Van Gogh 1

• Art
• 3rd Grade

Van Gogh

This is Vincent 

-    Introduce yourself and explain that you will be coming to give five lessons about Vincent van Gogh and his work. There will be lots of assignments to do: drawing, painting, photography etc. You don’t need to be good at it. ‘I always draw what I cannot, so that I may learn to do it’, Vincent once wrote to his brother Theo.
-    Tell the students that you have brought a reproduction of a painting with you. It’s covered by a cloth right now, but you’ll reveal it later in the lesson.
-    Explain that the artworks the students make during the lessons will be shown later in an exhibition. Do they know what that is? In the final lesson the students will set up a display of the things they have made so that other people can come and look at them.   
-    In this lesson they will make sketches and write poems. But first, let’s learn a bit more about Vincent.

Are you like Vincent?

I don’t know what I want to be yet

1

I’m stubborn

2

I like nature

3

I find it difficult to stick to rules 

4

I work hard / don’t give up easily 

5

I fall in love very easily

6

I like to do things in a new or different way 

7

One day I’m happy and full of energy, and the next I’m tired and feeling down 

8

I want to mean something (to others/the world) 

9

I make my own choices, even if they are not popular 

10

Explain: before we start exploring the life of Vincent, and we discover whether you already know something about him, let’s have a look at Vincent himself, and whether you are like him. I’ve got ten statements. Think for yourself whether you think each one describes you. You don’t need to share your answers. Keep a count of how many times you answer yes. 

Discuss the fact that anyone who often answered ‘yes’ is like Vincent in some ways. 

True of false?
Statement 5:

1. Vincent was already producing amazing paintings when he was 12
2. Vincent had to practise a lot to become a good painter

Statement B is true. 

Vincent practised a lot to become a good painter. He had a hard time with perspective and proportions, for example. He made lots of studies so he could master these things. He also looked at a lot of art by other people, and read about art, teaching himself more and more. He developed a quick, rhythmic style of painting. He wrote that he had painted Wheatfield with Crows in an hour and a half, but it had taken him ten years to be able to do that. 

See quote on the next slide.

'I keep on making what I can't do yet in order to learn to be able to do it.'

Vincent wrote:

True of false?
Statement 8:

1. Vincent did not become famous until after his death
2. Vincent sold some paintings before they were finished because they were so popular

If only the second statement were true! Unfortunately, Vincent only sold one painting during his life: The Red Vineyard (see next slide).

Statement A is true. 

What are you good at? 

The film ends with the question ‘what are you good at?’. 

Ask the kids what they are good at. Ask them some more questions about it.

Was it difficult to learn? Did you have to do loads of practising like Vincent, or were you good at it straightaway? Is it fun to learn something, or is it only fun once you can do it? Have you ever had the feeling that you were born to do something? Like dancing or football, for example?

And if the kids can’t think of anything they’re good at, ask them what they would like to be good at. And what is ‘good’ anyway?

Make a link to the museum edition of The Bedroom. Vincent was really pleased with the painting you’re about to show. He made several versions of it.

Film clip: My Story, duration: 4:51 min

-    Play the soundscape of the painting in the reproduction you have brought. Don’t tell them the title yet!
-    Assignment: draw what you hear. The students should sketch what they hear. Afterwards, gather together all the sketches. In what ways are they alike? What will be in the painting?

What did you see?

Reveal the reproduction of The Harvest. Explain that the students will have only 10 seconds to look at it, then cover the painting again. What did the students see?

Now let them look at it for a little longer. What similarities are there between the sketches and Vincent’s painting?

 Vincent van Gogh made the painting when he lived at the Yellow House in Arles. The landscape you can see in The Harvest was close by. Vincent admired the life of country folk, so he liked to paint these fields during harvest time.

Explain that Vincent van Gogh made the painting when he lived at the Yellow House in Arles. The landscape you can see in The Harvest was close by. Vincent admired the life of country folk, so he liked to paint these fields during harvest time.

We’re not allowed to touch real paintings by Vincent, but this is a reproduction, made with a 3D printer. Invite the students to come and feel it (in threes, for example). What can they feel? Allow them to discover that Vincent worked with thick oil paints.

This painting feels like….
This painting smells like…
This painting tastes like….
This painting sounds like….
This painting looks like….

Assignment: you are going to use the painting to write a poem. The first step is to copy and complete the following phrases:

This painting feels like….
This painting smells like…
This painting tastes like….
This painting sounds like….
This painting looks like….

Make sure the sentences vary in length: long, short or even just one additional word.

Examples for teachers:
This painting smells like the end of summer
This painting feels like grass tickling my feet and sun on my cheeks
This painting tastes like French stew
This painting sounds like cicadas and footsteps
This painting looks like holiday

Ask who would like to share their poem. You might do this as follows:
-    Say that you are going to play the soundscape of the painting again
-    Then point out different students to share their poem
-    Ask them to stand, and read slowly and clearly
-    After each poem, everyone will clap once to show their appreciation (practise this)
-    When each student has sat down, point to the next, until the soundscape is finished.