amille Pissarro, Self-Portrait, 1897-1898; il on canvas; 20 7/8 x 12 in. (53 x 31 cm);
Dallas Museum of Art, The Wendy and Emery Reves Collection,
1985.R.44
AT THE MUSEUM OF ART
ed by Ken Kelsey, Gail Davitt, Carolyn Johnson, iane McClure, and Catherine Proctor
is provided by Merrill Lynch and The Dallas Morning News. es is the official carrier for the exhibition.
um of Art. All rights reserved. Use with permission.
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DEAR TEACHER: The Reves Collection is a resource guide for viewing art at the elementary and secondary student level. The materials are written in the form of dialogues, and are planned to aid both teacher and student as they explore individual objects and build a more personal connection to the decorative and fine artworks in the Reves Collection at the Dallas Museum of Art.
This packet includes: 1. 13 ARTWORKS 2. A BIOGRAPHY of the Collectors, Wendy and Emery Reves 3. An INTRODUCTION 4. 13 OBJECT SHEETS (1 for each ARTWORK) 5. ACTIVITIES for Art, Language Arts, Social Studies, & Math/Science 6. A GLOSSARY 7. A BIBLIOGRAPHY 8. List of TEKS Addressed in these Teaching Materials 9. Two EVALUATION SHEETS (1 for this Teaching Packet & 1 for the Tour).
_________________________________________________________ The printing in these materials has been manipulated in several ways.
• The titles of individual artworks are italicized and bolded. For example, the title of the first artwork/object sheet is set of casters. Foreign words are in plain italics. • A pronunciation guide for selected names and words is marked by bolded parentheses. For example, Claude Monet (klohd moan-AY). • Certain questions and sentences are bolded for emphasis. For example, in the first object sheet on the set of casters, these statements are made:
5. You have investigated the casters. Why would a 19th-century person want these casters on his or her table? (The casters could be used to serve expensive spices and sugar at important dinners. The silver casters would show guests that the person could afford costly things. Since the casters are special objects from the past, they could tell something about the owner's tastes or values.)
• A variety of possible student/reader responses to the questions asked in the text have been placed in regular parentheses. • The first mention of a GLOSSARY word during the discussion and questions is underlined. For example, during the discussion of the set of casters, the special term Britannia standard silver is underlined because it is also listed in the GLOSSARY.
These changes were made to call visual attention to certain parts of the text. It is hoped the result will be helpful. Please share your reaction on the EVALUATION SHEET.
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BIOGRAPHY OF THE COLLECTORS Page 1 of 2
Emery Reves As Collector
Emery Reves (1904-1981) began collecting important paintings for the series of hotel suites in which he lived before the acquisition of Villa La Pausa in 1953. As a multilingual eastern European, Reves was as cosmopolitan as any European of his generation. He was fluent in English, French, and German and could function in a half-dozen other languages. His quick mind, interest in people, and thorough research skills, derived from rigorous German university training, enabled him single-handedly to develop a network of journalists and experts that led to the creation in 1930 of the first viable wire service in Europe, the Cooperation Press Service. Reves believed passionately in the importance of high culture and was keenly interested in and knowledgeable about the visual arts. Unlike many collectors of the mid-20th century, he developed a major research library and consulted scores of important scholars and dealers in his search for significant works of art. Once works were acquired, Reves continually sought new information on his acquisitions and typically lent them to important exhibitions to promote scholarship. With the assistance of Wendy Reves, Emery Reves assembled an exceptional array of paintings, drawings, and sculpture. There are, of course, the masterpieces--the Renoirs, the Gauguins, the Vlaminck, the late Manet still lifes, the Degas pastels, and the great works on paper by Cézanne, van Gogh, and Toulouse-Lautrec. And in the midst of these glories--works that would be hung in any museum in the world--there are wonderful discoveries that show that the Reveses were interested in a whole range of artworks: in drawings as well as paintings, in the perfectly resolved painting that is not quite typical of the artist, and in the unusual painting that sums up an artist.
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BIOGRAPHY OF THE COLLECTORS Page 2 of 2
Wendy Russell Reves As Collector
Born in Marshall, Texas, Wendy Russell became famous as a fashion model in the 1940s. By the time she met Emery Reves in 1945, Russell had built a financially successful fashion rental firm called Wardrobe Service. Although she had always appreciated art, her drive and ambition were initially directed toward her career in fashion. This changed in 1949, when Russell traveled to Europe on modeling assignments. Through her own contacts and those of Emery Reves,Wendy Russell was exposed to the highest levels of Western art and culture. Ever inquisitive, she learned everything she could about this new world. By the time the couple purchased Villa La Pausa in 1953, Wendy Russell was well versed in fine arts and was developing a growing appreciation for the decorative arts. In the years following, she became a connoisseur in various fields. Working with her husband, she brought to Villa La Pausa important decorative arts collections, including significant examples of European picture frames and glass, Spanish rugs, French fans and furniture, Chinese export porcelain, and English silver. The works shown in these galleries are examples of the finest decorative art objects in the Reves Collection.
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INTRODUCTION
The Reves Collection These teaching materials accompany the special exhibitiofrom the Wendy and Emery Reves Collection, which focuspart of the permanent Reves Collection at the Dallas Museopportunity to take a closer look at the masterpieces fromexhibition ends, all of the works of art will return to their Villa La Pausa, the Riviera home of Wendy and Emery Rbe used not only at the time of this special exhibition, but wish to investigate the rich legacy of the Reves Collection
The Reves Collection brings together impressionist paintiMonet, sculptures by Auguste Rodin and Paul Gauguin, aand Vincent van Gogh. These great works of art were all in France. The fine arts are accompanied by outstanding eobjects, Chinese export porcelain, Spanish carpets, and eldecorative arts objects were made in the 17th and 18th cencentury Europeans treasured and collected. Together, thispossible to experience at first hand objects that played sucand social lives of 19th-century Europeans. The 19th century was an extremely significant period isocial, and industrial revolutions. The changes that occurtransformation from the centuries-old world of religious-bagricultural production into the modern world of heavily pmechanized transportation, and scientific thought. In sho19th-century life gave birth to our own contemporary worimportant, the 19th century grows increasingly unfamiliarbeginning of the 21st century. Fortunately, important objCollection, can connect us to 19th-century goals, values, l
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Vincent van Gogh, Sheaves of Wheat, 1890; Oil on canvas; 19 7/8 x 39 3/4 in. (50.5 x 101 cm); Dallas Museum of Art, The Wendy and Emery Reves Collection, 1985.R.80
n Impressions from the Riviera: Masterpieces es on decorative and fine art objects that are um of Art. The special exhibition is an
this spectacular collection. After the special permanent home in the DMA's re-creation of eves. Therefore, these teaching materials can also at any time that students and viewers .
ngs by Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Claude nd post-impressionist works by Paul Cézanne made during the last part of the 19th century xamples of decorative arts, including silver
aborate French furniture. Most of these turies; however, they were objects that 19th- collection of fine and decorative arts makes it h an important role in the intellectual, artistic,
n history. It was a time of political, economic, red during these decades brought about a ased monarchies that were closely tied to opulated urban areas, industrial production,
rt, the transformations that so radically altered ld. Although this period of change is very for people today as they contemplate the ects, such as those found in the Reves ife, and people.
Page 2 How can works of art inform us about other times? In the first place, the drawings and paintings in the Reves Collection show us 19th-century people and places. As we investigate Claude Monet's The Pont Neuf, we see umbrella-holding pedestrians and horse-drawn carriages, and we begin to experience what a rainy day in a bustling Paris of the 1870s might be like. On one level, these works of art show us clothing, body language, activities, objects, and settings that tell us a great deal about 19th-century European life. On another level, these same works of art connect us to feelings and values and move us with their beauty. Works of art inform us on many levels. The works of art in this collection can tell us about the sophisticated life of European cities, especially Paris. This city changed radically between 1850 and 1870; and in many ways, the changes in the city of Paris illustrate the changes of the 19th century. At the charge of Napoleon III, the ruler of Second Empire France (lasting from 1852 to 1870), Baron Georges Haussmann transformed the city by improving sanitation facilities, public utilities, and city transportation. Perhaps most significantly, he directed the layout of boulevards that connected the city and opened up grand vistas that culminated in impressive public monuments and buildings. Critics charged that modernization ruined entire sections of the historic city and that the changes were made simply to facilitate the movement of troops and to increase the spending of the growing bourgeoisie (boor-zhwah-zee), or French middle class. Nevertheless, these changes transformed Paris into a model of modern urban planning and one of the world's most beautiful cities. Life in the city is a primary theme of the artworks in the Reves Collection. Although not in this teaching packet, Aria after a Ballet by Edgar Degas is in the exhibition, and it shows the kind of nightlife that many Parisians enjoyed. Going to the opera was an important event, especially if it was taking place in the grand and opulent new opera house that was designed by Charles Garnier and placed at the culminating focal point of a series of wide and impressive new boulevards in Paris. Although set in a much smaller city, Cafe Terrace at Night by Vincent van Gogh pictures city people passing an evening in conversation as a slow-moving carriage passes by. In addition to these scenes, beautiful pieces of furniture also tell us a great deal about 19th-century values and taste. For example, a papier-mâché side chair speaks of sophisticated, city tastes and innovative developments in furniture construction Just as with the city, the countryside around Paris and the other growing cities of Europe changed significantly during the 19th century. Smokestacks of steam-powered factories began to appear in landscapes whose highest points had formerly been poplar trees. Metal-trussed bridges marked new transportation routes. Commercial wharves and shipping routes competed with the much older occupation of sea fishing. Railway routes began networking through the countryside, connecting markets, resources, and factories. Perhaps most importantly, human population expanded dramatically. The countryside was transformed into the suburbs, and city-dwellers began to enjoy scenic vacations around different parts of the landscape.
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Page 3 Life in the country is another of the themes in the Reves Collection's works of art. A motorized barge travels along the Seine River to the important port of Le Havre in a watercolor entitled Rouen by Johan Barthold Jongkind. The impressionist artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir captures the sensations of light and atmosphere in The Duck Pond, a painting that might represent perfectly a Parisian's weekend outside the city at fashionable Argenteuil. The 19th century was also a time of great change for artists. In a world no longer ruled by great princes or church lords, artists adjusted to the free market of buying and selling art. Some artists maintained close ties to traditional values, but others ventured out on their own. For example, the Impressionists initially outraged critics and audiences alike; however, they eventually won popular appreciation and support. Technology provided a new means of image-making that would have a profound effect upon artists. Although photography was not seen as an art form, the abruptly cropped, minutely detailed images it captured quickly influenced 19th-century art. In addition, as European powers created colonial empires, foreign art became available in the form of trade items that entered Europe. Artists searching for newer, nontraditional ways of making art suddenly encountered very different methods of constructing pictures and sculptures. The Reves Collection provides a wonderful opportunity to investigate 19th-century artists, their family and friends, and the goals they set for themselves. A foggy cityscape of Paris hangs near to Self-Portrait by the same artist, Camille Pissarro. In addition, the self-portrait and the cityscape are accompanied by a drawing of Pissarro by his friend and fellow impressionist, Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Together, the three works provide a rare chance to investigate an artist's work, the way he pictured himself, and the way that he was seen by his friends. In another area, innovative compositions by Edouard Manet and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec are displayed not far from the kind of foreign imagery, such as that seen on a Chinese charger, that 19th-century European artists found so intriguing. "Artists," "the country," and "the city" are all important themes in19th-century life and art, and each can be pursued by engaging with the objects in the Reves Collection. The paintings, pieces of furniture, and other objects have multiple layers of meaning that can be opened by looking, analyzing, and thinking. The Reves Collection invites us to experience richly a world that was so like, and at the same time, so different than our own.
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Set of casters Thomas Tearle, London, England, 1719 Britannia standard silver 6 1/2 x 2 3/4 in. (16.5 x 7 cm) (larger); 5 3/4 in. x 2 3/8 in. (14.6 x 6 cm) (smaller) Dallas Museum of Art, The Wendy and Emery Reves Collection, 1985.R.549-551 Decorative Arts Highlights from the Wendy and Emery Reves Collection, p. 21 Throughout Europe, silver utensils for dining were traditionally a sign of wealth and aristocratic status. During the 19th century, changes in politics, technology, and society began to break down old class barriers. However, many people were still eager to show that they appreciated quality objects made in an earlier time. For these 19th-century Europeans, beautiful silver tableware continued to symbolize wealth, social position, and the ability to participate in the elaborate rituals of etiquette associated with dining. 1. Look closely at these three objects. Are they all the same? Explain your answer. (Yes, in general they are the same because they all have the same shape and type of decoration. No, they are different. They are not the same size, and the patterns on the top do not repeat exactly.) 2. These objects are casters. Casters were used to sprinkle spices or sugar onto food at the table. Unlike today, salt was served in a small open dish or container called a trencher. Imagine seeing these objects on an elaborate dining table. How could these objects be used to sprinkle spices or sugar onto food? (They work like modern salt and pepper shakers. The spices or sugar probably come out the fancy holes in the caps.) From the 16th to the19th century, spices and sugar were very expensive in Europe. Because of changes in transportation and commerce, spices and sugar became commonplace at the beginning of the 20th century, and casters were no longer commonly used for spices. 3. Each of these casters is made of Britannia standard silver. This special term means that the metal is at least 95.8% pure silver. What part of the decoration do you like best? Explain your answer. (Students might like the shapes because they are so complex, the caps because they have all those fancy holes in them, the middle sections because they have pictures with birds in them.) Silversmith Thomas Tearle used a number of difficult processes to make these casters. The octagonal shape of each caster was made by soldering together flat panels of silver. The fancy holes in the cap were made with a drill and a jeweler's saw. The pictures were engraved, or cut into, the surface of the metal. 4. The picture engraved on the caster is a coat of arms. Notice that the coat of arms is cut in half by a vertical line and surrounded by an elaborate frame. A coat of arms is a symbol that represents a particular family. The husband's symbol is on the left, and the wife's is on the right. Scholars have not identified the husband's family, but the wife belonged to the Payne family of Petworth, Sussex county, England. 5. You have investigated the casters. Why would a 19th-century person want these casters on his or her table? (The casters could be used to serve expensive spices and sugar at important dinners. The silver casters would show guests that the person could afford costly things. Since the casters are special objects from the past, they could tell something about the owner's tastes or values.)
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"The Card Game" Fan France, c. 1740-1750 Skin, gouache, paint, and ivory 11 x 20 1/4 in. (27.9 x 51.4 cm) Dallas Museum of Art, The Wendy and Emery Reves Collection, 1985.R.494 Decorative Arts Highlights from the Wendy and Emery Reves Collection, p. 39 For modern Europeans, the fashion for fans began in 16th-century Italy and soon spread to all the courts of Europe. Folding fans were an import from the East. Fans did help to cool down the often overdressed aristocrats, but it was the social uses of fans that made these objects so popular. Fans could be used for conspicuous display, to flirt, in parlor games, and to communicate nonverbally. For example, covering the left ear with an open fan meant: "Do not betray our secret," and twirling a fan in the left hand meant: "We are watched" (Bennett, p. 11). Fans, especially treasured examples like "The Card Game" fan, remained popular in 19th-century Europe. 1. How are folded fans life this one used? (A person holds the fan at the bottom and fans him or herself. This fan is open; it could be closed by folding it back together.) 2. Fans are made of numerous parts. Find the "fan leaf," the "sticks," and the "guards" of this fan. (The "fan leaf" is where the large pictures are painted. The "fan leaf" connects the "sticks" together at the top. All of the "sticks" are connected together, one on top of the other, at the bottom. The extra heavy sticks at each end of the fan are the "guards." The "guards" also cover and protect the painted part of the fan when it is closed.) 3. Why do you think this is titled "The Card Game" fan ? (There is a picture of some people playing cards in the center of the fan. Maybe this fan was used during card games.) Look carefully at the room where the card game is being played. What else do you see in the central picture? (There is a fireplace in the background and a musical instrument leaning against a stool on the right. One woman is reading, and another one is playing with cats. Other people are standing around watching the card game. The men wear hats.) Although smaller, the pictures on either side of the card game show children playing in the countryside. 4. The "sticks" and "guards" of this fan were very carefully carved from ivory and decorated with some painting. What pictures do you see on the "sticks"? (There are some people who may be sitting in a garden. There are a lot of curving and plantlike decorations on these sticks.) 5. You have carefully investigated this fan. What makes "The Card Game" fan special? (The fan is decorated with carefully painted scenes. The fan is made of precious materials like ivory that had to be carved. This fan is very showy and must have been impressive when it was used.) Why would a 19th-century Parisian want a French fan made a hundred years earlier? (Maybe it was a family heirloom. Perhaps the person wanted to act like a noble at the court of a king. Maybe the person wanted to show that she or he liked old, beautifully made things. Maybe the person wanted to save the object for someone.)
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Cabinet-on-stand Probably Pierre Gole (pee-AIR GOAL, French cabinetmaker, c. 1620-1684), Paris, France, c. 1660-1680 Wood, tortoiseshell, ivory, shell, and gilt bronze 68 1/4 x 49 ½ x 17 in (173.4 x 125.7 x 43.2 cm) Dallas Museum of Art, The Wendy and Emery Reves Collection, 1985.R.573.a-c Decorative Arts Highlights from the Wendy and Emery Reves Collection, p. 49 This elaborate, lavishly decorated cabinet-on-stand is an example of a "collector's" cabinet. "Collector's" cabinets served two purposes. They were not only impressive pieces of furniture, but also safe places to store and display objects of various types, such as ancient coins, shells, gems, or other collectibles. This specialized type of furniture was first created in Italy during the early 17th century and soon appeared in the opulent homes of the French king and his nobles. The private tradition of collecting extraordinary objects, whether works of art or scientific specimens, would lead in the 19th century to the creation of large museums housing public collections. 1. This is a 300-year-old piece of furniture from France. What pieces of furniture do you have in your house that are similar to this object? (Answers may include a dresser or a chest of drawers.) How are they alike? (They both have drawers. Things are kept in them. You can also put things on top of them. Both may have legs.) How are they different? (This chest is very fancy and has a great deal of decoration. This object has lots of small drawers and a little doorway in the middle with a statue.) 2. This cabinet is made of two parts, a chest of drawers on the top and a stand with legs below. Look carefully at the top part. Is the decoration "square and geometric" or "curving and plantlike"? Defend your answer. (Students can point to examples of both types, and they may decide the decoration is a combination of both.) Keep looking at the top part. Where is the focus, or most important part, of the decoration? Explain your answer. (The focus is on the "front of the building" topped with a triangle because it is placed front and center. The focus is on the statue because it is round, and it is placed in a little doorway. Some might say the flowers on the end of the cabinet because they are bigger.) Each part of the curving flowers on the white background is a separate piece of wood. The white background is ivory. Now look at the stand with legs. What is most special about the stand, and why? (Answers may include the columns because they look like architecture, the decoration on the columns because they look like gold, or the flower panels because they connect to the chest.) Notice that both the chest of drawers on the top and the stand with legs below look speckled. When you get to the Museum, look closely at these specks. Each is a small piece of mother-of-pearl, the shiny interior of shells, which is sealed to the surface. These shiny, iridescent pieces of shell make the surface sparkle with reflected light. 3. This cabinet was made of costly materials, and it took a long time to make. Also notice the many keyholes. What do you think this cabinet was used for? Explain your answer. (It was used to store important things because it has lots of drawers, and they could be locked. Since it is so fancy, it could be used to show off things set on the bottom shelf or on the flat top.) This object is called a "collector's" cabinet. What things could a French king or queen collect and store in a cabinet like this? (Answers could include jewelry, gems, antique coins, small artworks, shells, documents, drawings, prints, insect specimens, maps, mementos, botanical drawings, medals, or religious objects.)
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Side chair Probably Birmingham or Wolverhampton, England, c. 1830-1860 Papier-mâché, wood, varnish, cane, lacquer, paint, mother-of-pearl, and gilding 34 1/2 x 24 1/2 x 28 in. (87.6 x 62.2 x 71.7 cm) Dallas Museum of Art, The Wendy and Emery Reves Collection, 1985.R.633 Decorative Arts Highlights from the Wendy and Emery Reves Collection, p. 54 During the 19th century, English craftspeople and manufacturers began using papier-mâché to make a special kind of furniture. Before this time, papier-mâché was used only for boxes and small decorative articles shaped in molds. The English inventor Henry Clay transformed the process of making papier-mâché by gluing together sheets of paper over a wooden or metal form. The form gave support, and the papier-mâché provided a surface that could be elaborately shaped, painted, inlaid, and lacquered. Although it looks very "Victorian" and ornate to modern eyes, this side chair is typical of many 19th-century developments in that it looks traditional or old-fashioned, but it is made with innovative technologies. 1. Imagine you are sitting in a comfortable chair. What makes a chair comfortable? (Students may mention the shape, texture, height of the back or arms, height above the floor, or firmness.) Look at this chair. Do you think this side chair would be comfortable? Explain why or why not. (Yes, it would be comfortable because the back looks wide and curved. No, it would not because the arms are too low.) A side chair is a straight-backed chair without arms that is often a part of a dining room set. 2. Look for lines in this chair. Lines outline the form of the chair; lines of flowers form garlands at the top of the chair; and lines in the seat form a support to sit on. Think of adjectives that describe the lines in this chair. (Adjectives might include snaky, rounded, circular, waving, or plantlike for the form; looping, graceful, regular, rhythmic, or curved for the garlands; criss-crossed, geometric, gridlike, or meshed for the seat.) 3. What is the most elaborate part of this chair? (Students may say the back of the chair, the decoration, or the legs.) The back of this chair has a complex outline and a curved back that would conform to a person. This flared back would have been very difficult to create out of solid wood. Instead, it was made of papier-mâché. This chair back was created by first gluing together sheets of paper over a curved support and then cutting, smoothing, and decorating the papier-mâché. What makes the decoration stand out on this chair? (The flowers are lighter than the black chair. The flowers look shiny.) The golden leaves are thin layers of gold. The flowers are made of mother-of-pearl that is inlaid into the surface. Mother-of-pearl is the pearly internal layer of certain mollusk shells and is often used for decoration. The front legs on this chair are called cabriole because they curve like this one. A cabriole furniture leg can end in a club, hoof, bun, paw, or claw-and-ball. The word cabriole means goatlike. Do these front legs look like those of an animal? (Answers may vary.) 4. Do you think this kind of furniture was designed for daily use or for prestige? Explain your answer. (It was designed more for prestige because it was decorated with mother-of-pearl and gold; it took a long time to shape and decorate the papier-mâché; and it must have been expensive to make. It could also have been designed with use in mind. The back was shaped to fit a person, and the chair was supposed to be attractive.)
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Charger Page 1 of 2 Jingdezhen (ging-day-shin), China, Qing (ching) dynasty (1644-1912), c. 1700-1720 Enameled porcelain 4 x 24 1/16 in. (10.2 x 61.11 cm) Dallas Museum of Art, The Wendy and Emery Reves Collection, 1985.R.1060 Decorative Arts Highlights from the Wendy and Emery Reves Collection, p. 95 The Portuguese were the first Europeans to import Chinese porcelain objects. The trade in these luxury objects began in the late 16th century and continues today. Porcelain is a highly refined, nonporous, glasslike, translucent ceramic that can be decorated with brilliant glazes. Supposedly, the name "porcelain" was invented by Marco Polo and derives from the Italian word porcelino--a white, translucent cowry shell shaped like a little pig (Hutt, p. 70). Europeans admired and imported Chinese porcelains so much that all fine ceramic objects eventually took the generic name of "china." Many artists in 19th-century Europe were fascinated by the imagery found on Chinese and Japanese woodblock prints, textiles, and fine porcelain objects, such as this charger, or platter. Far Eastern ways of constructing pictures were very different from European traditions of painting. Some European artists began to incorporate these foreign ways of drawing in their own work. Investigate the picture on the charger and find some of the picture-making techniques that 19th-century Europeans found new, different, and stimulating in Chinese and Japanese art. These PICTURE-MAKING TECHNIQUES will be listed at the end of each section. 1. Find three different groups of people and tell what each group is doing. (Group one is on horseback, and they are taking turns shooting arrows at a target as they ride by. Group two is seated under an awning, watching the archers. Group three, the smallest, has only three people. One of these men blows a horn and another beats a drum.) How has the artist drawn the figures? (The artist makes an outline and fills in the colors. The artist draws all the figures the same size.)
PICTURE-MAKING TECHNIQUE #1: The colors are flat; there are no shadows or shading; and many of the color areas are surrounded by lines. PICTURE-MAKING TECHNIQUE #2: There may be as much interest in being decorative as being realistic.
2. What sort of event is taking place in this picture? (This is an archery competition. Important officials could be watching a military event. This could be an episode from an exciting story.) Where is this event taking place? (This is taking place outside under some trees that are next to a building or elevated platform. This looks like some place in China or Japan a long time ago.) Choose adjectives that describe this space. (Adjectives might include flat, cartoonlike, "pushed forward," patternlike, tilted, or crowded.)
PICTURE-MAKING TECHNIQUE #3: Space and buildings look flattened out and do not seem to recede "realistically" in space the way they do in Italian Renaissance paintings. PICTURE-MAKING TECHNIQUE #4: Very strong diagonal lines draw us into the picture.
3. Imagine this scene taking place. What sounds do you hear? (Students might hear the breeze in the willows or pines, the trumpet, the drum, the shouts of a scorekeeper, the galloping horses, the flapping banners, the excited cheers and boasts of the archers, the serious and polite conversation of the
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Charger Page 2 of 2 officials.) What is the focus, or most important part, of the picture? (Students may say the target, the galloping archer, or the Imperial officials.)
PICTURE-MAKING TECHNIQUE #5: The picture is cropped or cut by the border in a "snapshot" fashion. PICTURE-MAKING TECHNIQUE #6: The artist takes an odd point of view that looks down on the subject.
As you investigate the 19th-century European paintings and drawings in this packet, or in the Museum's exhibition of the Reves Collection, look for examples of picture-making techniques that might have been influenced by the work of Chinese and Japanese artists.
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Claude Monet (klohd moan-AY), French painter, 1840-1926 The Pont Neuf, 1871 Oil on canvas; 20 5/16 x 28 1/2 in. (51.6 x 72.39 cm) Dallas Museum of Art, The Wendy and Emery Reves Collection, 1985.R.38 Impressionist Paintings, Drawings, and Sculpture from the Wendy and Emery Reves Collection, p. 46 The French impressionist painter Claude Monet probably painted this Parisian cityscape while looking out a window in a rented room or in an apartment of a friend. The scene is of the Pont Neuf (po(n) nuhf), the "New Bridge" in English. It is actually the oldest bridge in the city, and it was the first pedestrian bridge in Paris. The Pont Neuf stretches across the Seine, crosses the Ilê de la Cité (eel duh lah see-TAY), and connects the right and left banks of the river. 1. How would it feel physically to be walking along this bridge? Consider how the air would feel on your skin. (It would be cold, windy, and drizzly. You might feel as if you could slip on the slick pavement.) What did Monet do to create these sensations for you? (He used colors that are mainly grays, dull blues and violets, and browns. Areas of pale colors suggest the reflection of light on a wet street surface. People are carrying umbrellas. Their coats blow in the wind.) Would you want to talk to the other people on the bridge? Explain your answer. (They do not seem to be interested in one another and, therefore, would probably not want to chat. Instead, they seem to be hurrying across the bridge to get to their destination and out of the weather as fast as possible. Since we cannot see their faces, there is no visual invitation to become acquainted.) 2. Monet painted this scene after returning from London to Paris in 1871. What information does he give you about life in Paris at this time? (19th-century Parisians had street lights, apartments, bridges, horse-drawn carriages, and umbrellas. Areas of steam on the left side of the canvas suggest industry and busy river traffic. Paris was a bustling city, full of people who go about their business. They have a river in their city, and they have large public statues.) An equestrian statue of Henri IV, king of France from 1589-1610, can be seen in the middle right of the painting above the river Seine. The Pont Neuf was completed during this king's reign. 3. Does this painting suggest a particular mood or emotional feeling for you? If so, what did Monet do to create the mood? (Answers may vary. Some students may feel "blue." Monet's color choices and his decision to paint the bridge on a cold, rainy day may suggest a sad or depressed mood. His decision to paint the figures hurrying by and not talking to one another may suggest loneliness or isolation. Other students may find the quiet, grayed colors to be pleasing and beautiful.) 4. Like other Frenchmen, Monet left France during the Franco-Prussian War. When Monet returned in 1871, Paris had surrendered to Prussian troops; the city was in great despair. It is possible that in The Pont Neuf, Monet, who until this time had painted cityscapes alive with color and sunshine, is reflecting the grief felt by his fellow Parisians at this point in their history. Think of war-torn cities you have seen on the news. What feelings do you have as you look at them? Do you think that similar feelings are evident in The Pont Neuf? Why or why not?
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Pierre-Auguste Renoir (pee-AIR oh-GOOSTE ruh-NWAHR), French painter, 1841-1919 Page 1 of 2 The Duck Pond, 1873 Oil on canvas; 19 3/4 x 24 in. (50.2 x 61 cm) Dallas Museum of Art, The Wendy and Emery Reves Collection, 1985.R. 56 Impressionist Paintings, Drawings, and Sculpture from the Wendy and Emery Reves Collection, During the last part of the 19th century, the ways people used the countryside arodrastically. Increasing population, industry, and commerce transformed the counFrench capital into suburbs. Newly developed rail lines made this transformatiothese rail lines also made it possible for large numbers of middle-class city dwelleisure time outside the city (Herbert, p. 195). The impressionists loved paintingpainting by Auguste Renoir is such a subject. Incidentally, this scene was paintehis friend and fellow impressionist Claude Monet from approximately the same quite frequently at the time this painting was made. 1. Name the things you see in this painting. (There are water, ducks, men in abuilding, trees, and sky.) This "duck pond" would have been part of a farm. Hosee in this painting? (Answers may vary. There appear to be two or more peoplperhaps one or two in front of the building.) Imagine you are taking a snapshot oWhere are you standing? (I might be standing in a boat. I might be on the opp 2. In The Duck Pond, we see a special way of painting that the impressionists deapplied the paint to the canvas as small flecks, or brushstrokes, of different colornotice the pattern of the brushstrokes the most? (Answers might include the shadows, or the sky.) Name an adjective that describes these brushstrokes. (Adsmall, swirling, jiggling, short, choppy, busy, flickering, jostling, spotty, movingbrushstrokes help unify this painting. 3. In this painting, an orange-roofed building is surrounded by blue sky above anand blue have a special relationship. They are complementary colors. The imprused complementary colors in their paintings. Contemporary color theory statedcomplementary colors were placed side by side they made each other brighter. LRenoir brushed in some blues in the most orange areas of the painting and smost blue areas of the painting? (Maybe he is trying to use this color theory tobrighter. Maybe he is making orange spots in the water to show the reflections oroof.) 4. The impressionists captured their sensations of sunlight and atmosphere in thepainting was made in the summer. What time of day do you think this paintinwhy. (Because of the intensity of the color and the lack of cast shadows it must afternoon.) If painted at a different time or under different weather conditions, tlook completely different. Imagine this same view in ten minutes. What could mpainting? (Responses may include the ducks, the boat, shadows from the cloudswould an artist focus so intently on one moment? (Maybe the artist wanted to
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The Duck Pond, 1873 Page 2 of 2 Maybe Renoir thought this moment was particularly important, or beautiful. Maybe Renoir wanted to share how this moment looked and felt to him.) 5. The urban artist Renoir has spent a great deal of time and interest creating this painting of a farm pond. Why would a man who lives in the city make paintings of the country? (This might have been a way to bring the country back into the city and onto the walls of his apartment. He might have been able to sell these to city people who missed the country. Maybe he just thought they were beautiful.)
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Vincent van Gogh (VIN-sent vahn go; Dutch: fahn-hohk), Dutch painter, 1853-1890 Page 1 of 2 Cafe Terrace at Night, 1888 Reed pen and ink over pencil on laid paper; 24 5/8 x 18 3/4 in. (62.8 x 46.8 cm) (irregular) Dallas Museum of Art, The Wendy and Emery Reves Collection, 1985.R.79 Impressionist Paintings, Drawings, and Sculpture from the Wendy and Emery Reves Collection, p. 95 The 33-year-old Vincent van Gogh first came to Paris in February of 1886. Up to that time, he had dedicated a good deal of his life to social work with the rural and urban poor. The city of Paris with its museums, galleries, and artists was a great shock and inspiration for van Gogh, and for the next four years that he would live, he devoted himself to making art. In 1888, van Gogh moved to the southern French city of Arles (ahrl) with hopes of establishing an artists' colony. During that year, he made a painting of a nighttime cafe scene and, at a later time, translated that painting into this drawing. The drawing of a Cafe Terrace at Night is particularly impressive because it shows that van Gogh was capable of great expression not only with his colors, but also with his lines. 1. What do you like best about this drawing, Cafe Terrace at Night, by Vincent van Gogh? (Answers may include the people, the buildings and street, the lines, the drawing.) 2. Be an observer like Vincent van Gogh. Start in the foreground, list the things you see, and then answer the questions. (There are stones in the street, a sidewalk, a curb, doorways, tables and chairs, 12 people, a lantern, an awning, signs, buildings, a carriage, and sky.) Notice the signs over the shops. A Buvette (boo-VET) is a refreshment bar, and Coiff... is probably Coiffure Pour Hommes (kwah-FŒR poor om), a hairstyle & barber shop. Where is this scene taking place? (This is in a city because the buildings are close, and there are no trees.) Where is the light coming from? (The light is coming from the lantern because there are fewer lines on the walls under the awning, and the sky is marked in with heavy lines.) What is each of the people in this picture doing? (There are people drinking, ordering, talking, taking orders, and walking.) 3. Everything in this picture has been turned into lines. Van Gogh sketched in the scene first with pencil and then used ink to draw the lines. Find the pencil lines and the ink lines. How do they compare? (The pencil lines are a lighter gray. Some of the pencil lines look wide and smudgy as though the artist used the pencil on its side. The ink lines are darker and generally shorter than the pencil lines.) The ink lines were made with a pen. Find and point out different kinds of pen strokes. (Answers will vary.) Why did van Gogh use such a variety of pen strokes? (Vincent van Gogh used different kinds of strokes for different things and textures, such as the humps of the stones in the street or the scalloped edge of the awning. Some of the strokes are meant to create entire gray areas, like the sky, and others are meant to describe one thing, like a chair. He may not have had the same amount of ink in his pen all the time because some of the ink lines are dark and some of them are light. All these strokes make the drawing interesting.) What adjectives would describe these lines? (Adjectives might include sharp, long, zigzag, choppy, thick, thin, curving, wiry, jablike, straight, curly, crisscrossed, sketchy, light, horizontal, heavy, springy, diagonal, or drooping.) Incidentally, what shape are the tables supposed to be, and how has van Gogh drawn them? (The tables are actually round. In order to follow the rules of perspective, he drew them as ovals.)
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Cafe Terrace at Night, 1888 Page 2 of 2 4. This event occurred one September evening in 1888. Imagine walking into this picture and taking a seat. How does it "sound" in this picture? (It might sound rather quiet because this is not a busy scene. There would be the sound of people talking. We might hear the clink of spoons stirring coffee in cups. The carriage would make sound as it rolled across the cobblestones of the street.) Why would people want to sit outside under an awning at night? (These are city people who are relaxing in the evening. Maybe these people are friends and have not seen each other all day.) What does this drawing tell us about life at the end of the 19th century in France? (Students may comment about the absence of types of technology that are taken for granted today, such as cars, smooth streets, commercial shop lighting, or climate-controlled interiors. They may also point out the absence of women.)
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Vincent van Gogh (VIN-sent vahn go; Dutch: fahn-hohk), Dutch painter, 1853-1890 Page 1 of 2 Sheaves of Wheat, 1890 Oil on canvas; 19 7/8 x 39 3/4 in. (50.5 x 101 cm) Dallas Museum of Art, The Wendy and Emery Reves Collection, 1985.R.80 Impressionist Paintings, Drawings, and Sculpture from the Wendy and Emery Reves Collection, p. 98 In May 1890, Vincent van Gogh moved to the village of Auvers-sur-Oise (o-VAIR soor wahz) in northern France to be closer to his brother in Paris and to regain his physical and psychological health under the care of his friend and physician, Dr. Gachet. Van Gogh spent much of his time in the surrounding countryside of this farming region and produced a series of 13 canvases based on a double-square format that is twice as long as they are wide. All but one of these canvases is a horizontal landscape. Based on its subject, Sheaves of Wheat is among the latest of this group and seems to be one of several in the series that detail the wheat harvest. 1. What is the subject of this painting? What information does van Gogh give us about the time of year, the countryside, and the nature of the harvest? (The fields and sky are golden, and the trees are a lush green. The wheat has been harvested and bundled. It looks as if it is late summer.) In this area of France, the wheat harvest occurs from mid- to late July. 2. Where are you, the viewer, placed in relationship to the sheaves of harvested wheat? (You are very close to the sheaves of wheat, almost as if you were actually working in the fields.) How does this closeness make you feel? (Answers will vary, but may focus on a sense of being immersed in the field, being able to feel the sunlight, and smelling the freshly cut wheat.) 3. How does van Gogh use various types of brushstrokes to distinguish between stacks of wheat, grass, trees, and shadows? (He uses long, flowing strokes for the sheaves; he makes short, straight ones to describe the stubble; and he uses squiggles for the trees. Shadows are designated by a different pattern of broken lines.) Now notice how changes in the direction of his strokes give a sense of volume to the sheaves, the trees, and the earth. For example, look how some of the strokes curve around humps or bulges in the sheaves. 4. Look carefully at this painting and imagine it without lines; imagine the shapes as being solidly colored. How does your response to the painting change? (It has less movement. It seems more ordinary, less special.) Notice how the complementary colors, yellow and violet, add to the sensation of shimmering movement. 5. Imagine the sheaves of wheat as figures. What types of figures do you imagine? What are they doing? (Answers will vary. Students might imagine women dancing, a family of individuals talking, or rows of animated brooms.) 6. Vincent van Gogh has used his paintbrush to make a variety of lines that create a sense of movement in this painting. His use of the complementary colors yellow and violet also emphasizes the impression of energized sparkle across the surface of the canvas. He has painted the land in a way that includes
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Sheaves of Wheat, 1890 Page 2 of 2 specific data regarding what he actually sees, such as the time of year or type of harvest, as well as his feelings about what he sees. How do you think van Gogh felt about the scene he has painted? (The land seems to have a personality and a kind of energy. He might have felt as if the land were magical and fantastic.) Would you like to be there? Why or why not? (Yes, I would because it would be wonderful to play in a magical field of dancing sheaves of wheat. No, I would not because it would be scary for the land to move and ripple all the time. Land is supposed to be solid and still.)
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Camille Pissarro (kah-MEAL pee-ZAHR-oh), French painter, 1830-1903 Page 1 of 2 Self-Portrait, 1897-1898 Oil on canvas; 20 7/8 x 12 in. (53 x 31 cm) Dallas Museum of Art, The Wendy and Emery Reves Collection, 1985.R.44 Impressionist Paintings, Drawings, and Sculpture from the Wendy and Emery Reves Collection, p. 127 In 1897, Camille Pissarro moved into a room on the third floor of the Grand Hôtel du Louvre which had two large windows looking out onto one of the impressive new boulevards in Paris. Because of a vast renovation program, the city of Paris had been transformed during the 1850s and 1860s from a "medieval" city to a modern one, filled with air, light, wide sidewalks, beautiful buildings, and a system of broad boulevards. From the windows of his hotel room, Pissarro captured the constant activity that he saw going on beneath him in a series of cityscapes. Pissarro painted this self-portrait in that room. 1. What is a self-portrait? (It is a visual or verbal portrait of oneself done by oneself. It is a picture of yourself that you show to others. It could be a way of investigating yourself.) Although Camille Pissarro made paintings for over 50 years in his life, he painted only four self-portraits. 2. Camille Pissarro introduces himself in this self-portrait. What details has Pissarro chosen to include? Consider clothing, facial expression, body language, the room, and objects that Pissarro wears or holds. (Pissarro wears a painter's smock and a beret. His eyelids droop, and he has a long white beard. He seems to be concentrating. He is actually facing to our right, but turns to look at us. He is standing in a well-lit room with a curtained window, or glass-paned door, to his back. There are buildings outside. Pissarro holds a palette to hold and mix paints in one hand, and may be holding a paintbrush with the other. He also wears half-lens glasses, and looks over the top of them.) 3. Think about how this painting was made. Pissarro is looking into a mirror as he paints himself. The window behind him looks out onto an important Parisian boulevard. This painting is the image that Pissarro sees in the mirror. He had to investigate his reflection and then transfer it to the stretched canvas on an easel. If this is the mirror-image of the artist, he must be right-handed. 4. Look at the colors Pissarro has on his palette. Could he make this painting using these colors? (No, there are colors in the painting, such as the orange-brown on the walls, that do not appear to be on the palette. Yes, the black, red, yellow, and white on the palette could have been mixed to make the colors in this painting.) 5. What kind of man do you think Pissarro was? (He looks very serious. He was an elderly man who needed glasses. He was a quiet person who worked alone. He was a persistent worker who could focus his attention. He was a city dweller. He was an artist who continued to work even when he was old.) At the time this self-portrait was made, Pissarro was not in good health and often suffered from a recurring eye infection. In addition, he was under a great deal of pressure to produce paintings to sell. However, he was also creating some of his best-known and most admired work. Do you see any effects of either his pressures or his accomplishments in this self-portrait? (He does look tired, but after all, he is old. He seems very calm and absorbed in his work. He looks confident and sure of himself.)
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Self-Portrait, 1897-1898 Page 2 of 2 Throughout his career, Pissarro remained very close to his wife, children, and grandchildren. He also had close relationships with other artists and was considered by many of them to be a teacher, mentor, and father figure. 6. When you get to the Museum, look for one of Pissarro's cityscapes of Paris, Place du Théâtre Français: Fog Effect. This painting was made by Pissarro in this room about the same time as the Self-Portrait. Pissarro captures the sensations of a busy moment in Paris transformed by foggy atmosphere. As you investigate this image of modern Paris, imagine Pissarro in his room observing these images and transforming them into paintings.
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Paul Cézanne (pole say-ZAH(n)), French painter, 1839-1906 Still Life with Apples on a Sideboard, 1900-1906 Watercolor on paper; 19 1/8 x 24 7/8 in. (48.5 x 63.2 cm) Dallas Museum of Art, The Wendy and Emery Reves Collection, 1985.R.12 Impressionist Paintings, Drawings, and Sculpture from the Wendy and Emery Reves Collection, p. 130 Paul Cézanne participated in two of the early impressionist group shows in Paris. However, Cézanne began to develop in unique ways. For one thing, the artist retreated increasingly to the country, especially the area close to Marseilles in southern France. For another, a major portion of his creations, including some of his most admired works, were watercolors (Brettell, Post-Impressionists, p. 77). 1. Before you read the title of this artwork, look silently for two minutes at this image, and then either turn off the slide, if you are in the classroom, or turn away from the artwork, if you are in the Museum. What things do you remember? (Students may recall apples, a jar, a bottle, a pitcher, a knife, a chest or table with a drawer.) How do you think the artist Paul Cézanne caused these things to stand out in your memory? (He grouped things together and made the picture look like a table you might walk by and look at. He used bright colors that caught the eye. He repeated shapes that looked alike, for example, all those apples and curves.) 2. Where are the warm colors? (They are in the foreground on the chest and apples.) Where are the cool colors? (They are in the background in the shadows, on the bottle, the pitcher and the lidded jar.) How does the use of warm and cool colors help the still life seem three-dimensional? (The cool colors create depth and make shadows, while the warm colors pop forward and grab the viewer's attention.) What mood do the colors create? (There is a feeling of happiness, warmth, and joy.) 3. How do people make watercolors? (Answers will probably include lightly sketching in the subject, mixing the paints in water, applying colors.) Watercolors are transparent paints. That means that the paper color, pencil marks, and other dabs of paint will show through the watercolor marks. Where has the artist Cézanne allowed the white of the paper to be seen? (Cézanne has left the bottle label, the pitcher, and the plate white. So that means there is no paint in these areas.) Cézanne seems to have been experimenting and playing with his water and his paint to see what effects he could create. As his career progressed, he used oil paint in the same way, letting his background canvas be part of the important colors and shapes in the painting. 4. This watercolor is a still life, but it is a very active painting. Does this painting look like it was done slowly or quickly? What parts of the painting give you the feeling of motion? (All the lines at the edges of the objects make them look like they are moving or that the artist was not quite sure where the objects went. You can see that there are pencil lines where the objects were laid out. The tilting of the table makes things look like they could move forward. Some of the watercolor marks look runny. All those repeated shapes make the eye jump about.) What is unusual about the table top? (It is tilted so that we can see all the things on it.) Was Cézanne trying to be very realistic? (No, this is not a photographic image.) This is a still life made of common, still objects; nevertheless, Cézanne is able to bring a great deal of motion and life into his work.
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Maurice de Vlaminck (moe-REES duh vla-MINK), French painter, 1876-1958 Page 1 of 2 Bougival, 1905 Oil on canvas; 32 1/2 x 39 5/8 in. (82.5 x 100 cm) Dallas Museum of Art, The Wendy and Emery Reves Collection, 1985.R.82 Impressionist Paintings, Drawings, and Sculpture from the Wendy and Emery Reves Collection, p. 136 During the years 1905 and 1906, Maurice Vlaminck painted several of his best landscapes while working in the villages of Chatou (shah-TOO) and Bougival (BOO-zhee-vahl) just west of Paris. Imagine the artist climbing the steep hill south of Bougival and setting up his easel so that it faced the village and the valley of the Seine. Regarding his painting, Vlaminck wrote, "I used to go to work right out in the sunshine; the sky was blue, the wheatfields seemed to be stirring and trembling in the torrid heat, with hues of yellow covering the whole scale of chromes; they quivered as if they were about to go up in flames." 1. After looking at the image of this painting, write down your first impressions. (First impressions might include "energy, action, wild, chaotic, messy, silly, confusing, exciting, happy, colorful, wiggly, or jumbled.") When you see this painting at the Dallas Museum of Art, look again to see if your impressions change. (When you see the actual work, the riotous color and the type of brushstrokes used by the artist may be more evident.) 2. Imagine watching Vlaminck at work. Describe his painting method as you imagine him working. (Vlaminck's brushstrokes look as if they were applied very quickly and with a lot of energy and force.) Does the manner in which you imagine brushstrokes to have been applied affect your reaction to the painting? (Answers will vary. Some students may be energized by imagining the artist's method of paint application.) 3. What are the major colors that you see? (The major colors are red, yellow, green, blue, and white.) Blur the slide. How are the major colors organized? (They are grouped in specific areas.) Notice that the major color areas change as you move from the foreground to the background. The colors change from red to yellow to green to blue as you move further into the distance of the scene. Think of adjectives that describe the qualities of the colors in the foreground. (Possible adjectives are hot, sunny, warm, close, summery.) Think of adjectives that describe the qualities of the colors in the background. (Possible adjectives include cool, cloudy, cold, far away.) 4. Think back to your first impressions of Bougival. Often at first glance this painting looks chaotic, disorganized, and frantic, as if it were only a mass of colored brushstrokes on a canvas. How has Vlaminck given some order and structure to this painting? (He has grouped colors in specific areas. He has placed warmer colors in the foreground and has used cooler colors as he proceeds to the background. Vlaminck uses the viewer's tendency to see warm colors as coming forward and cool colors as moving backward to reinforce the illusion of foreground and background in the painting. That we can see trees, houses, sky, and a river helps to organize the strokes of paint.)
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Bougival, 1905 Page 2 of 2 5. Imagine yourself visiting a gallery in 1906 when this painting might have been exhibited. You are accustomed to seeing orderly, pleasant landscapes that provide a path that gently allowed you to enter a lovely, peaceful area of the French countryside. How would you react to this painting? (You might think this is ridiculous. It looks like a crazy person painted it while in a frenzy. You might think it was a confusing conglomeration of colors and brushstrokes which did not make you feel content or happy with being a Frenchman. You might feel exhilarated that Vlaminck was doing something exciting and different.) Vlaminck was among a group of artists who were referred to as "the Fauves," or in English, "the Wild Beasts." Why do you think that French critics would use this term to describe artists who painted works like Bougival?
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Odilon Redon (oh-dee-LOH(n) ruh-DOH(n)), French painter, 1840-1916 Page 1 of 2 Flowers in a Black Vase, 1909-1910 Pastel on paper mounted on cardboard; 34 3/8 x 27 in. (87.3 x 68.5 cm) Dallas Museum of Art, The Wendy and Emery Reves Collection, 1985.R.55 Impressionist Paintings, Drawings, and Sculpture from the Wendy and Emery Reves Collection, p. 140 In the latter part of the 19th century, Odilon Redon made works of art that included velvety black images of floating heads or eyes that suggested the world of dreams and the unconscious. Unlike these works, Flowers in a Black Vase is similar to works full of color that are more closely related to the recognizable world of nature that he produced in the early years of the 20th century. Many artists had returned to the tradition of still-life painting. There was an increased interest in the horticultural industry during the later decades of the 19th century. More people came into contact with a greater variety of blooming plants. Artists also looked carefully at flowers in order to learn more about them and their colors. Redon, in particular, studied flowers very closely. 1. What can you see in this pastel work that you are sure is there? (You can see a dark shape that seems to be a vase. In the bottom left corner, you can see blue and white flowers and dark leaves. You can see sprigs of something yellow.) What can you see that you are unsure of? (Areas of blue and puffy areas of white are mysterious, though they may refer to more blue and white flowers. The large pale area in the upper part of the work is also vague.) 2. The title of this painting is Flowers in a Black Vase. Generally, we expect to see a vase of flowers on a table. What information does Redon give you or refuse to give you regarding where the vase of flowers is placed? (Redon does not indicate a tabletop. The vase floats in unclear space. Redon does indicate flowers both in the vase and outside it. Maybe the vase is in a garden.) 3. A critic called Odilon Redon "the prince of dreams" (Brettell, Impressionist Paintings, p. 141). Think of this vase of flowers as being part of a dream or a magical story where the logic of our everyday world is absent. What would your dream or story be like? 4. During the latter part of the 19th century, many artists, including Redon, experimented with shapes and colors that corresponded to smells and sounds and textures. Poets such as Charles Baudelaire were also interested in the ability of words to suggest various physical sensations. In his poem "Correspondences," Baudelaire wrote: CORRESPONDANCES CORRESPONDENCES La Nature est un temple où de vivants piliers Nature is a temple whose living columns Laissent parfois sortir de confuses paroles; sometimes allow confused words to escape; L'homme y passe à travers des forêts de symboles man passes through these forests of symbols, Qui l'observent avec des regards familiers. which regard him with familiar looks.
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Flowers in a Black Vase, 1909-1910 Page 2 of 2 Comme de longs échos qui de loin se confondent As diffuse echoes from afar mingle Dans une ténébreuse et profonde unité, in a shadowy and profound unison Vaste comme la nuit et comme la clarté, as vast as the darkness and the light, Les parfums, les couleurs et les sons se répondent. scents, colors and sounds commune. Il est des parfums frais comme des chairs d'enfants, Here are some perfumes fresh as infants' skin, Doux comme les hautbois, verts comme les prairies, sweet as the oboe's song and green as the prairies -- Et d'autres, corrompus, riches et triomphants, --while others, corrupt, rich and triumphant, Ayant l'expansion des choses infinies, have the expansiveness of infinite things, Comme l'ambre, le musc, le benjoin et l'encens, like ambergris, musk, benzoin, and incense, Qui chantent les transports de l'esprit et des sens. that chant the ecstasies of the spirit and the senses.
Translation by Jeffrey Coven from Baudelaire's Voyages: The Poet and His Painters, Boston: Little, Brown and Company in conjunction with "An Exhibition Organized by the Heckscher Museum," 1993, p. 40.
Think about the way that the poet Baudelaire mixes images, scents, sounds, and words. What scents, sounds, and textures would you associate with Redon's pastel? Work with your class to create a poem that sounds, smells, and feels like Flowers in a Black Vase.
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ACTIVITIES Page 1 of 3 ART 1. What are the differences between watercolor, pastel, and oil painting? Research these terms and talk about what each means. Then investigate how an artwork made with each of these materials looks. Use the following still lifes as examples: Paul Cézanne's Still Life with Apples on a Sideboard and Odilon Redon's Flowers in a Black Vase. 2. Decorative arts are functional objects that are also beautiful. Make a fan like "The Card Game" fan from 18th-century France. First, turn a regular sheet of paper horizontally and with a pencil divide your paper into halves. Then divide the top part into three sections with the largest section in the middle. Draw pictures in each of the top three sections. Make your drawings form a theme, like the French fan. Second, fold the paper back and forth about one-half inch at a time like an accordian. Try to keep the folds even. Third, use a paper clip to hold the bottom together, and open out the top part of the fan.
TOP
BOTTOM 3. Taking vacations to the countryside or to special sites in large cities was a new activity for many people in the 19th century. Imagine taking one of these early vacations, and create a postcard to recall your trip. Draw a picture of the country, like Renoir's The Duck Pond, or a picture of the city, like Monet's The Pont Neuf, and make your picture look impressionist.
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ACTIVITIES Page 2 of 3 LANGUAGE ARTS 1. Now that you have drawn your 19th-century impressionist postcard in Art Activity # 3, write a message on the back and address it to someone special. Tell about your vacation here at this spot in 19th-century France and explain what makes your impressionist work new and different. 2. Camille Pissarro looked carefully to paint his Self-Portrait. He chose visual details that would tell us about him. What details would you include in your self-portrait? Jot down a few notes, and then make your self-portrait. However, unlike Camille Pissarro, write yours. How is a written self-portrait like, or unlike, a painted one? Which one do you like best? 3. Look closely at the Chinese porcelain charger or at Renoir's The Duck Pond. What is happening in the painting? What do you think might have happened before this scene? What will happen next? Write a story about the painting. Be sure to have a beginning, middle, and end. Put in as many details as possible. SOCIAL STUDIES 1. The decorative arts in these materials were made in a number of different places and times. Using a world map, trace the route of these decorative objects from the place they were created to the Reves' home in southern France and finally to the Dallas Museum of Art.
Set of casters London, England, 1719 "The Card Game" fan France, c. 1740-1750 Cabinet-on-stand Paris, France, c. 1660-1680 Side chair Probably Birmingham or Wolverhampton, England, c. 1830-1860 Charger Jingdezhen, China, c. 1700-1720
After your map work, make a timeline and draw in these objects at the appropriate point in time. 2. What was life like for artists in the 19th century in France? Who could be an artist? Was it easy to be an artist?
a. Choose a 19th-century French artist and investigate his or her life. b. Look closely at the works of art available in these materials and list the subjects these artist chose to draw or paint. What does "choice of subject" tell you about these artists?
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ACTIVITIES Page 3 of 3 SCIENCE AND MATH 1. Many 19th-century artists were very interested in color theory and studied such things as hues, the color wheel, and complementary colors. These artists often incorporated their findings into their artworks. Here are two definitions:
LOCAL COLOR is the color of an object in daylight against a white background with no surrounding influences such as shadows or reflections. OPTICAL COLOR is the perception of the color of an object that is influenced by reflections, shadows, and special lighting conditions. Optical colors may vary markedly depending on atmospheric influences.
Find an example of LOCAL COLOR and OPTICAL COLOR in your schoolroom, and then find an example of each in Renoir's The Duck Pond. 2. We are used to thinking about rhythm in music or dance. Visual rhythm depends on the repetition of certain elements such as shapes, lines, and colors. As in music, the rhythm can vary from slow moving passages to syncopated beats. Rhythms may be considered as patterns within a visual work of art. Look carefully at Vincent van Gogh's Sheaves of Wheat. How does the artist use rhythm in this painting, and how does this rhythm make you feel? After the class has discussed rhythm in this painting, look at all the works of art in these materials. Do you find other rhythmic patterns? Do they all have the same effect? 3. Each of the objects in the English set of casters is made of the metal silver. Investigate the qualities that make metals special. Research each of the special terms in column one and match them with the qualities in column two. 1. tensile strength a. silver can be melted and cast in molds 2. malleability b. silver can be stretched very thin into wires 3. ductility c. silver can be hammered into sheets 4. castability d. silver is not easily torn apart or broken by tension Now that you are familiar with the qualities of metals, look carefully at the set of casters. How do you think these objects were made?
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GLOSSARY Page 1 of 2 BRITANNIA STANDARD SILVER - The Britannia Standard for silver was implemented by William III from 1697 to 1719 in order to assist in making new coins. This rule raised the amount of silver in the alloy to 95.8 per cent. COMPLEMENTARY COLORS - Complementary colors are those that have a maximum contrast when placed next to their opposite on the color wheel. The complementary color of red is green; the complementary color of yellow is violet. GILDING - The process of covering paintings, sculptures, or architectural decorations with a coat of gold leaf. GOUACHE (gwash) - A technique of painting with opaque pigments in a water base. Also, a work in this medium. Unlike watercolor, gouache is not transparent. IMPRESSIONISM - A 19th-century French art movement that embraced modern subjects of everyday life and relied on optical mixing of color to achieve a more exact representation of color and tone. Most impressionists applied the paint on their canvases in small touches of pure color rather than in blended strokes, thus making their paintings look more brilliant. Many impressionists were also interested in painting outdoors in order to capture the changing effects of light and color at a particular moment. There were eight impressionist group-shows from 1874 to 1886. LACQUER - A hard, resinous, waterproof varnish that attains a high polish when many layers are applied. This traditionally Japanese substance arrived in Europe in the 18th century. OIL PAINTING - A painting made with paints composed of pigments bound with drying oils. PAPIER-MÂCHÉ (PAH-pee-yay mah-SHAY) - In the 18th and 19th centuries, papier-mâché objects were traditionally made of pulped paper that was combined with glue, chalk, and sand and shaped into decorative forms. During the 19th century, large papier-mâché objects, such as chairs, were made with a different process that began with a wood or metal structure to which moist glued sheets of paper were added until the decorative form was created. PASTEL - Crayon sticks made of finely ground pigments combined with a fixative, such as a gum. Also, a work made with this medium. Pastels are often created on colored papers which helps accentuate the drawing. PORCELAIN - A hard, dense, translucent ceramic composed of kaolin (a white china clay) and silica that is fired at high temperatures, 1250°-1350°C. Porcelain was first produced in China in the 7th or 8th centuries A.D. and did not reach Europe until 1709.
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GLOSSARY Page 2 of 2 POST-IMPRESSIONISM - A general term used to describe the works of artists such as Paul Cézanne, Georges Seurat, Vincent van Gogh, and Paul Gauguin, who moved away from impressionism toward styles less tied to naturalism. This movement lasted from the last impressionist exhibit of 1886 to the beginnings of cubism in the first decade of the 20th century. Cézanne and Seurat are often placed in one group known for emphasizing visual order, and van Gogh and Gauguin are often placed in another known for emphasizing emotions and personal expression. STILL LIFE - A painting of inanimate objects. In France, still lifes are called nature morte, literally "dead nature." SYMBOLISM - A literary and artistic movement from around 1885 to 1910 that rejected the objectivity of realism and naturalism and moved toward subjectivity. Artists in this movement often aimed to suggest ideas by means of ambiguous yet powerful symbols. In addition, their work could be highly reductive and decorative looking. WATERCOLOR - A painting made with paints composed of pulverized pigments combined with a water-soluble binder such as gum arabic. When applied to an absorbent surface, the translucency of the paint is highlighted by the color of the paper.
GLOSSARY RESOURCES - Most art history survey texts contain very complete glossaries at the end of the book. Another good resource for definitions of art terms is the paperback version of Edward Lucie-Smith's The Thames and Hudson Dictionary of Art Terms, New York: Thames and Hudson, 1984. PRONUNCIATION RESOURCES - For the pronunciation of artist's names, see the "PRONUNCIATION GUIDE" in Gardner's Art Through the Ages, 9th edition, revised by Horst de la Croix, Richard G. Tansey, & Diane Kirkpatrick, New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers, 1991. Another source for pronunciation of artists' names (including the fields of architecture, dance, drama, literature, music, painting, & sculpture) is Wilfred J. McConkey's Klee as in clay; A Pronunciation Guide, Lanham, MD: Hamilton Press, 1986.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY Alexander, Edward P. Museums in Motion: An Introduction to the History and Functions of Museums. Nashville, Tennessee: American Association for State and Local History, 1982. Bennett, Anna G. Fans in Fashion. San Francisco: The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, California Palace of the Legion of Honor, 1981. Brettell, Richard R. Impressionist Paintings, Drawings, and Sculpture from the Wendy and Emery Reves Collection. Dallas, Texas: Dallas Museum of Art, 1995. Brettell, Richard R. Post-Impressionists. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. & The Art Institute of Chicago, 1987. Gardner, Helen. Art Through the Ages. 9th edition, revised by Horst de la Croix, Richard G. Tansey, & Diane Kirkpatrick. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers, 1991. Herbert, Robert L. Impressionism: Art, Leisure, and the Parisian Society. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press, 1988. Hutt, Julia. Understanding Far Eastern Art: A Complete Guide to the Arts of China, Japan and Korea--Ceramics, Sculpture, Painting Prints, Lacquer, Textiles and Metalwork. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1987. Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Symbolist Europe: Lost Paradise. Montréal, Québec: Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, 1995. Rosenblum, Robert and Janson, H. W. 19th-Century Art. New York: Abrams, 1984. Venable, Charles L. Decorative Arts Highlights from the Wendy and Emery Reves Collection. Dallas, Texas: Dallas Museum of Art, 1995.
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TEXAS ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS (TEKS) Grades 6, 7, 8 Language Arts 6-8.1 Listening/ speaking/ purposes 6-8.2 Listening/ speaking/ critical listening 6-8.3 Listening/ speaking/ appreciation 6-8.4 Listening/ speaking/ culture 6-8.8 Reading/ variety of texts 6-8.9 Reading/ vocabulary development 6-8.14 Reading/ culture 6-8.15 Writing/ purposes 6-8.20 Writing/ inquiry/ research 6-8.22 Viewing/ representing/ interpretation 6-8.23 Viewing/ representing/ analysis 6-8.24 Viewing/ representing/ production Social Studies
In a continuing effort to support Texas teachers, the following list of Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) has been compiled from the Texas Education Agency standards. Teachers who use these resource materials are working toward satisfying these state-mandated goals. We hope this list will help in the creation of classroom curricula and lesson plans. Another important resource for connecting the TEKS to art education in Texas is the Center for Educator Development in the Fine Arts (CEDFA), which can be accessed on the World Wide Web at http://finearts.esc20.net/resource_center.htm.
6.1 History 6.2 History 6.3 Geography 6.7 Geography 6.13 Citizenship 6.15 Culture 6.16 Culture 6.17 Culture 6.18 Culture 6.19 Culture 6-7.21 Social studies skills 6-7.22 Social studies skills 6-7.23 Social studies skills 8.30 Social studies skills 8.31 Social studies skills 8.32 Social studies skills Fine Art 6-8.1 Perception 6-8.2 Creative expression/ performance 6- 8.3 Historical/ cultural heritage 6- 8.4 Response/ evaluation ENJOY YOUR VISIT TO THE EXHIBITION
EVALUATION SHEET for Dallas Museum of Art Teaching Materials on
The Reves Collection We would appreciate your taking a moment to fill out the upper portion of this form and to check appropriate responses below. Please send the form to: Teaching Resources The Dallas Museum of Art 1717 North Harwood Dallas, Texas 75201 Date:__________________________Name:____________________________________ Name of School:__________________________________________________________ Grade Level:___________________Class:_____________________________________
OPENING COMMENTS: 1. Was the manipulation of text (italics, BOLD, underline) helpful? Y___N___ INTRODUCTION: 2. Did the introduction provide a context for the objects? Y___N___ 3. Did the introduction explain what you would see? Y___N___ OBJECT SHEETS - introduction and questions: 6. Were the opening introductions helpful? Y___N___ 7. Were the questions open-ended? Y___N___ 8. Did the questions encourage discussion? Y___N___ 9. Did the questions challenge the student to further inquiry? Y___N___ ACTIVITIES: 10. Did they effectively involve the students? Y___N___ 11. Did they encourage interaction with the artworks? Y___N___ 12. Did they stimulate further inquiry? Y___N___ GLOSSARY & BIBLIOGRAPHY: 13. Were the entries helpful? Y___N___ 14. Was the bibliography used for further research? Y___N___ TEKS: 15. Was it helpful to include the TEKS? Y___N___
COMMENTS (Use the numbers to refer to particular topics, and use the back of this sheet if necessary.)
THANK YOU!!
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EVALUATION SHEET for Dallas Museum of Art Docent Tour on
The Reves Collection We are interested in your response to our docent-guided tours. The time you take to complete this form will enhance our efforts to offer educational experiences of consistently high quality at the Dallas Museum of Art. Fill out the upper portion of this form and check appropriate responses below. Please send the form to: Teaching Programs The Dallas Museum of Art 1717 North Harwood Dallas, Texas 75201 Date:__________________________Name:__________________________________________ Name of School and District:______________________________________________________ Grade Level:___________________Class:___________________________________________ Name of Docent:________________________________________________________________
CIRCLE ONE: 1. Did a docent make telephone contact with you? Yes No 2. Did you access the Teaching Materials on the Dallas Museum of Art web site? Yes No 3. Did you use the Teaching Materials to prepare your students for their tour or to extend their experience after the tour? Yes No 4. Did your students feel welcome and comfortable at the Museum during their tour? Yes No 5. Was your docent on time and well organized? Yes No 6. Did your docent relate well to the group? Yes No 7. Was the information given on the tour clear? Yes No 8. Was the information and vocabulary used appropriate to the level of the group? Yes No 9. Were students encouraged to look carefully and to think critically? Yes Somewhat No 10. Was the docent successful at encouraging participation from students? Yes Somewhat No 11. Did your students enjoy their visit to the Dallas Museum of Art? Yes No 12. Will the information and looking skills introduced at the Museum be applicable to your classroom work? Yes No 13. Did the tour meet your expectations? Yes No 14. Based on this visit, will you plan another docent tour for your students? Yes No COMMENTS (Use the numbers to refer to particular topics, and use the back of this sheet if necessary.)
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