Painting

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

• about human existance
• Renaissance
• vibrantly
• Impressionist

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Looking at art is a fun thing to do, but it’s also an important part of understanding the world we live in. Artists are innovators and they express new views and opinions about human existence. Seeing art is a good way to learn more about ourselves.
Painting is one of the oldest and most popular art forms. Ever since people began painting on cave walls 45,000 years ago, painting has been an important method of communicating ideas and telling stories.
Read on to learn about some of the most interesting painters and paintings in the world.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

The history of painting goes back as far as human life on earth, but the paintings that people around the world most often think about as high art began with the Renaissance.

One of the most famous and most viewed paintings on earth is on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. Painted by Michelangelo over 4 long years (1508-1512), the ceiling is covered by over 3,000 lifelike figures. The chapel was restored in 1994, so all of Michelangelo’s beautiful colors are vibrantly exposed.

During the era of the Impressionists (late 1800’s), a Dutch painter named Vincent Van Gogh painted many of the world’s most recognized and sought-after paintings. For example, on March 30, 1987 Van Gogh’s painting Irises was sold for a record $53.9 million in New York. On May 15, 1990 his Portrait of Doctor Gachet was sold for $82.5 million. Even people who know very little about art can usually recognize a Van Gogh painting.

In addition to Van Gogh, one of the other most recognized painters in world history is Pablo Picasso. Picasso was one of the inventors of Cubism, a style in which one can see multiple sides of the same object. His work has also attracted art buyers who are willing to pay huge sums of money. His Femme aux Bras Croisés sold for $50 million on November 8, 2000.

 

Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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