Lesson for May 21 and 22: Islamic and Buddhist Art

For May 21 and 22, please do the following:

1. Watch my introductory comments below.

2. Watch two videos about Islamic art (here and here) and one video about Buddhist art (here).

3. Answer the questions posted here.

Lesson for May 13 and 14: Renaissance Art Scavenger Hunt

For May 13 and 14, please do the following...

1. Enjoy looking at the beautiful Renaissance paintings below. For each painting, I've included a link that will enable you to examine it more closely (either on Google Arts & Culture or another website).

2. Please answer the scavenger hunt questions about the paintings, here.

Saint Catherine of Alexandria, by Caravaggio (explore the painting here)

The Harvesters, by Pieter Bruegel (explore the painting here)

The Adoration of the Magi, by Botticelli (explore the painting here)

The School of Athens, by Raphael (explore the painting here)

Ginevra de Benci, by Leonardo da Vinci (explore the painting here)

La Primavera, by Botticelli (explore the painting here)

The Creation of Adam, by Michelangelo (explore the painting here)

1. One of the characteristics of Renaissance art is the realistic depiction of human movement. Describe a way that a person is moving in one of the paintings that is especially realistic. Which painting did you choose? Which body part(s) is/are moving? How does the painter make the movement look real?

2. Renaissance artists were known for their use of vivid colors. In this set of paintings, can you find something that is turquoise? What is it? 

(If you are not sure about the definition of "turquoise," please look up the definition before answering this question!)

3. Look at the painting La Primavera. Why does the subject matter of this painting show that it was made during the Renaissance, rather than during the Middle Ages?

(If you cannot figure out the answer for this question, you should review your chart titled "Characteristics of Medieval Versus Renaissance Art," located in Google Drive)

4. How many Romanesque arches are there in The School of Athens?

5. In The Adoration of the Magi, how many animals are there?

6. In La Primavera, what kind of fruit is growing on the trees?

7. Some Renaissance artists believed that the human body is "God's masterpiece." In these paintings, which of the humans do you think is painted best? What are two details about this person that makes him/her especially well-done?

8. Look at the painting The Harvesters. Why does the subject matter of this painting show that it was made during the Renaissance, rather than from the Middle Ages?

9. In the painting by Caravaggio, what do you think Saint Catherine is going to do with her sword?

10. In this set of paintings, can you find a piece of jewelry? Which painting is the jewelry located in, and what kind of jewelry is it?

11. Renaissance artists were known for their use of vivid colors. In this set of paintings, can you find something that is vermilion? What is it?

(If you are not sure about the definition of "vermilion," please look up the definition before answering this question!)

Lesson for May 7 and 8

For May 7 and 8, please do the following...

1. Watch the video posted below.

2. Read about the beginning of the Renaissance, here.

3. Answer the questions about the reading that are posted here.

Your Observations About the Paintings of St. Francis

Sebastian L.: In the medieval painting everything is completely out of proportion, while in the Renaissance painting everything is in proportion.

Porter: St. Francis is the same size as the mountain.

Juliet: In the medieval painting, it looks a little like St. Francis is a giant!

(Fantastic observation by Sebastian, Porter and Juliet -- for an example of the lack of proportion in the medieval painting, look at the closeup showing the tree compared with St. Francis)

Sebastian C.: The painting style of Saint Francis in the Desert is much more realistic than The Stigmatization of Saint Francis. For example, the colors have many more shades to show depth and texture, and every strand of hair has been painted with a single brush stroke.

In my opinion, it looks as if Saint Francis in the Desert shows us what was happening before Saint Francis was stigmatized, and the other painting shows what was happening during the stigmatization. For instance, in Saint Francis in the Desert, if you look very closely, you can see the beginnings of the stigmata on his hands.

(Wow. That is some sophisticated analysis, Sebastian. I love it!)

Henry: The colors on the first picture are much more earthy, unlike the second picture whose colors are incredibly realistic.

Noah: The second painting is very detailed and has the beautiful blue sky and the shapes of all the rocks.

Caroline: In Saint Francis in the Desert, I noticed that St. Francis looks like he is talking to someone, but it doesn’t look like anyone is there. Maybe it has a meaning, like you may not be able to see god but he’s always there.

Durland: In the first painting, you can see the person in the air. In the second painting, you can’t see anyone, but St. Francis is still looking up, and I think there is someone there, even if we can’t see it.

Grace W.: In The Stigmatization of St. Francis, it shows god in the painting. In St. Francis in the Desert, God is not shown in the painting, but it implies that St. Francis is looking at him.

Fantastic point by Caroline, Durland and Grace. Some art historians believe that Bellini (the painter) believed that God manifests himself in nature, which is why Bellini painted the bright light in the portion of the sky where Francis is looking.

 Finally, during a dreary Tuesday, I hope that Chaney's and Alex A.'s beautiful photography will bring some light into your life.

Lesson for May 1 and 4: Paintings of St. Francis

Thank you to Hunter for sharing her beautiful painting of the Greenbrier.

I love the variety of brushstrokes, the mix of colors (the red in the foreground and blue in the background, offset by the gray of the building), and the skillful use of perspective. 

This painting makes me feel calm and content.

For May 1 and 4, please do the following...

1. Watch the two videos, posted below.

2. Read the chart comparing medieval and Renaissance art, then use the chart as you study the paintings of St. Francis. The chart is saved in your Drive and is titled "Characteristics of Medieval and Renaissance Art."

3. Answer the questions about the two paintings. The questions are located at the bottom of the document.