Example of a Presentation
Appropriate for 3rd and 4th Grades
Portrait of Don Manuel by Francisco Goya (pronounced Goi-yah)
Initial presentation:
The painting we are going to look at today is by Francisco Goya. He was a great Spanish artist who lived 150 years ago. Like Picasso, he took his first art lessons from his father. (Picasso is mentioned because the children had a chapter about him in their reading book and were quite interested in his life and work.)
According to legend, Goya's artistic talent was first noticed when he was a child. He was found drawing with a lump of charcoal on the walls of his village in northern Spain. From poverty he grew up to be one of
Spain's greatest painters.
This is what Goya looked like (show self-portrait). He was a court painter. This means that he painted portraits of the King and the royal family. (Show painting of royal family with Goya in background.)
He was successful as a court painter. It is said that Goya was also a good singer, swordsman, boxer and dancer. He loved to go to bullfights and ran around with a rather wild crowd.
When Goya was 30 he got married. This really didn't change his lifestyle. While his wife stayed home and bore him 20 children, Goya continued to run around with dancing girls, musicians and matadors. However, Goya did love his children very much. Sadly enough, only 1 of the 20 lived to be an adult (show portrait of his grandson).
Like Picasso, Goya was very fond of women! The Duchess of Alba was attracted to Goya. He liked her, too. However, she also liked other men. Goya was jealous! (Show portrait of Duchess.) In this portrait of her, he signed his name in a special way - at her feet in the sand he wrote 'Solo Goya' (only Goya). She wears two rings - one says Alba and the other Goya.
When Goya was 50, his wild lifestyle came to an end. He became ill. He was sick for a long time. When he finally recovered, he was deaf. He moved into a house that became known as 'The Deaf Man's House.' (By this time both the Duchess of Alba and his wife were dead.) At Deaf Man's House, he painted dark paintings that showed the horror of war and nightmarish scenes. Goya died at age 82.
The painting we are going to talk about today is a portrait which Goya painted earlier in his career and not one of the nightmarish scenes! (Take drape off print. I have found it helpful to place a large dark piece of cloth over the print while discussing background information. The children think it is very dramatic when the drape is finally removed!) Goya painted this when he was 41 years old. If you go to New York, you can see it at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is painted with oil on canvas and is about 40" x 50."
Who is this person? Is it a boy or girl? His name is Don Manuel. How old do you think he is? Look at his clothes. What fabric was used to make them? (Pass around fabrics - piece of velvet, piece of white lace, piece of white satin.)
Try squinting and see if this helps you see the light and dark contrasts. Do you see how Goya has drawn our attention to Don Manuel's pale face? His dark hair stands out against the brightly-lit background.
Does the painting seem to glow to you? Do you think it might be the contrast of light and dark colors?
Remember in the portrait of the Duchess of Alba that Goya signed his name in an unusual way (in the sand at her feet). He has signed his name in an unusual way in this portrait too. Can you tell me where? (Calling card in bird's beak.) I will leave the magnifying glass in your classroom so you can take a closer look.
Does the scene look peaceful to you? Look at the black and white cat staring at the bird (a magpie).
What is the cat thinking? Look carefully. How many cats do you see? Some people think Goya painted the cat's evil expression as a way of telling about the evils of his day.
If you could talk to Don Manuel, what would you ask him? Do you think Goya shows his love of children in this painting?
If you were painting a portrait of Don Manuel, what pets would you like for Don Manuel to have? You will have a chance to do this on a paper I will give you. I'll look forward to seeing what pets you have given Don Manuel in your drawing.
Recap & Close:
Before I leave, who can tell me the name of the artist? Who can tell me the title of this painting?
"Thank you for being such a good audience."
Materials brought into class for this presentation:
Drape for print (large piece of dark fabric)
Book - 'Francisco Goya' by Eric Young (to show other examples of his work)
packet of fabrics
magnifying glass
Francisco Goya (written on large piece of paper)
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| Portrait of Don Manuel by Francisco Goya |
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