Lesson 1: This is Vincent

• Art

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. 

A or B?

Check what the students already know about Vincent van Gogh. Explain that you’re going to show eight slides, each with two statements. One is true and one is false. What do the kids think, and why? First, read out both statements, so they can think for a moment. Then read them again. Anyone who thinks the statement is true should stand. If they think it’s false, they stay seated. This gives you an idea of what the kids already know, and you can gather some basic information. Use the information in this guide to give and explain the right answer for each slide.  

A or B?
Statement 1:

1. Vincent van Gogh lived from 1853 to 1890
2. Vincent van Gogh is still alive

The first statement (A) is true. 

Vincent lived over 130 years ago. He only lived to the age of 37. 

A or B?
Statement 2:

1. Vincent was a Dutch artist who moved to France
2. Vincent was a French artist

The first statement (A) is true. 

Vincent was Dutch, but he made a lot of his paintings in France. He moved to Paris to get inspiration from French artists. He later moved to the French countryside because he loved painting it. Point out the different places on the map (see next slide).

Orange arrow is pointing to The Netherlands

Blue arrow is pointing to  France

Old map: 1843

A or B?
Statement 3:

1. Vincent painted the Sunflowers, the Potato Eaters and 43 other paintings
2. Vincent made more than 850 paintings

Statement B is true. 

Vincent made more than 850 paintings in his life. We don’t know exactly how many, because lots of them have been lost. He also painted over some, and he swapped his paintings for other artworks. But he made many many paintings in just 10 years, that is certain. He called himself a ‘painting-locomotive’ (Vincent lived in the age of the steam train). 

A or B?
Statement 4:

1. This is a photo of Vincent van Gogh .
2. This is a self-portrait by Vincent van Gogh.

Both are true. The photo shows Vincent at 19, when he did not yet know he would become a painter. He had put on his best clothes for a photograph that was going to be a gift for his father. In the self-portrait Vincent is a grown man. He painted himself looking in the mirror. Do the kids think the person in the photo and the self-portrait look the same? Unfortunately, there are no photo portraits of Vincent as an adult. 

A or B?
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 6:

1. We do not know what Vincent was trying to say in his paintings
2. Vincent wrote hundreds of letters about his art

Statement B is true. 

Vincent sometimes wrote two letters a day, most of them to his brother Theo. A lot of his letters have survived and they have been published. A lot of what we know about Vincent van Gogh comes from his letters. 

True of false?
Statement 7:

1. Vincent got money from his brother Theo to buy painting stuff
2. Vincent was a poor artist

Statement A is true. 

Lots of people think that Vincent was a poor artist. Actually, he had plenty of money, he just spent it rather quickly! He mainly bought lots and lots of painting stuff, but he also had to pay his rent. Vincent didn’t earn any money himself. He got it from his brother Theo, who tried to sell Vincent’s paintings in exchange. Theo continued to send Vincent money for ten years to help him make his living as a painter. 

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. 

Info

Title: The Red Vineyard

Date: 1888

Collection:  Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow.

After answering the true/false questions, the kids know quite a lot about Van Gogh. Tell them that you’re now going to watch a film clip in which will they will find out more about him.

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

What are some facts you learned about Vincent? 

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.

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.

-    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?

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?

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

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

Now remove the first part of each sentence, leaving only the words you added. This is the basis of the poem.

Example for teachers:
the end of summer

grass tickling my feet and sun on my cheeks

French stew
cicadas and footsteps
holiday

Is there anything you would like to change in your poem? You could for example repeat or move words or phrases. Or add something.

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.

Explain: Vincent made this painting, the Yellow House, in Arles too.  
An artist has made a soundscape to go with it.  
Listen to the soundscape together, and have the students write a poem about Sunflowers in the same way as they did about The Harvest.
Students who wish to may share their poem to the soundscape, as before.

Explain: we’re going to use this last part of the lesson to do a drawing assignment that will help us get to know Vincent better. As you know, he was 27 when he became a painter. He had had no art training, so he had to do a lot of practice to learn to draw and paint. He made a huge number of sketches – very quick drawings – in just a short time, to learn as much as possible. He didn’t get everything right first time by any means, but never gave up. In this next assignment we’re going to try and get in the flow of drawing, like Vincent. We’re going to make lots of little sketches very quickly. It doesn’t matter if it goes well or not. It’s a matter of looking carefully and just trying. There sometimes won’t be enough time to do any more than make a start.

Assignment

You’re about to see eight paintings and drawings by Vincent on the screen, one after another. They are paintings of farmers like those in The Harvest, busy working their land, so they will be in difficult poses. Try to draw the farmer in each painting as well as you can.

Assignment: You’re about to see eight paintings and drawings by Vincent on the screen, one after another. They are paintings of farmers like those in The Harvest, busy working their land, so they will be in difficult poses. Try to draw the farmer in each painting as well as you can.

In the beginning you will only have a very short time, so you will only be able to draw the main shapes. Later you will have more time, so you can add more details, and maybe some shading. The time limit will help you to get into the flow.

There is a timer with each painting. You’re going to try and draw the first three farmers in one minute, then you will get 3 x 2 minutes, then 2 x 5 minutes and 1 x 8 minutes.

Draw your sketches in the boxes on your worksheet.

Explain: this is an example of a painting you will see in a moment. The farmer is looking down at the earth,  because he is mowing. Try to draw him in this position. And here’s another picking potatoes. As you might have noticed, their elbows and knees are often bent. When you’re copying the farmers, make sure you get show how their bodies are bent. Their back is often not pointing straight up, but down towards the earth.

Reflect on the assignment with the students.

How was it for you?
During this exercise the students probably experienced all kinds of emotions that Van Gogh also experienced when he was trying to become a good painter.
Who felt frustrated, or helpless?
Who enjoyed it, surprised themselves or had some other good feeling?
What was it like to have very little time? How did it feel to have more time?
Did you manage to find the strength in yourself to just carry on?

Explain: in the following lessons you will get to know the artist in you better and better. Keep everything you’ve made during this lesson, even the sketches that are not finished, or which you think are not so good. In lesson 5 we’ll look back and decide what to include in the exhibition.