Use your own words to talk about these explanations about art
It is a form of communication. We know it is art by the discussion it generates.
It says something. It's not just pretty. If it transmits a point or message, it is art.
It takes into account our senses. We need to understand the context within which the art has
It reflects society. emerged to understand it.
It gives meaning or new understanding to the world. It makes you think.
It begins inward and moves outward. It is open to interpretation.
It is the spirit of the time. Understanding modern art is like learning a new language,
It's about making statements. except there is no COLLEGE IDIOMAS course.
Contemporary art is the art of our times
Is it or isn't it art? Decide whether the following are examples of art or not. Write down the reasons for your decision.
Examples Art? Criteria
A child builds a ship with 22,000 matches.
A famous art professor places some lard in a corner of the gallery.
Julio Iglesias sings a love song.
A young art student learns the Sheffield telephone directory.
A gorilla paints a picture which is unmistakably of a banana.
A gymnast performs a triple somersault.
A computer produces a three-dimensional drawing.
The chef of a 5 star hotel creates a most delicious new dish.
An American designer creates the shape of the Coca Cola bottle.
A jeweler designs a new ring.
A Spanish bullfighter performs like a master.
An unknown painter makes a perfect copy of a Goya.
Picasso sketches a drawing on a tablecloth in 5 seconds
THIS PAINTING IS…
Questions to prompt looking at an artwork: answers should point back to something seen in the work.
(How do you know? Or What do you see that makes you think this?)
1. What do you see in this (painting, sculpture, etc.)? 5. What feeling do you have after looking
Where do you think this is? What kind of place? carefully at this painting? What gives you that feeling?
What are the people in this painting doing? 6. Have you experienced anything like what is going on in this painting?
2. What colors are used? How does the color express a feeling or What? Where? When? How did you feel about it? Does this painting have
meaning? the same feeling?
3. How do the values of the colors express meaning? 7. Do you like it? Why?
4. Is there repetition of line or shape or color? What effect does this have?
COLLEGE IDIOMAS – Rua Santa Rita, 363 – Centro – Tel.: 3216-4744 – [email protected]
The Mona Lisa
What’s the big deal?
I must admit that the actual painting, at first look, is quite unimpressive; not because of the quality of the work
but because it does not stand up to its perceived image of magnificence. The “Oh my God!” effect is missing.
At first glance, it looks like all the other paintings in the Louvre, all wonderfully painted by great masters.
So what’s the reason behind Mona Lisa’s fame? What makes it so special compared to the other famous
works? Why were 1.6 million people thronging to see it when it was displayed in New York? Why was every
viewer only provided 10 seconds to view it in Tokyo?
The technique
Leonardo Da Vinci used a number of unique and innovative techniques to paint this picture. The painting
redefined the rules of contemporary art at the time and the techniques used by him became an integral part of
the art school curriculum. Da Vinci used techniques which were unknown at the time (16th century). He
invented the “sfumato” technique which translated means ‘without lines or borders, in the manner of smoke’.
The use of this technique caught the interest of the art circle in Paris and was hailed as an innovation in
painting.
There were many other unique characteristics in the Mona Lisa that intrigued the art community and the
viewers like the landscapes (mountains and rivers) in the background. A portrait was usually drawn with the
background being the open sky, a monotone background or a room. The background was also queer due to
the dimensions of the mountains.
However, the above uniqueness of the painting can only be recognized by people in the know or by people
who have studied the painting; this still doesn’t explain why everybody in the world wants to see it.
The smile
One of the commonly cited reasons for her fame is the ‘Mona Lisa’s Smile’. Da Vinci exploited human
optical illusion to create a unique smile through perspective and by using shadow work. Da Vinci painted
Mona Lisa in such a way that the eyes are the center of the viewer’s attention and the mouth is the periphery.
His sfumato technique ensured that both the eyes and the mouth were prominent features. When the viewer
looks at the eyes, the mouth falls under the viewer’s peripheral vision and therefore the features of the
mouth are not clear, this along with a little shading at the cheek bones make the mouth look like a smile. But once the viewer focuses on the
mouth (smile), the smile slowly disappears, as it was not meant to be a smile. That’s the magic of Leonardo’s skill and that’s what made the
Mona Lisa unique compared to other grand paintings. The facial expression gives the painting an enigmatic look, leaving the viewer to wonder
what the model was thinking, who she actually was and why does she seems happy to some and appear sad to others.
The Provenance
Da Vinci started painting the Mona Lisa in 1503 and he worked on it for four years.
The Mona Lisa was always displayed in a place of importance. It was publicly displayed in the Fontainebleau, Francois I favorite château in
1519. In 1800, the Mona Lisa was hung in Napoleon’s bedroom and in 4 years it was moved to the Louvre, which is still its home.
DISCUSSION
Define 'artist'?
What do you think of the Mona Lisa?
Why do so many people like the Mona Lisa?
Why are some people good at art and others not?
Do you like modern art?
What do you think of the idea of an upside-down toilet being worth three million dollars?
Do you prefer modern art of older art?
Do you think everyday things can be elevated into works of art?
Do you think the world has gone crazy when people pay huge sums of money for old toilets while
people in Africa starve?
WHY ART IS GOOD: Complete this table with your partner(s) and share what you wrote.
Art… How? My experience of this
encourages creativity
teaches problem solving
develops the whole brain
builds community
utilizes all senses
can make you rich
ART: Students A strongly believe art is an important school subject; Students B strongly
believe not. Brainstorm arguments to defend your point of view.
COLLEGE IDIOMAS – Rua Santa Rita, 363 – Centro – Tel.: 3216-4744 – [email protected]
ART OPINIONS: Do you agree with these opinions on art? Discuss them with your partner(s).
Modern art is not real art. Everyone is an artist.
An upside down toilet is not a work of art. Real art is paintings by Renoir and Picasso.
THE ARTS: What kind of art do you like most? Rank from 1 to 8 (1 being your favorite)
painting architecture literature animation
opera ballet photography culinary art
______________________________________________________________________________________________
10. YOU ARE THE MODEL
You are going to pose for an artist that will portray you in everyday situations.
Choose your pose and tell your classmates why you’d pose that way.
11. YOU DO THE PAINTING
You will listen to a description of a landscape. Try to draw according to the instructions that
you get. Also, don’t forget your own style and nail it!
12. HOMEWORK
PHOTOGRAPHER: Use a digital camera (or your cellphone) and take an artistic picture of something you see during the week that inspires you.
It can be an object, an animal, a landscape, a friend, the sky, etc. Send it to this email [email protected]. Be prepared to explain why
you took the picture and why it inspired you.
Vincent (Starry, Starry Night) – Don McLean
Starry, starry night And how you suffered for your sanity
Paint your palette blue And how you tried to set them free
and gray
They would not listen, they did not know how
Look out on a summer's
Perhaps they'll listen now
day
With eyes that know the For they could not love you
darkness in my soul But still your love was true
And when no hope was left in sight
Shadows on the hills
On that starry, starry night
Sketch the trees and the daffodils
You took your life, as lovers often do
Catch the breeze and the winter chills
But I could've told you Vincent
In colors on the snowy linen land
This world was never meant for
Now I understand One as beautiful as you
What you tried to say to me
Starry, starry night
And how you suffered for your sanity
Portraits hung in empty halls
And how you tried to set them free
Frame-less heads on nameless walls
They would not listen, they did not know how With eyes that watch the world and can't forget
Perhaps they'll listen now
Like the strangers that you've met
Starry, starry night The ragged men in ragged clothes
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze The silver thorn of bloody rose
Swirling clouds in violet haze Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow
Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue
Now I think I know
Colors changing hue What you tried to say to me
Morning fields of amber grain And how you suffered for your sanity
Weathered faces lined in pain And how you tried to set them free
Are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand
They would not listen, they're not listening still
Now I understand Perhaps they never will
What you tried to say to me
COLLEGE IDIOMAS- Rua Santa Rita, 363 – Centro – Tel.: 3216-4744 [email protected]
POSITIVE
blissful clever ecstatic friendly
brave concentrating excited glad
careful confident fair good
cautious curious fantastic great
happy to be in love, lovestruck to be pleased serious
honest meditative to be proud of surprised
innocent nice quiet wonderful
interesting optimistic satisfied
joyful pleasant sensible
negative
angry disgusted indifferent shocked
annoyed enraged idiotic sheepish
aggressive exhausted to be jealous of sb silly
agonized frightened lonely smug
arrogant frustrated lovesick sorry
awful grieving mad strange
bad guilty mischievous suspicious
bored helpless miserable stupid
confused horrified nasty terrible
crazy hangover nervous upset
disappointed hurt puzzled
disbelieving hysterical sad
STARRY STARRY NIGHT
Like “American Pie,” the singer-songwriter’s 1971 tribute to Vincent Van Gogh was a big chart-topping
success. The ditty alternates between obvious visual cues — “Flaming flowers that brightly
blaze/Swirling clouds in violet haze” — and odd appropriation of the artist’s intense mental trauma —
“How I understand what you tried to say to me” and “But I could have told you, Vincent/This world
was never meant for one/As beautiful as you.” It’s all somewhere just between sweet and saccharine,
empathetic and narcissistic.
The Mona Lisa – what’s the big deal?
A desultory conversation with my cousin, led us to the subject of art. He
said, “What’s the big deal in the Mona Lisa? Why would anyone pay tons
of money for it?” Well, I did manage to give him a prosaic answer, which
didn’t convince me either.
I must admit that the actual painting, at first look, is quite unimpressive;
not because of the quality of the work but because it does not stand up to
its perceived image of magnificence. The “Oh my God!” effect is missing.
At first glance, it looks like all the other paintings in the Louvre, all
wonderfully painted by great masters.
So what’s the reason behind Mona Lisa’s fame? What makes it so special
compared to the other famous works? Why were 1.6 million people
thronging to see it when it was displayed in New York? Why was every
viewer only provided 10 seconds to view it in Tokyo?
Here’s my endeavor to explain it in simple terms… the reasons:
The technique
Leonardo Da Vinci used a number of unique and innovative techniques to
paint this picture. The painting redefined the rules of contemporary art at
the time and the techniques used by him became an integral part of the
art school curriculum. Da Vinci used techniques which were unknown at
the time (16th century). He invented the “sfumato” technique which
translated means ‘without lines or borders, in the manner of smoke’. It
was the norm at the time for artists to proceed from an outline, whereas Da Vinci did not have an outline
but used different tones / shades of paint to create an illusion of light and shadow. Starting with dark
undertones he built the illusion of three-dimensional features through layers and layers of thin semi-
transparent glazes. He used darker shades to highlight features and borders of the subject. The use of this
technique caught the interest of the art circle in Paris and was hailed as an innovation in painting.
There were many other unique characteristics in the Mona Lisa that intrigued the art community and the
viewers like the landscapes (mountains and rivers) in the background. A potrait was usually drawn with the
background being the open sky, a montone background or a room. The background was also queer due to
the dimensions of the mountains.
However, the above uniqueness of the painting can only be recognized by people in the know or by people
who have studied the painting; this still doesn’t explain why everybody in the world wants to see it.
The smile
One of the commonly cited reasons for her fame is the ‘Mona Lisa’s Smile’. Da Vinci exploited human
optimcal illusion to create a unique smile through perspective and by using shadow work. Da Vinci painted
Mona Lisa in such a way that the eyes are the center of the viewer’s attention and the mouth is the
periphery. His sfumato technique ensured that both the eyes and the mouth were prominent features.
When the viewer looks at the eyes, the mouth falls under the viewer’s peripheral vision and therefore the
features of the mouth are not clear, this along with a little shading at the cheek bones make the mouth look
like a smile. But once the viewer focuses on the mouth (smile), the smile slowly disappers, as it was
not meant to be a smile. That’s the magic of Leonardo’s skill and that’s what made the Mona Lisa unique
compared to other grand paintings. There are various interpretations of the smile, some say it is a happy
smile, some find it deceptive while others perceive it as a sad smile. The mysterious smile has also given
rise to various speculations on who the subject was. The facial expression gives the painting an enigmatic
look, leaving the viewer to wonder what the model was thinking, who she actually was and why does she
seems happy to some and appear sad to others.
The glamour
Da Vinci’s was said to be an interesting character himself, being an inventor, artist and scientist. In his hey
days and under the patronage of Francois I he managed to create an aura of a celebrity around himself. His
fame rubbed off on the Mona Lisa which was also favoured by Francois I his patron. One must know that,
there are only 20 finished canvas paintings done by Da Vinci during his lifetime, increasing Mona Lisa’s
rarity.
The fact that it was stolen in the early years of the 20th century added to its fame. Artists like Ducham, Dali
and Warhol publicized the painting further through their different reproductions. The painting has been used
as an object for mass reproduction, merchandising, lampooning and speculation, and was reproduced in 300
paintings and 2,000 advertisements.
The Provenance
Da Vinci started painting the Mona Lisa in 1503 and he worked on it for four years. The subject of the
paintings is popularly believed to be the wife of a wealthy Florentine silk merchant Francesco del Giocondo.
The painting was commissioned for their new home and to celebrate the birth of their second son, Andrea.
The subject is Lisa del Gioncondo. In those days, in Italy, Mona meant Madonna, this was how all women
were addressed (like Mrs.) and therefore the name Mona Lisa. The Mona Lisa is also called La Jaconde.
There are other controversial versions as to who the subject of the painting is.
The Mona Lisa was always displayed in a place of importance. It was publicly displayed in the Fontainebleau,
Francois I favourite château in 1519. In 1800, the Mona Lisa was hung in Napolean’s bedroom and in 4
years it was moved to the Louvre, which is still its home.
Other controversies
There are rumours of hidden secrets and symbols within the painting.
Academicians have found evidence of various (hidden) layers of paintings within the Mona Lisa. Scholars are
said to have, identified at least four different paintings as the Mona Lisa and several people as its subject.
Da Vinci is supposed to have painted Mona Lisa in his own likeness, as a female Da Vinci
Conclusion
The Mona Lisa is undoubtedly the most talked about painting. The above history of the painting explains
most of it, but what keeps the painting in the lime light is the fact that Da Vinci’s life itself was full of
controversies and mysteries which are still being revealed. The Mona Lisa too is being constantly studied by
artists and academicians to discover the apparent mystery that shrouds the painting. Its reputation as a
carrier of symbols, secrets and other unknown mysteries will keep the infamy of the Mona Lisa going for a
long time.
Well I hope the above sheds some light on “what the big deal is about the Mona Lisa”
Sideline issues – Value of the painting
Before the 1962–3 tour, the painting was assessed, for insurance purposes, as valued at $100 million. As an
expensive painting, it has only recently been surpassed, in terms of actual dollar price, by three other
paintings: the Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I by Gustav Klimt, which was sold for $135 million, the
Woman III by Willem de Kooning sold for $138 million in November 2006, and No. 5, 1948 by Jackson
Pollock sold for a record $140 million on in November 2006. Although these figures are greater than the
1962 figure which the Mona Lisa was valued at, the comparison does not account for the change in prices
due to inflation – $100 million in 1962 is approximately $700 million in 2009 when adjusted for inflation
using the US Consumer Price Index
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANA8SI_KvqI – modern art
The Starry Night, 1889 CURIOUS PAINTING BY AKAKI GACHECHILADZE
By: Vincent van Gogh
Considered to be the best and most famous work of Vincent van
Gogh, The Starry Night was created from memory and portrays the
sight outside the window of his sanitarium room at night.
The Scream, 1893 No. 5, 1948, 1948
By: Edvard Munch By: Jackson Pollock
In a series of paintings No. 5, 1948 was done on an 8 feet by 4 feet
reproduced with various sheet of fiberboard, splattered with brown
media known as Scream, and yellow paint to give a nest-like
Edvard Munch conveys an appearance. The painting is supposedly
extremely anxious and abstract; the exquisiteness of how such a
trembling person standing painting became so famous would most
at the fenced edge of a likely be misunderstood by many people.
road. The scene was
identified as the view from
a road overlooking Oslo,
Norway
Aphrodite of Milos – Also known as
The Kiss (French: Le Baiser) Venus de Milo, this ancient Greek
is an 1845 sculpture by the statue was created sometime between
French sculptor Auguste 130 and 100 BC, and is believed to
Rodin. depict Aphrodite – the goddess of love
It is known as one of art’s and beauty. Made of marble, the statue
most popular images of is 203 cm in height and is believed to be
sexual love, but Auguste the work of Alexandros of Antioch.
Rodin’s sculpture of two Unfortunately, the arms and original
lovers has a tangled – and plinth were lost. The statue is yet
controversial – history, another big attraction of the Louvre
museum in Paris
