National Gallery of Art

Keywords:

             Art Museum, Art Education, Classic Paintings, Classic Artists, Renoir, Cézanne, Monet.

Site Overview:

             The National Art Gallery is a vast site of one of the most impressive art collections you will ever see online.  The gallery contains paintings that are part of its permanent collection and those that are on a temporary exhibit, or on loan. There are many features including Collection Tours, where you can select a tour by school or medium and explore the National Gallery’s collections of paintings, sculptures and graphic arts.  There are In-Depth Study Tours where you can explore artwork in detail.   Features include Architecture Tours and Virtual Exhibit Tours.  In this field trip, we will spend our time in the Virtual Exhibit Tour viewing some paintings of famous artists of the past.  Further study is available with links on education, programs and events and resources.

Goals and Objectives:

The goals and objectives of this field trip are to: (1) become familiar with the classic artists of the past including Renoir, Cézanne, and Monet, understanding their influence on modern times, (2) learn to appreciate the work of these artists and their different styles, (3) gain an understanding of basic terminology such as color, line, mass, space, texture, composition and light and shade.

Research:

(Source: National Gallery of Art Web Site and World Book Encyclopedia 1999 CD-ROM)

Art is a form of self-expression.  Creative license has been taken by artists to express the artist’s mood, personal beliefs or self-expression.  For example, a drawing of a flower would never be quite the same for any one artist. To be a great artist, one must be able to do more than just reproduce what they see, what can be imagined or what might have existed in the past.  An artist expresses his perspective about a subject. 

According to the World Book Encyclopedia 1999 CD-ROM version, “Paintings consist of many artistic elements.  The most important elements to an artist are color, line, mass, space, texture, composition, and light and shade.”  In this field trip, we will look at the work of three famous artists.  Keep the artistic elements in mind as you look

at the works of each artist.  You will be able to see how each used these artistic elements differently or similarly and what makes their works timeless.

             The paintings of the three French artists we will see are Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet, and Paul Cézanne.  All three painters were influenced by other great artists and in turn were influential to those who preceded them.  Below is a thumbnail sketch of each of these painters.

Renoir and Monet were both considered Impressionistic painters, whereas Cézanne was considered a post-impressionistic painter.  An art critic coined the term impression, taken from Monet’s painting entitled Impression Sunrise.  This was a style of painting that both Renoir and Monet developed together, although a bit differently.  They left little dabs of color on the canvas in a seemingly haphazard manner instead of mixing the paints completely.  Renoir studied the Renaissance painters, which influenced his work.

Renoir was a French artist who lived from 1841-1919.  He style was considered impressionist.  He is famous for portraits of people and often painted pictures of his friends, wife and children.  Renoir used rich colors in his works and made use of light and shade to define his compositions and create a sense of space.

Monet was a French artist who lived from 1840-1926. He is known for his paintings of landscapes and architectural buildings, such as cathedrals.  He made use of natural light and sometimes painted the same picture several times to show how the colors would differ depending on the time of the day.

Cézanne was a French artist who lived from 1839-1906 and is considered post-impressionistic. He is best known for his paintings of landscapes, still lifes and portraits.  His technique in relation to form and mass of his subject was different than Renoir and Monet. Cézanne had a great influence on the lives of other painters of the 1900’s. 

Lesson Plans and Site Navigation:

1. Go to The National Gallery of Art (http://www.nga.gov) From time to time, the links on a web site do not work.  Either skip the question below or the page you’ve been directed to and go on.  When navigating a site you may sometimes want to use your forward and back arrows, or click on the icon (links) buttons.  The back arrow is the best way to get from the painting back to the list of paintings so that you can view the next suggested one on the list.

2. Under each of the paintings, you may find some or all of the words: Full screen image, bibliography, detail images, exhibition history, inscription, location, provenance.  If you would like to view an enlarged image, click on full screen image.  If you would like to view details of the image, click on detail images.  You may wish to view the other hyperlinks, but they are not part of our tour.

3. Go to the National Art Gallery online. Click on the word Search on the left hand side bar.  Type in the name Renoir, and hit the search button. A list of paintings and drawings will be displayed with hyperlinks.  Those with the words image available can be viewed online.  Warning: Following is a list of the paintings and drawings I have reviewed and feel are appropriate for all ages.  If I have not listed the painting or drawing, either it is not available or is not appropriate for all ages.  Paintings include The Blue River, Child with Blond Hair, Child with Brown Hair, Child with Toys – Gabrielle and the Artist’s Son, Jean, Claude Monet, The Dancer, Flowers in a Vase, Georges Riviere, Girl with a Basket of Fish, Girl with a Basket of Oranges, Girl with a Hoop, A Girl with a Watering Can, Head of a Dog, Head of a Young Girl, Jeanne Samary, Landscape between Storms, Landscape at Vetheuil, Madame Monet and Her Son, Mademoiselle Sicot, Maison de la Poste Cagnes, Marie Murer, Mlle Charlotte Berthier, Oarsmen at Chatou, Peaches on a Plate, Picking Flowers, Pont Neuf Paris, Regatta at Argenteuil, Suzanne Valadon, The Vintagers, Woman with a Cat, Woman by a Fence, Woman Standing by a Tree, Woman in a Park, Young Girl Reading, Young Spanish Woman with a Guitar. Drawings include Girlhood and Studies of Trees. Print includes The Hat Pin. Sculpture includes Claude Renoir.

4. When you have completed viewing the work of Renoir, go on to the next artist.

5. Click on the word Search on the left hand side bar.  Type in the name Monet and hit the search button. A list of paintings and drawings will be displayed with hyperlinks.  Those with the words image available can be viewed online.  Following is a list of the paintings and drawings I have reviewed and feel are appropriate for all ages.  If I have not listed the painting or drawing either it is not available or not appropriate for all ages.  Paintings include Argenteuil, The Artist’s Garden at Vetheuil, The Artist’s Garden in Argenteuil, Banks of the Seine Vetheuil, Bazille and Camille, Bridge at Argenteuil on a Gray Day, Bridge at Argenteuil, Cliffs at Pourville, The Cradle-Camille with the Artist’s Son Jean, The Houses of Parliament Sunset, Interior after Dinner, The Japanese Footbridge, Jerusalem Artichoke Flowers, Morning Haze, Palazzo da Mula Venice, Rouen Cathedral West Façade, Rouen Cathedral West Façade Sunlight, Sainte-Adresse, The Seine at Giverny, Ships Riding on the Seine at Rouen, Waterloo Bridge Gray Day, Waterloo Bridge London at Dusk, Waterloo Bridge London at Sunset, Woman Seated under the Willows, Woman with a Parasol-Monet and Her Son. Drawing includes The Luncheon on the Grass.

6. When you have completed viewing the works of Monet, go on to the next artist.

7. Click on the word Search on the left hand side bar. Type in the word Cézanne and hit search. Following is a list of the paintings and drawings I have reviewed and feel are appropriate for all ages.  If I have not listed the painting or drawing either it is not available or not appropriate for all ages.  Paintings include Antony Valabreque, The Artist’s son, Paul, The Artist’s Father, At the Water’s Edge, Bend in the Road, Boy in a Red Waistcoat, Flowers in a Rococo Vase, The Gardener Vallier, Harlequin, House of Pere Lacroix, Houses in Provence, Landscape near Paris, Le Chateau Noir, Louis Guillaume, Man with Pipe, Mon Sainte-Victoire, Riverbank, Still Life with Apples and Peaches, Still Life with Peppermint Bottle, Still Life, Vase of Flowers. Drawings include The Artist’s Father and Objects on a Mantel, Bust of Madame Cézanne, Father of the Artist.

8. The following are the additional links you may want to explore on your own: Online tours, resources and education.

Scavenger Hunt Questions:

Grades K-3

1. Most of the paintings contain all of the primary colors which are red, blue and yellow. However by mixing colors, red and yellow become orange, blue and yellow become green, and red and blue, become purple. What are the main colors used in the paintings? Select two, and find all the colors you can name.  Then decide which one color is used the most. 

2. Look at some of the paintings of Renoir.  Did he paint more pictures of landscapes (outdoor scenes) or portraits (paintings of people)?

3. List some of the people that Renoir painted.

4. Which two artists are known for being Impressionistic painters?

5. Which artist is known as post-Impressionistic?

6. Which artist do you think used the brightest colors?

7. Did it take the artists long to do a painting?

8. Which artist painted an animal?

9. Which of the artists’ work did you like the best?

10. If you could buy one painting, which would it be?

Grades 4-8 

1. What is impressionistic painting?

2. What time period did Renoir, Monet and Cézanne all live?

3. Do you think any of these painters had an influence on other painters? How do you know?

4. Look at the information provided beside the paintings.  What medium was used?

5. Look at the information provided beside the paintings.  Sometimes it lists a name beside the word Collection.  What does this mean? 

6. Important elements of each painting are listed in the research section of this field trip. List these seven elements, and look at how each of the painters expresses their art.

7. How are the styles of Renoir and Monet both similar and different?

8. Was Cézanne best known for his compositions of portraits, still lifes or landscapes?

9. Which of the artists did you like the best? Why?

10. If you could own one picture by one of the artists, which one would it be and why?

Grades 9-12

1. How did the name Impressionism come to be?

2. List the artists and their style of painting.

3. View the artists’ works and keep in mind the elements of artistic expression: Color, line, mass, space, texture, composition, and light and shade.  Pick one work from each artist and look at these elements. Write briefly on each.

4. All of the artists painted portraits of their family. Do you think these were flattering? Why or why not?

5. View several of Monet’s works done at different times of the day.  Why do you think he painted the same scene over again?

6. Look at two or three paintings of each of the artists and answer the following: How does this painting make you feel? How does it affect your senses?

7. Why do people enjoy paintings?

8. What information is listed next to the paintings and what does it mean?

9. What does clicking on the word provenance found at the bottom of the page of each painting show?

10. Which of the artists did you like the best? Why? If you could own one picture by one of the artists, which would it be and why?

Additional Activities:

· All of the artists studied in this field trip were French.  Look up France on a world atlas, or globe. 

· Make a chart with three columns and ten lines on a piece of notebook paper. Make the headings of the three artists: Cézanne, Renoir and Monet. View 10 different paintings for each artist, and list the type of composition that was viewed. L for Landscape, S for Still life and P for Portrait.  At the end, tally up the total number of paintings in each category, and answer the following questions: Who painted more landscapes, still lifes or portraits? 

· Research the history of paint.  How have pigments changed over the years?  Write a one-page report.

· What are the pros and cons of painting with acrylic vs. oils?

· Write a letter to a friend telling them about the works of Monet. Indicate whether or not you enjoyed his paintings and what you liked or disliked about his work.

· The National Museum of Art never charges admission for their art gallery.  Research why on this web site.

· Try drawing an impressionistic painting.  Use acrylic paints instead of oils. Acrylics are water based and dry quickly.  If you have never painted before, you may want to start with a beginner’s kit.

· Paintings were done on all types of surfaces, walls, ceilings, and so forth.  Give the pros and cons of painting on this type of surface. 

· What are the different ways to apply paint to a canvas? List and state at least four ways that would give the artist the most control.

· Experiment with light and dark.  Go outdoors and take a picture of the same object at different times of the day.  Take at least four pictures on two different days (different weather conditions would be ideal).  Compare the photos after you have them developed.  How does light affect the subject that you photographed?  Compare this to what Monet did in his paintings.

· Research painting with oil paints.  Why can this be a difficult medium?  What are the advantages?  Do a 2-4 minute presentation on this topic.

· Write a short story: You have just been given one of Monet’s most famous works.  What is it? How much is it worth? What are you going to do with it? 

· Experiment with mixing paint colors.  Use watercolors or tempera for this activity.  Use only the prime colors.  How many colors can you make? 

· Explore one of the online tours on this site.  They change from time to time as the exhibits are sometimes on loan for a short period of time.

Keywords:

             Art Museum, Art Education, Classic Paintings, Classic Artists, Renoir, Cézanne, Monet.

Site Overview:

             The National Art Gallery is a vast site of one of the most impressive art collections you will ever see online.  The gallery contains paintings that are part of its permanent collection and those that are on a temporary exhibit, or on loan. There are many features including Collection Tours, where you can select a tour by school or medium and explore the National Gallery’s collections of paintings, sculptures and graphic arts.  There are In-Depth Study Tours where you can explore artwork in detail.   Features include Architecture Tours and Virtual Exhibit Tours.  In this field trip, we will spend our time in the Virtual Exhibit Tour viewing some paintings of famous artists of the past.  Further study is available with links on education, programs and events and resources.

Goals and Objectives:

The goals and objectives of this field trip are to: (1) become familiar with the classic artists of the past including Renoir, Cézanne, and Monet, understanding their influence on modern times, (2) learn to appreciate the work of these artists and their different styles, (3) gain an understanding of basic terminology such as color, line, mass, space, texture, composition and light and shade.

Research:

(Source: National Gallery of Art Web Site and World Book Encyclopedia 1999 CD-ROM)

Art is a form of self-expression.  Creative license has been taken by artists to express the artist’s mood, personal beliefs or self-expression.  For example, a drawing of a flower would never be quite the same for any one artist. To be a great artist, one must be able to do more than just reproduce what they see, what can be imagined or what might have existed in the past.  An artist expresses his perspective about a subject. 

According to the World Book Encyclopedia 1999 CD-ROM version, “Paintings consist of many artistic elements.  The most important elements to an artist are color, line, mass, space, texture, composition, and light and shade.”  In this field trip, we will look at the work of three famous artists.  Keep the artistic elements in mind as you look

at the works of each artist.  You will be able to see how each used these artistic elements differently or similarly and what makes their works timeless.

             The paintings of the three French artists we will see are Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet, and Paul Cézanne.  All three painters were influenced by other great artists and in turn were influential to those who preceded them.  Below is a thumbnail sketch of each of these painters.

Renoir and Monet were both considered Impressionistic painters, whereas Cézanne was considered a post-impressionistic painter.  An art critic coined the term impression, taken from Monet’s painting entitled Impression Sunrise.  This was a style of painting that both Renoir and Monet developed together, although a bit differently.  They left little dabs of color on the canvas in a seemingly haphazard manner instead of mixing the paints completely.  Renoir studied the Renaissance painters, which influenced his work.

Renoir was a French artist who lived from 1841-1919.  He style was considered impressionist.  He is famous for portraits of people and often painted pictures of his friends, wife and children.  Renoir used rich colors in his works and made use of light and shade to define his compositions and create a sense of space.

Monet was a French artist who lived from 1840-1926. He is known for his paintings of landscapes and architectural buildings, such as cathedrals.  He made use of natural light and sometimes painted the same picture several times to show how the colors would differ depending on the time of the day.

Cézanne was a French artist who lived from 1839-1906 and is considered post-impressionistic. He is best known for his paintings of landscapes, still lifes and portraits.  His technique in relation to form and mass of his subject was different than Renoir and Monet. Cézanne had a great influence on the lives of other painters of the 1900’s. 

Lesson Plans and Site Navigation:

1. Go to The National Gallery of Art (http://www.nga.gov) From time to time, the links on a web site do not work.  Either skip the question below or the page you’ve been directed to and go on.  When navigating a site you may sometimes want to use your forward and back arrows, or click on the icon (links) buttons.  The back arrow is the best way to get from the painting back to the list of paintings so that you can view the next suggested one on the list.

2. Under each of the paintings, you may find some or all of the words: Full screen image, bibliography, detail images, exhibition history, inscription, location, provenance.  If you would like to view an enlarged image, click on full screen image.  If you would like to view details of the image, click on detail images.  You may wish to view the other hyperlinks, but they are not part of our tour.

3. Go to the National Art Gallery online. Click on the word Search on the left hand side bar.  Type in the name Renoir, and hit the search button. A list of paintings and drawings will be displayed with hyperlinks.  Those with the words image available can be viewed online.  Warning: Following is a list of the paintings and drawings I have reviewed and feel are appropriate for all ages.  If I have not listed the painting or drawing, either it is not available or is not appropriate for all ages.  Paintings include The Blue River, Child with Blond Hair, Child with Brown Hair, Child with Toys – Gabrielle and the Artist’s Son, Jean, Claude Monet, The Dancer, Flowers in a Vase, Georges Riviere, Girl with a Basket of Fish, Girl with a Basket of Oranges, Girl with a Hoop, A Girl with a Watering Can, Head of a Dog, Head of a Young Girl, Jeanne Samary, Landscape between Storms, Landscape at Vetheuil, Madame Monet and Her Son, Mademoiselle Sicot, Maison de la Poste Cagnes, Marie Murer, Mlle Charlotte Berthier, Oarsmen at Chatou, Peaches on a Plate, Picking Flowers, Pont Neuf Paris, Regatta at Argenteuil, Suzanne Valadon, The Vintagers, Woman with a Cat, Woman by a Fence, Woman Standing by a Tree, Woman in a Park, Young Girl Reading, Young Spanish Woman with a Guitar. Drawings include Girlhood and Studies of Trees. Print includes The Hat Pin. Sculpture includes Claude Renoir.

4. When you have completed viewing the work of Renoir, go on to the next artist.

5. Click on the word Search on the left hand side bar.  Type in the name Monet and hit the search button. A list of paintings and drawings will be displayed with hyperlinks.  Those with the words image available can be viewed online.  Following is a list of the paintings and drawings I have reviewed and feel are appropriate for all ages.  If I have not listed the painting or drawing either it is not available or not appropriate for all ages.  Paintings include Argenteuil, The Artist’s Garden at Vetheuil, The Artist’s Garden in Argenteuil, Banks of the Seine Vetheuil, Bazille and Camille, Bridge at Argenteuil on a Gray Day, Bridge at Argenteuil, Cliffs at Pourville, The Cradle-Camille with the Artist’s Son Jean, The Houses of Parliament Sunset, Interior after Dinner, The Japanese Footbridge, Jerusalem Artichoke Flowers, Morning Haze, Palazzo da Mula Venice, Rouen Cathedral West Façade, Rouen Cathedral West Façade Sunlight, Sainte-Adresse, The Seine at Giverny, Ships Riding on the Seine at Rouen, Waterloo Bridge Gray Day, Waterloo Bridge London at Dusk, Waterloo Bridge London at Sunset, Woman Seated under the Willows, Woman with a Parasol-Monet and Her Son. Drawing includes The Luncheon on the Grass.

6. When you have completed viewing the works of Monet, go on to the next artist.

7. Click on the word Search on the left hand side bar. Type in the word Cézanne and hit search. Following is a list of the paintings and drawings I have reviewed and feel are appropriate for all ages.  If I have not listed the painting or drawing either it is not available or not appropriate for all ages.  Paintings include Antony Valabreque, The Artist’s son, Paul, The Artist’s Father, At the Water’s Edge, Bend in the Road, Boy in a Red Waistcoat, Flowers in a Rococo Vase, The Gardener Vallier, Harlequin, House of Pere Lacroix, Houses in Provence, Landscape near Paris, Le Chateau Noir, Louis Guillaume, Man with Pipe, Mon Sainte-Victoire, Riverbank, Still Life with Apples and Peaches, Still Life with Peppermint Bottle, Still Life, Vase of Flowers. Drawings include The Artist’s Father and Objects on a Mantel, Bust of Madame Cézanne, Father of the Artist.

8. The following are the additional links you may want to explore on your own: Online tours, resources and education.

Scavenger Hunt Questions:

Grades K-3

1. Most of the paintings contain all of the primary colors which are red, blue and yellow. However by mixing colors, red and yellow become orange, blue and yellow become green, and red and blue, become purple. What are the main colors used in the paintings? Select two, and find all the colors you can name.  Then decide which one color is used the most. 

2. Look at some of the paintings of Renoir.  Did he paint more pictures of landscapes (outdoor scenes) or portraits (paintings of people)?

3. List some of the people that Renoir painted.

4. Which two artists are known for being Impressionistic painters?

5. Which artist is known as post-Impressionistic?

6. Which artist do you think used the brightest colors?

7. Did it take the artists long to do a painting?

8. Which artist painted an animal?

9. Which of the artists’ work did you like the best?

10. If you could buy one painting, which would it be?

Grades 4-8 

1. What is impressionistic painting?

2. What time period did Renoir, Monet and Cézanne all live?

3. Do you think any of these painters had an influence on other painters? How do you know?

4. Look at the information provided beside the paintings.  What medium was used?

5. Look at the information provided beside the paintings.  Sometimes it lists a name beside the word Collection.  What does this mean? 

6. Important elements of each painting are listed in the research section of this field trip. List these seven elements, and look at how each of the painters expresses their art.

7. How are the styles of Renoir and Monet both similar and different?

8. Was Cézanne best known for his compositions of portraits, still lifes or landscapes?

9. Which of the artists did you like the best? Why?

10. If you could own one picture by one of the artists, which one would it be and why?

Grades 9-12

1. How did the name Impressionism come to be?

2. List the artists and their style of painting.

3. View the artists’ works and keep in mind the elements of artistic expression: Color, line, mass, space, texture, composition, and light and shade.  Pick one work from each artist and look at these elements. Write briefly on each.

4. All of the artists painted portraits of their family. Do you think these were flattering? Why or why not?

5. View several of Monet’s works done at different times of the day.  Why do you think he painted the same scene over again?

6. Look at two or three paintings of each of the artists and answer the following: How does this painting make you feel? How does it affect your senses?

7. Why do people enjoy paintings?

8. What information is listed next to the paintings and what does it mean?

9. What does clicking on the word provenance found at the bottom of the page of each painting show?

10. Which of the artists did you like the best? Why? If you could own one picture by one of the artists, which would it be and why?

Additional Activities:

· All of the artists studied in this field trip were French.  Look up France on a world atlas, or globe. 

· Make a chart with three columns and ten lines on a piece of notebook paper. Make the headings of the three artists: Cézanne, Renoir and Monet. View 10 different paintings for each artist, and list the type of composition that was viewed. L for Landscape, S for Still life and P for Portrait.  At the end, tally up the total number of paintings in each category, and answer the following questions: Who painted more landscapes, still lifes or portraits? 

· Research the history of paint.  How have pigments changed over the years?  Write a one-page report.

· What are the pros and cons of painting with acrylic vs. oils?

· Write a letter to a friend telling them about the works of Monet. Indicate whether or not you enjoyed his paintings and what you liked or disliked about his work.

· The National Museum of Art never charges admission for their art gallery.  Research why on this web site.

· Try drawing an impressionistic painting.  Use acrylic paints instead of oils. Acrylics are water based and dry quickly.  If you have never painted before, you may want to start with a beginner’s kit.

· Paintings were done on all types of surfaces, walls, ceilings, and so forth.  Give the pros and cons of painting on this type of surface. 

· What are the different ways to apply paint to a canvas? List and state at least four ways that would give the artist the most control.

· Experiment with light and dark.  Go outdoors and take a picture of the same object at different times of the day.  Take at least four pictures on two different days (different weather conditions would be ideal).  Compare the photos after you have them developed.  How does light affect the subject that you photographed?  Compare this to what Monet did in his paintings.

· Research painting with oil paints.  Why can this be a difficult medium?  What are the advantages?  Do a 2-4 minute presentation on this topic.

· Write a short story: You have just been given one of Monet’s most famous works.  What is it? How much is it worth? What are you going to do with it? 

· Experiment with mixing paint colors.  Use watercolors or tempera for this activity.  Use only the prime colors.  How many colors can you make? 

· Explore one of the online tours on this site.  They change from time to time as the exhibits are sometimes on loan for a short period of time.