Rembrandt

There are so many visual artists who have their birthdays in July; it is always difficult to pick just one for you to investigate. I think Rembrandt is who I will highlight this year.

Rembrandt van Rijn was born on July 15, 1606 in Leiden, Netherlands. He died on October 4, 1669 at the age of 63. He was a Dutch painter and etcher (that’s a special kind of printmaker). He is considered the most important painter and printmaker in Dutch history. Let me show you some examples of his work.

The Night Watch is one of Rembrandt’s most famous paintings because it is very large (11’ 10” X 14’ 4”), shows the perception of motion and the use of light and shadow. Let me introduce to an art term: chi•a•ro•scu•ro (kee-ahr-uh-skyoor-oh). This is the use of light and shade to show feelings or share drama. Rembrandt was a master of chiaroscuro.

He also did self-portraits every so many years during his life. I picked out three for you to study.
1628


1655


1658

If you want to learn more about Rembrandt van Rijn and create your own self-portrait click on the following and read the information provided.
http://www.nga.gov/kids/rembrandt-is.pdf

Maurits Cornelis Escher

Maurits Cornelis Escher was born in Leeuwarden, Netherlands on June 17, 1898. He is one of the world's most famous graphic artists. M. C. Escher is known for his often mathematically inspired woodcuts, lithographs, and mezzotints. The reason I chose him as our June artist is because I love the impossible constructions, explorations of infinity, architecture, and tessellations in his work. As a printmaker he combined his love of art and mathematics in his work. His art is enjoyed by millions of people all over the world, and I am one of them.

Click on his name below to learn more about the man and his art.
M. C. Escher

Click on the word tessellation to reach several more sites about Escher.

Some of my favorite Escher works are below:
Ascending and Descending

Sky and Water I

Drawing Hands

Metamorphosis


Do you have a favorite? Can you try and make a tessellation and create an M. C. Escher type design?

Henri Rousseau

Tiger in a Tropical Storm (Surprised)
Henri Rousseau was a French artist born in 1844 and died in 1910.
He was self taught and often painted jungle scenes and animals.
His paintings were almost always bright and colorful.
In order to learn more about Henri Rousseau click on the title of the tiger painting above. You can also get some great ideas for “Rousseau” inspired art projects that you can do over summer break. You can see many of his paintings too.

This is a picture of a "Rousseau" inspired jungle scene I created. What do you think of it? Do I have a foreground, middleground, background, and sky? Did I show lots of different values of green?


You can create a jungle scene too! Click on the word "JUNGLE" to go to the National Gallery website to start your scene.
You must have Adobe Shockwave to create your own.

Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452 and died on May 2, 1519. He was a great Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, inventor, and scientist. He is my chosen artist for April. If you want to explore more, click on Leonardo da Vinci.

Also click on Mona Lisa to really play with her face and warp it into a really wierd looking Mona.

If you check out my older post from 2008 you can do a timed Mona Lisa puzzle too.

Piet Mondrian

Piet Mondrian was a Dutch artist who was born March 7, 1872. He died Feb. 1, 1944. He is most famous for his non-representational paintings. Learn more about one by watching this short video.

Norman Rockwell

The artist I want you to learn more about for February is Norman Rockwell, an American illustrator and artist. He was born on February 3, 1894 in his parent’s Upper West Side Manhattan apartment in New York City. I found these two videos for you to watch. They not only show you a tremendous amount of his artwork, but also give you valuable information about both the artist and the changes taking place in the United States during his lifetime.


What do you think about his artwork?
Why don't you try to make an illustration showing an activity or an event in your life that was important to you?

Claes Oldenburg

Spoonbridge and Cherry 1985-1988
Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen
aluminum, stainless steel, paint
354 x 618 x 162 in.

It is time for me to select an artist for January. I just love the sculptures by Claes Oldenberg. After several years of working alone, he now works with his wife, Coosje van Bruggen to create some really, really big sculptures of everyday objects.

Here is some background information on him. Claes Oldenburg was born January 28, 1929 in Stockholm, Sweden, the son of a Swedish diplomat. As a child he and his family moved to United States in 1936, first to New York then to Chicago. His nationality is Swedish-American. He is best known for his large public Pop Art sculptures.


Corridor Pin, Blue, 1999
Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen
Stainless steel and aluminum painted with polyurethane enamel, edition 3/3;
21 ft. 3 in. x 21 ft. 2 in. x 1 ft. 4 in.

Pop Art was an art movement and style that began in England in the 1950s and then really got going in the United States during the 1960s. Pop artists focused their attention on familiar images and popular culture such as billboards, comic strips, magazine advertisements, supermarket products, famous icons, or everyday objects.


Shuttlecocks
Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen
In July 1994, this outdoor sculpture was commissioned for the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art and was installed in the Kansas City Sculpture Park.

Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen (from the Netherlands) started working together during the 1970s. They have made more than 40 large-scale sculptures around the world. Now they live in the United States.

They take ordinary everyday objects for their sculptures but do them on a really large scale.

Clothespin
Center Square Plaza, Philadelphia, PA
Claes Oldenburg
1976, Cor-Ten and stainless steel
45 ft. x 12 ft. 3 in. x 4 ft. 6 in.