True or false? The Yellow House

• Art and design
• Primary Education

Introduction

The students will first look at the painting 'The Yellow House' and then decide whether some statements about it are true or false.

Instructions

General learning objectives

- The lesson will introduce students to Vincent van Gogh and one of his most famous paintings.

- The students will decide whether some statements about the painting are true or false. When they answer 'false', they will say why. 

You can use this short lesson at the start of a drawing or painting class or as a fun break in the middle of class.

Preparing

Decide whether you want the children to answer by raising their hands for 'true' and doing nothing for 'false', or by holding up coloured strips of paper, green for 'true' and red for 'false'.

Materials required

- Optional: one red and one green strip of paper for each student. 

Variations

1. Before you read the statements aloud, you can discuss some striking features of the painting with the students.

2. You can discuss the meaning of challenging words with the students. 3. After reading a few examples aloud, you can have the students make up their own true-or-false sentences.

Background information

This painting from 1888 shows the yellow house that Vincent rented in the southern French city of Arles. He painted famous works of art there, such as The Bedroom and Sunflowers.

Story: This is a self-portrait by a world-famous artist, Vincent van Gogh. He made lots and lots of paintings. (How can you tell he's an artist?) We're going to look at a different painting by Vincent and play a game. But first I'll show you how it works. Take a very good look at this picture, without saying anything. Now I'll count to 10 and then take away the picture. (Or use a different number or time limit.)

true or false?

vincent is wearing a red coat.

Tell the class: Now I'll read a sentence. Listen carefully and tell me if the sentence is true or false.

Tell the children how to indicate their choice. Then read the first statement. After you read the statement and the children respond, you can look at the next slide and discuss the answer before going on to the next one.

False. Vincent's coat is blue.

Story: This is a painting of the street where Vincent lived. His house is right in the middle. Take a good look, and then I'll count to...

true or false? 

vincent's house is yellow.

True.

true or false?

vincent painted the sun.

False. The whole sky is blue. The sun is not in the painting.

true or false?

there's a lamp post in the painting. 

True. The lamp post is on the far left, across the street from the house.

true or false?

there are two bridges in the painting.

True. If you take a close look, you can see them both, one behind the other.

true or false?

there's a car crossing the first bridge.

False. It's a steam train.

true or false?

the shutters of the yellow house are green.

True.

true or false?

the roof of the yellow house is red.

False, it is orange.

true or false?

the awning next to the yellow house is pink.

(You could define the word 'awning'.)

True.

true or false?

there are two dogs in the painting.

False. The painting shows only people, no dogs.

www.vangoghmuseum.nl

On the website of the Van Gogh Museum, you can zoom in to see details of Vincent's painting The Bedroom.

Finish the lesson by asking the children what they think of the painting (and why).