Training Van Gogh Almond Blossom

• Kunst
• Lower Secondary (Key Stage 3)

Van Gogh Museum

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO AREN’T YET FAMILIAR WITH THE VAN GOGH MUSEUM: IT’S A MUSEUM DEDICATED TO THE ARTIST VINCENT VAN GOGH, LOCATED IN AMSTERDAM IN THE NETHERLANDS AND IT HOUSES THE WORLD’S LARGEST COLLECTION OF WORKS AND LETTERS BY VINCENT VAN GOGH.

Today:

- Program objectives, training and lessons 

- Lesson-up (60 minutes al together)

- Creative assignement  (50 minutes)

- Feedback (10 minutes)

Introduction to what will be discussed today. The lessons, background and objectives, but we also look together at how lesson-up works.

‘I think there would be children who became painters if only they saw good things’

I THINK THERE WOULD BE CHILDREN WHO BECAME PAINTERS IF ONLY THEY SAW GOOD THINGS.

THIS IS A QUOTE FROM A LETTER THAT VINCENT VAN GOGH WROTE TO HIS BROTHER THEO, DATED ON OR AROUND FRIDAY, 20 SEPTEMBER 1889. IT SHOWS THAT THE ARTIST ALREADY RECOGNISED THE IMPORTANCE OF BRINGING CHILDREN INTO CONTACT WITH ART. 

Missie

The Van Gogh Museum inspires a diverse audience with the life and work of Vincent van Gogh and his time. 

Mission

THE VAN GOGH MUSEUM INSPIRES A DIVERSE AUDIENCE WITH THE LIFE AND WORK OF VINCENT VAN GOGH AND HIS TIME

WE THINK IT IS A LOVELY QUOTE TO ILLUSTRATE THE MUSEUM’S MISSION, WHICH IS TO INSPIRE A DIVERSE AUDIENCE THROUGH THE LIFE AND WORK OF VINCENT VAN GOGH.

Program objectives

• Empower childrens self confidence and creativity.
• Pupils get to know the work and live of Vincent van Gogh.
• 21st century skills.

Training objectives

• Learn about the lessons 
• Get to know LessonUp
• Experience what your students will experience

AND OF COURSE, THIS MISSION IS CONNECTED TO THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAM, WHICH ARE:

· TO EMPOWER CHILDREN WITH SELF-CONFIDENCE AND CREATIVITY.

· TO ALLOW STUDENTS TO GET TO KNOW THE WORK AND LIFE OF VINCENT VAN GOGH.

· TO TEACH 21ST-CENTURY SKILLS LIKE CRITICAL THINKING AND CREATIVITY

· THE OBJECTIVES FOR THIS TRAINING ARE THEREFORE:

· TO LEARN ABOUT THE LESSONS

· TO FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH LESSONUP (THE ONLINE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT)

· TO EXPERIENCE WHAT YOUR STUDENTS WILL EXPERIENCE, BY TRYING OUT THE CREATIVE ASSIGNMENTS

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

IN THE FIRST LESSON, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU WILL DO A PERSONALITY TEST ‘HOW ALIKE ARE YOU AND VINCENT?’. EVERY TIME YOU ANSWER ‘YES’, YOU RECEIVE A POINT.

1. I don’t know what I want to be yet

2. I’m stubborn

3. I like nature

4. I find it difficult to stick to rules

5. I work hard / don’t give up easily

6. I fall in love very easily

7. I like to do things in a new or different way

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

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

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

HOW MANY POINTS DID YOU GET? I HAD ..

True of false?

WHAT DO YOUR STUDENTS ALREADY KNOW ABOUT VINCENT VAN GOGH? YOU CAN FIND IT OUT DURING THE INTERACTIVE QUIZ

True of false?
Statement 1:

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

THE ANSWER IS B.

Vincent was already producing amazing paintings when he was 12

Vincent had to practice a lot to become a good painter.

This is one of the questions covered in the first lesson. When we go through the lessons, the other questions are also discussed.

 

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

Vincent wrote:

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

- Read this quote by Vincent and discuss them with the students what it has to do with the way he would paint.

Watch the video and talk about the last question, ‘what is your talent’.

Listen to the meditation,

Where does this sound takes you? What do you think the painting looks like? The painting is described at the beginning of the meditation. It is the place where the butterfly lives.

With the students you’ll also listen to this fragment so they’ll imagine the painting without seeing it. 

 

Saint-Remy-de-Provence

Some general information about Saint-Rémy:

In 1889 and 1890, Van Gogh stayed in the Maison de Santé in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. He painted around 150 paintings there, including Almond Blossom.

When Vincent arrives at the Saint-Rémy psychiatric institution, he immediately gets to work. During periods when he was well, he often painted in the enclosed garden of the establishment. Later, he will also be authorized to work outside the walls.

Inside, he has an additional room that he can use as a workshop. There he notably made copies of artists such as Rembrandt and Millet.

His mental health goes through ups and downs. During one of his periods of great confusion, he ate oil paint, so that he was reduced to drawing for a while. In Saint-Rémy, however, Van Gogh was particularly productive: in one year, he painted some 150 paintings.

In April 1889, in Amsterdam, Theo married Johanna (‘Jo’) Bonger. In January 1890, Vincent, still at the Maison de Santé in Saint-Rémy, received a birth announcement. Theo and Jo named their son after him: Vincent Willem van Gogh. As a birth gift, he sends them a special painting: Almond Blossom.

Short chronology of Van Gogh's stay in Saint-Rémy.

Vincent van Gogh

Title: self-portrait with bandaged ear and pipe

Date: 1889

Collection: private collection

Artist: Carlos Alonso

Title: Retrato de Van Gogh

Date: 2014

In the second lesson the students discover more about artists who were inspired bij Van Gogh.

The piece on the right was made by Argentinian painter Carlos Alonso. He made several paintings about the life of Vincent van Gogh in which he made slight changes to Van Gogh’s work. What did he change here? Can you spot 5 differences?

Artist: Vincent van Gogh

Title: Portrait de l'artiste

Date: 1889

Collection: Musee d'Orsay

Artist: Zeng Fanzhi

Title: Van Gogh II

Date: 2017

MANY ARTISTS WERE INSPIRED BY VAN GOGH. HERE YOU SEE FOR EXAMPLE HOW THE CHINESE ARTIST ZENG FANZHI MADE HIS OWN VERSION OF THE PAINTING OF VAN GOGH. AFTER THE STUDENTS DISCUSSED HOW VAN GOGH INSPIRED FANZHI AND OTHER ARTISTS, THEY ARE GOING TO EXPLORE HOW VAN GOGH INSPIRED THEM AND CREATE THEIR OWN RECYCLED TREE. 

EVery lesson includes a creative assignment.

In lesson two, the students will think about their own 'almond blossom'. They will eventually make this 3-dimensional, but will start drawing in this lesson. They also think about the materials they will need for a 3-D tree.

QUOTE: 'I HAD A LOOK AT THE ALMOND BLOSSOM, I LIKED THE FLOWERS AND HOW COLOURFULL IT IS. THIS IS WHAT IS WHAT INSPIRES ME. SO WITH THAT IN MIND, I WILL FIRST MAKE A SKETCH OF THE TREE I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE. WITH THIS SKETCH I CAN THINK ABOUT THE MATERIALS I NEED TO MAKE THE TREE.'

GETTING INSPIRED, MAKING THIS SKETCH AND A MATERIAL LIST IS ONE LESSON. THEY NOW CAN START COLLECTING THE MATERIALS. 

THE NEXT LESSON THE STUDENTS BRING THE MATERIALS TO CLASS SO THEY CAN START MAKING THEIR ARTWORK.

IT IS GOOD TO HAVE SOME BASIC MATERIALS LIKE: PAPER, GLUE, TAPE AND PAINT AVAILABLE IN THE CLASSROOM DURING THIS SECOND LESSON.

Titre: Garden of the Asylum

Date: 1890

Collection: Musée van Gogh

In de third lesson the students are going to continue making their recycled artworks, and are going to set up a small exhibition to show all the work to each other.

HOPEFULLY I HAVE MANAGED TO GIVE YOU AN INSPIRING IDEA OF THE CONTENT AND FORM OF THE PROGRAMME. I’D LIKE TO END WITH AN IMPRESSION OF A CLASS THAT HAS COMPLETED A SIMILAR PROGRAMME ABOUT THE BEDROOM.

THANK YOU KINDLY FOR YOUR ATTENTION AND HAVE FUN!

Thank you!