - represented everyday
Realists -Art for art's sake - relied on own experience. "I cannot paint an angel because I haven't seen one."
1850 - 1880 Degas. Impressionism -Painting needed to be rescued from competition withcamera: canvas was material covered with color: impressions of light and atmosphere. Monet, Manet,
1880 - 1900 Post-Applies to any painting completed between 1880-1900.Impressionism -Variety of types, but continued the philosophy of the Impressionists. Gauguin, van Gogh, Seurat, Toulouse-
Lautrec, Renoir, Cezanne.
1900 - Present Modern Art -This period of art is made up of many movements.These movements came and left quickly and overlapped in time. Each movement brought a new style, a new name, and a new expression of the artists' reaction to the ever-changing modern world. Most modern artists were involved in several of these movements, some, like Picasso, were involved in most of them.
1900 -Modern Art -The period of Modern Art is the most difficult to Present explain to children. Like many adults, they believe that the more realistic a painting, the better it is. This is true if the artist's goal was to achieve a realistic representation. Many modern artists never intended to have their paintings appear realistic. Many dealt with the expression of feelings and sensations. No one knows what these look like. The artist is free to explore the many ways of presenting the unknown. Each painting is an experiment, investigating the potential of paint and canvas.
The best way to approach modern art is to meet each painting as you would meet a new person. Don't
rely on your first impression. Have an open mind. Reserve judgement until you have gathered some
information on the painting. In the end, you may still decide you wouldn't hang this painting in your house. It was still interesting to find out about it and you may appreciate it for its unique qualities.
The following list includes many of the major movements of Modern Art:
1900 -"les fauves" -Reacted against Impressionism - Matisse (wild beasts)
Expressionism - Started in Germany - devoid of depressing subjects -Kandinsky
1911 -Constructivism -No symbols - geometric shapes, colors - Mondrian
1907 -Cubism -Breaking apart of shapes to create new style - Picasso, 1914 Braque
1912 -Futurism -Forms of originality, glorified - de Chirico
1917 -Dadaism -Art must not imitate nature - destruction is creation.
1922 Shock effect - Arp
1917 -Surrealism -Symbolic imagery of dreams - poetic creation - Miro, 1940 Dali, Magritte
Mid 1900's - de Stijl -Started as architectural movement (Frank LloydWright) later principles applied to paintings; deliberate, uniform Modrian (neoplasticism)
1912 -Suprematism - Reality in art is the affect of color - Malivich
1920 -Purism -A purification of motif
1940's Abstract Also called action painting - splatters and drips of Expressionism paint to express feelings - painting doesn't reveal an object, it is the object - Pollock
1950's Pop Art -Represents everyday objects - reaction to mass production - Warhol
1960's Psychedelic Art -Represented drug induced images - colorful, elaborate - Max
1960's Op Art - Optical designs that create a vibrating visual reaction - relied on color and shape - Vasarely
1970 -Modern Realism -Return to realistic image but not camera image –
1980 - Individual artist's representation of the world through individual style; a culmination.
The artists of today may choose to model their style after any of a combination of these periods
of art. There are also those who continue to explore unique ways of representing the world.
Elements of Art
The elements of art are the visual units that individually or collectively make up work of art.
These elements are line, color, shape, texture, and space.
Line:
Line is a movement in space. A line is a path made by a point moving through space. Line is used to show energy, direction or motion. A line is also a path that describes the outline or contour of an object to define its shape or form. Lines can also express ideas like action, speed, happiness, sadness, joy, sorrow, fright, surprise, hatred, peace ... the personality of lines shows in their quality and direction.
The quality of a line is its thinness or thickness, its roughness or smoothness, its darkness or lightness.
Lines can be straight or broken, curved or horizontal.
Each kind of tool (pencil, pen, crayon, paint brush, etc.) makes its own kind of line.
Each kind of line gives a different feeling. The straight line has strength. It stands upright like a house or a tree. It lies flat like the horizon line. When it shoots off at a diagonal the line suggests falling or motion.
The broken line is more nervous. It has a sharp, jagged quality that shows more motion than a straight line. Broken lines are used to show direction.
A curved line is gentle or graceful. It makes us think of clouds and waves and soft or rounded objects. Curved lines also make us feel movement and rhythm.
Artists also use active, curved lines to make overall patterns that are very dynamic. The lines move and interweave all over the surface and create a feeling of form in space.
Direction can make lines majestic, weary or frivolous. Diagonal lines speak of action or imbalance or of rhythm and flow; horizontal lines as quiet as sleep.
Lines may portray characteristics: straight, dotted, thick/thin, wavy, crosshatched, dark/light, textured, strength, rest, action, power, direction.
a. Horizontal lines - convey peacefulness, tranquility
b. Vertical lines - convey stability, strength
c. Curved lines - convey happiness, gaiety
d. Diagonal lines - convey conflict, unrest, excitement
e. S-curved lines - convey sadness or gracefulness
Contour: The outline of a figure, object or mass. Boundaries.
Shape: An area having specific character and defined by a contour which may result from line, or contrasting color, value or texture. Two-dimensional geometric shapes: circle, square, triangle, and rectangle. Three-dimensional shapes: sphere, cube, cone, pyramid, and cylinder.
Polygons: many-sided shapes. Biomorphic (free form): shapes that don't follow any set rule. Irregular
shapes resembling freely developed curves found in nature.
Plane: A two-dimensional shape, which may exist at any angle in space; a flat continuous surface which doesn't change direction.
Color:
The emotional element of art. Black and white are not colors, but tones. Black absorbs all colors and white reflects all colors.
Pigment: the substance which makes color in paint when mixed with a binder such as oil or water.
Hue: refers to the color name, for instance red, yellow or blue.
Tint: a light value of color, white added.
Shade: a dark value of color, black added.
Value: the lightness or darkness of a color; a graduation from white to black.
Highlight: areas receiving greatest amount of light. Shades, shadows: areas receiving little or no light.
Emotional or psychological meaning of color:
Warm colors: red, yellow, and orange.
Cool colors: blue, green, and purple.
Quiet colors: soft colors, tints.
Happy colors: bright, strong and pure in intensity.
Exciting colors: bright strongly contrasting.
Strong colors: intense, attract the eye, jump out.
Weak colors: weak intensity, appear to recede into background.
Color: Triad colors: based on colors at points of equal sided triangle placed on the color wheel.
Primary colors: red, yellow, blue -- the colors from which all colors are made.
Secondary colors: made when two primary colors are mixed -orange (yellow + red), green (blue + yellow), purple (red + blue).
Intensity: the pigment strength -- brightness.
Analogous colors: colors next to each other on the color wheel.
Complimentary colors: opposites on the color wheel.
Monochromatic colors: one color plus its tints and shades.
Neutral colors: black, white, gray: When neutral colors are put next to a color they make the color more intense. When neutral colors are mixed with a color, they make that color less intense.
Texture:
The way a surface feels or is represented to feel to the touch: the roughness or smoothness of an object
Actual texture: it feels the way it looks, actual texture or surface.
Implied texture: painted to look like there is texture, actually there is none.
Tactile: quality of artwork that appeals to sense of touch.
Collage: composition created by combining a variety of materials; creates texture.
Space:
The interval between pre-established points:
Two-dimensional space: surface has measurement in length and breadth, but lacking depth.
Three-dimensional space: possessing depth as well as length and breadth.
Picture plane: an imaginary plane of reference through which a picture is seen in terms of advancing and receding space.
Perspective: the appearance of objects or scenes as determined by their relative distance and position, giving depth to a two-dimensional surface.
Principles of Design
The principles of design are the rules or guides to follow in arranging the elements of art in a
composition:
Balance: Equal distribution of weights or forms in a composition.
Symmetrical or formal balance: equal distance from center of design, or both sides having identical design.
Asymmetrical or informal balance: lacking correspondence of parts, opposing forces neutralize each other.
Rhythm: Repeating lines, colors or shapes to create a feeling of movement from one point to another in a composition.
Unity: The result of integrating all parts of the composition to produce a well organized piece of art work -- too much unity creates monotony, which can be relieved with rhythm and variety.
Variety: Changing the elements of art in size, color, or direction: overuse may result in confusion.
Emphasis: The dominance of the central idea and the subordination of other parts. This can be achieved by: large size, movement toward something, central position, color or value contrast, unusual detail, or grouping of shapes.
Glossary of Art Terms
Abstraction: An idea stripped of its concrete accompaniments; an essence or summary; an art form in which there is little if any indication of the physical object perceived in nature; simplification; rearrangement of elements of form to express the artist's feeling
Academic: Art based on a completely developed theory and philosophy; opposite of experimentalism; stresses the standard rules of organization
Actual: Has a real existence
Aesthetics: The study of beauty in art and nature
Aquatint: A type of etching which allows an artist to combine a variety of tonal values with etched lines; resin dust is applied to the metal plate and then heated so the acid can attack the plate
Archaic: Referring to objects belonging to an early, conventionalized style; more
advanced than primitive art
Assemblage: Made up of one or several kinds of materials; may be two or three dimensional, or a collage
Background: The area behind the main subject or work of art
Biomorphic: A free form or natural shape of an object
Brayer: The roller, which is used to spread the ink on a block
Burin: Sharp pointed tool used in engraving a line in wood or metal (Also called a graver)
Calligraphy: Writing as a decorative art; script-like or fluent lines
Cartoon: A flat symbolic illustration; a simplified humorous drawing
Chiaroscuro: Technique which concentrates on the effects of light and shade on the forms in the composition
Collage: A technique in which the artist glues materials such as paper, cloth, or found materials to a background
Composition: Organization of all elements of a work into a harmoniously unified whole; relation of parts to one another and to the whole
Concept: Organization of elements into an idea; made by learning or experience
Design: The arrangement of interdependent parts to form a coordinated whole
Distort: To deform or stretch something out of its normal shape
Dominance: The featured or controlling parts of a work of art
Dominate: To make more important by size or value
Drypoint (process): Much like the engraving process except that the sharp tool raises a ridge on each side of the gouged line making a blurred indistinct print (intaglio)
Emphasis: The principle of art that deals with the development of the most important area, the focal point
Engraving: A linear design made by pushing a v-shaped cutting tool across the surface of the plate so a small shaving of metal is removed (intaglio process)
Etching: A fine line print made by scratching through a waxed surface on a plate and then treating with acid so that the lines are made deeper by the acid; the etched lines print (intaglio process)
Focal Point: The center of interest in a design or drawing
Foreground: The bottom area of pictures; in perspective, the area closest to the viewer
Fore-shortening: A method of drawing or painting an object or person so that it seems to recede in space, giving the illusion of three dimensions; parts get smaller as they recede in space
Form: A three-dimensional aspect of a shape
Genre: Subject matter depicting every day life
Geometric: Refers to geometric symbols of circle, square, and rectangles
Gesture Line: A drawing of movement and direction of basic form
Golden Section: A Greek method of proportion based on a line that is divided so that the small part is to the larger part, what the larger part is to the whole; an 8 to 13 proportion
Gouache: Opaque watercolor painting;
Gouge: A sharpened tool used to cut the design in a block, for engraving, or in relief
Gradation: Changes in size from large to small, or value from dark to light
Graffito: An unrefined drawing or inscription on a wall, fence, or other surface (Plural: graffiti)
Graphic: Art presented on a two-dimensional surface: includes drawing, mechanical printing, and painting
Harmony: A pleasing arrangement of elements to show unity; a consistent and orderly whole
Highlight: The area of a surface that receives the most light
Horizon: Used in perspective, the level of the viewer’s eye
Illusion: Something that deceives the eye, not an actual scene but an implied perception
Intaglio: Process in which the line to be printed is incised or depressed below the surface (engravings, etchings, aquatints)
Invented texture: Texture created by man
Key: Refers to averaging the tone or values; said to be high or low key
Landscape: Pictures that represent nature and outdoor scenes
Lay in: To fill in an area with flat color
Linear perspective: A mechanical system of creating the illusion of a three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional surface
Lithography: A form of printing where the design is put on a flat stone or metal plate with a greasy material; water and printing ink are applied and the greasy area absorbs the ink; this is run through a press to transfer the design
Local Color: The actual color of an object not subjected to variations from light
Mannerism: An exaggerated theatrical style characterized by elongated bodies
Mass: The form of matter sticking together in one body; bulk
Medium: The material used to produce an art object; also the pigments are mixed to make them suitable for painting (plural: media)
Middle ground: The center section of the picture plane and the middle depth in perspective
Mobile: A sculpture that depends on balancing for movement
Modeling: Shading from light to dark around the edges
Monoprint: A process of drawing on an inked slick surface (or with ink) and pulling a single print
Motif: A featured composite of the elements of art; a design within a design; a theme
Movement: Refers to the rhythmic repetition of elements to create a path for the eyes to follow
Natural color: The color variations caused by light and reflections
Neutralized Color: A color that has been “grayed” or reduced in intensity by mixture with a complementary or a neutral color
Non-objective: Referring to paintings or sculpture that show no resemblance to natural objects as they are
Objective Color: Natural color of objects such as green grass, blue sky, etc.
Palette: A flat surface on which an artist mixes paint
Papier Colle: A technique invented by the Cubists in which scraps of paper were pasted to the canvas for decoration and tactile embellishments
Patina: A film or encrustation on the surface of copper or bronze produced naturally by oxidation or by treatment with acid
Pattern: Decorative motif involving repetition; direction of attention throughout a picture
Perspective: A system of drawing to give the illusion of depth
Pictorial area: The area within which the design exists; generally of measurable
dimensions and bounded by mat, frame, or lines
Picture plane: The flat surface on which the artist works the image
Pigments: Coloring matter or substances used by the artist to create the effect of
color on a surface
Planographic: Prints made from a flat surface; lithograph prints:
Pointillism: A method of painting in which the paint is applied in dots or points that are nearly the same size and shape; a system of broken or divided color - developed by Seurat in the Post-Impressionist period (Also called Divisionism)
Positive-Negative: Positive areas are definite units that are explicitly laid down; (foreground positions are positive); Negative areas are the unoccupied or empty spaces; (background positions are negative)
Proportion: The relationship of the parts to the whole
Radial balance: Two or more forces around a center point to create equilibrium
Rectilinear shape: Shape composed of basically straight lines
Relief printing: Process in which portions of the design not to be printed are cut away and lowered below the printing surface; a linoleum print is an example
Repetition: A re-emphasis of visual units over and over again
Scale down: Cutting down size to correct proportions
Selectivity: Artistic license to use what is needed and imply the rest
Serigraphy: A method of creating a print in which a screen is used on which portions of the design have been blocked out; ink is forced through the open areas (Also called stencil process)
Shading: Gradual value transitions to model a figure
Shape: An area enclosed by line, the two-dimensional object
Sketch: A method of drawing essential information quickly
Spectrum: A band of colors resulting when a beam of light is broken up into its component wave-length hues
Still life: Inanimate objects used as the subject of a picture
Stippling: A series of dots grouped to model a form
Stump: A rolled up cardboard, pointed and used to smooth shading dominant form; trends of certain times or periods of art
Subjective: Tones chosen by the artist without regard to the actual color of the object color
Symmetrical: A method of balancing which is based on axis, both sides having duplicate elements
Tactile: Referring to the sense of touch
Technique: A method of executing the technical or manual details of art
Tenebrism: A style of painting that exaggerates the effects of chiaroscuro; large amounts of dark value appear in the painting close to smaller areas of highly contrasting lights
Three-dimensional: A type of value organization in which the changes of light and dark seem to create an illusion of depth at the back of the picture plane, or a projection in front of the picture plane
Tonality: A color combination or color scheme chosen by the artist
Trompe l'oeil: French term meaning "fool the eye"; in a painting, a copy of nature that is so real it is mistaken for the object itself
Two-dimensional: A type of value organization where the changes of light and dark seem to occur only on the surface of the picture plane
Value: The relationship of one part or detail in a picture to another with respect to lightness or darkness
Vanishing point: That point on the horizon where parallels converge
Visual perception: The unique “seeing” by artists
Volume: A third dimension in a shape that gives the illusion of solidity or mass
Wash: A transparent layer or coating of color applied to a surface allowing the under painting to show through, using a lot of water or medium with little pigment
Woodcut: Earliest print-making technique; a relief process in which the negative areas have been cut away from the surface of the block (relief process)
Suggested Reading List
Children enjoy having books about the artists they are studying in their classroom. In this way they can see other examples of the artists' work and learn more about their life. Schools are encouraged to start their own art library. Art books can be found on sale at bookstores and museum shops.
This list includes many of the favorite titles that will provide additional reading for Meet the Masters volunteers, teachers and students. Most can be found in public libraries, and some are paperbacks that can be ordered from most bookstores. Many are written at the elementary level and can be found in the Children's Department of the library.
We especially recommend the Art for Children series by Doubleday. We also recommend two easy-reader storybooks from Barrons Educational Series, Inc., 113 Crossways Park Drive, Woodbury, New York, 11797; Leonardo da Vinci , and Pablo Picasso by Ibi Lepscky.
A particularly excellent book for both volunteers and children is: Looking at Paintings, by Frances Kennet and Terry Measham, Van Nostrand Reinhold, Co.
Art for Children Series, Ernest Raboff
A Child's History of Art, V.M. Hillyer and E.G. Huey
History of Art for Young People, H.W. Janson
The Story of Painting for Young People, H.W. Janson and Dora Jane Janson
The First Book of Paintings, Lamont Moore
What is a Masterpiece?, Charlotte Willard
Learning to Look, Joshua Taylor
Just Imagine, Robert Cumming
Understanding Paintings: The Elements of Composition, Frederick Malins
The Many Ways of Seeing: An Introduction to the Pleasures of Art, Janet Gaylord Moore
Art for the Fun of It: A Guide for Teaching Young Children, Peggy Davidson Jenkins
Let's Go to the Art Museum, Virginia K. Levy
Looking at Paintings, Frances Kennett and Terry Measham
The First Book of Paintings, Lamont Moore
Let's Look at Pictures, Christine Walkling
Impressionism, Francesco Abbate
The Story of American Painting, Abraham A. Davidson
100 Masterpieces of Art, Marina Vaizey
Discovering Art History, Gerald E. Brommer
Discovering Art History Guide for Teachers, Gerald E. Brommer
Paintings of the Western World, Casper de Jong
Key to the Prado, Consuelo de Tena and Manuela Mena
Picasso, Josep Palau I. Fabre
Famous Artists of the Past, Alice Elizabeth Chase
Musical Instruments in Art, Donald Celender
Metropolitan Seminars in Art, John Canaday
Dictionary of Art and Artists, Peter and Linda Murray
Twentieth Century Art, Michael Batterberry
Art for Children Series:
Chagall Michelangelo Renoir
Durer Picasso Rousseau
Gauguin Raphael Toulouse-Lautrec
Klee Rembrandt Van Gogh
Leonardo Remington Velazquez
McGraw-Hill Great Masters Series:
Brueghel
Michelangelo
Cezanne
Picasso
Chagall
Rembrandt
Degas
Renoir
Gauguin
Rubens
Goya
Toulouse-Lautrec
Homer
Titian
Leonardo
Van Gogh
Crown Art Series:
Cassatt
Matisse
Cezanne
Monet
Chagall
Pissarro
Degas
Renoir
Gauguin
Toulouse-Lautrec
Klee
Turner
Manet
Van Gogh
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