Art Comprehension: Finding Stories and Shapes in Art

• Advisory
• 10th Grade

Children in Art: Art Comprehension

Jacinth B. Amborski

Hans Holbein the Younger: Edward VI as a Child c. 1538 Oil on wood.   National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. Andrew W. Mellon Collection (Photo credit: Google)

Let's Talk

Who do you think the boy is?

What is the boy looking at?

What is he holding in his hand?

What do you think of his clothes?

In what ways are they similar to clothes we wear today?

In what ways are they different?

What shapes do you see in the painting?

Let's Learn

Hans Holbein, the artist, was the offical court painter of King Henry VIII. He painted this portrait of Prince Edward VI when the prince was only one years old. At the bottom of the painting, there is a little poem, telling little Edward to be like his father. In what ways are you most like your parents? In what ways are you different? Write a few sentences about it. 

Let's Imagine!

Write a short 3 to 5 sentence story about the painting we just talked about. While writing your story, keep in mind the questions we answered and discussed and maybe include your answers in the story. 

The Star, 1878 by Edgar Degas (Photo Credit: www.Edgar-Degas.net)

Let's Talk

Where do you think the dancer is?

Do you see the man in the background?

Who do you think he is?

What colors do you see in the painting?

What shapes do you see?

What do you think the dancer is feeling?

Let's Learn

Edgar Degas was an artist famous for his pastel drawings and oil paintings of ballet dancers. Degas was an Impressionist. Impressionism was an art style originating in France in the 1860s. Impressionists liked to experiment with painting the shifting effect of light and color. Do you think it is daytime or nighttime in The Star? What colors did the artist use to portray daytime/nighttime?

What do you think is the dancer's story?

Who painted The Star

1. Edgar David
2. Edgar Degas
3. Edgar Davidson
4. Edgar Degauze