Millet
to Matisse Lesson Plan: High School Level
Lesson
Plan: Letter from Alexander Reid
Grade level:
9-12
Art Class
Concept/Objective:
Students will understand Vincent Van Gogh’s use of art elements
and design principles. Students will connect Van Gogh’s style
with his personality. Students will understand how the artist’s
perception of the sitter can influence the portrait.
Questions
to Guide Your Instruction
- What is
a portrait?
- What are
some visual clues that tell us this is a posed portrait?
- Describe
Alexander Reid.
- How has
the artist used brush strokes to enhance the subject?
- Describe
how the value and intensity of the colors create form in the
figures.
- Where and
how has the artist repeated colors in the painting?
- Describe
the brush marks and colors used in the figures and the background.
- Do you
think the artist tried to express the personality of Alexander
Reid?
- Do you
think the van Gogh tried to express his opinion of Alexander
Reid?
Core Content
Links:
AH-H-4.1.31, AH-H-4.1.33, AH-H-4.1.34, AH-H-4.2.31, AH-H-4.2.32,
AH-H-4.2.34, AH-H-4.2.36, AH-H-4.2.37, AH-H-4.2.38
Vocabulary:
|
Portrait
Expressive
Impressionism
Value
Intensity
Repetition
|
Complimentary
Colors
Positive /negative space
Consistency of style
Painterly
Post- Impressionism
Impasto
|
Materials
A copy of the Portrait of Alexander Reid painting from the digital
brochure or another source
Possibly copies of other Vincent Van Gogh’s portrait work,
such as Portrait of a Peasant 1888
PaperPencil/Pens(optional) color wheelArt History or other books
about Van Gogh
Internet access to resources on line
Lesson
Plan
During the Impressionist period and Post-Impressionist period
artists concentrated mainly on depicting landscapes, landscapes
with people, interiors with people, and still life. Very few artists
kept the traditions of portrait painting. Van Gogh, never one
to do what everyone else did, painted many portraits of himself,
his doctor, his mail carrier and friends. When Van Gogh painted
a person he felt he had to not only say something about the person
but also about his own personal involvement with the person. (This
feeling led to the expressionist art movement)
Van Gogh used
bright colors applied with very visible, brushstrokes in his paintings.
He often created a pattern with the repetition of his brush marks
and the quantity of paint used often created an impasto (paint
raised from the surface of the painting). The color plan for many
of his paintings, (including the one of Alexander Reid) use complimentary
colors (for example, red and green from the opposite sides of
the color wheel). The use of complimentary colors often creates
an intense visual vibration. Alexander Reid was a Scottish art
dealer who was a friend of Vincent and his brother Theo van Gogh.
Van Gogh stated he wanted to give the subjects of his portraits
“something of the eternal which the halo used to symbolize”.
Van Gogh had
a great love for people though he and his work were often rejected.
He suffered from mental depression and possibly seizures. Through
everything he was sustained and supported by his brother Theo
Van Gogh.
Assignment
- Pretend
that you live in same area of France where Vincent van Gogh
in 1887. You have seen his portrait of Alexander Reid and are
thinking about having him paint a portrait of you.
- You seen
Mr. Reid on the street and ask him about the experience, he
takes your address and says he will write to you and tell you
all you need to know.
- A few days
later the postman brings you a letter from Alexander Reid.
- Write the
letter that Alexander Reid sends to you. Include information
about:
a. yourself (as M.Reid)
b.van Gogh’s painting as it relates to Reid’s personality.
c. van Gogh’s use of colors and brushstrokes
d.van Gogh’s working habits and personality
e. success of the portrait
f. recommendation for someone else to have his portrait painted
by van Gogh.
Web links:
http://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/
www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/van_gogh_vincent.html
Links to images online (some nudity); links to articles and online
image archives
http://ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/gogh/
Assessment:
Prompt: Vincent van Gogh, Post-Impressionist/Expressionist painter
painted many portraits that showed not only the subject of the
painting but the artists relationship to the subject. The student
is to pretend to be Alexander Reid writing to someone who might
be planning to have his or her portrait painted by van Gogh.
Directions:
- Students
will research the portraits of Vincent van Gogh looking for
the person he saw behind the face.
- Students
will study the colors, composition and brushwork.
- Students
will try to determine how van Gogh felt about the subject.
- Students
will research information about van Gogh’s life around
1887.5. Students will write the letter as Alexander Reid.
- A class
critique and later teacher evaluation will assess how effectively
the students looked at the portrait of Alexander Reid and studied
the style of van Gogh and guessed at his personality.
Scoring
Guide
4 -
The student completes the letter-writing project.
The student creates a letter that clearly and correctly discusses
brushwork, color plans, composition, and personality of van Gogh.
The student letter seems to be from a real person.
The student letter is interesting and entertaining to read.
The student follows all directions, and asks questions whenever
uncertain.
The student is an active participant in the class critique, whose
remarks reflect a clear understanding of the project and the critique
as a tool for assessment.
3 -
The student completes the letter-writing project.
The student designs an effective letter that generally reflects
an understanding of the brushwork, color plan, composition and
personality of van Gogh.
The student letter could be from a real person.
The student letter is somewhat interesting and easy to read.
The student follows most directions, and usually asks questions
when uncertain. The student is a good participant in the class
critique, whose remarks generally reflect a good understanding
of the project.
2 -
The student completes a letter-writing project.
The student designs a letter that shows some understanding of
color, brushwork, and composition and of personality displayed
in a portrait.
The letter seems be just an assignment.
The student follows some key directions, and sometimes asks questions
when uncertain.
The student is an adequate participant in the class critique,
but is one who doesn’t usually offer remarks unless called
upon.
The student’s remarks generally reflect an adequate understanding
of the project.
1 -
The student completes letter-writing project.
The student creates a letter that reflects an inadequate understanding
of brushwork, color, composition and personality through painting.
The project reflects a minimum effort on the part of the student.
The student follows a minimum of directions, and tends not to
ask questions when uncertain.
The student is an inadequate participant in the class critique.
The student doesn’t usually offer remarks, and if questioned,
the remarks reflect a minimal understanding of the project.
0 -
Blank, no answer or irrelevant response
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