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jacques-louis david

May 13, 2025 7 Comments

The Best Examples of Balance in Art: Symmetrical, Asymmetrical, and Radial

Inside: A curated collection of examples of balance in art—including symmetrical, asymmetrical, and radial compositions. This resource is part of our comprehensive Elements and Principles of Art series, designed to support and inspire your art lessons.

Balance is a fundamental principle in art that helps create visual harmony and stability. Whether through symmetry, asymmetry, or radial designs, artists use balance to guide the viewer’s eye and evoke specific feelings.

In this post, you’ll find a variety of artworks demonstrating different types of balance, perfect for sparking discussion and analysis in your classroom.

👉 Want a printable to accompany these examples? Grab the free Elements & Principles Pack below. Just click the yellow “Download” button.

Free Resource!

* Elements & Principles Printable Pack *

The Elements & Principles of Art are the foundation of every artwork, but teaching them can be a bore. Wake your students up and engage them with full color artworks, easy to understand definitions, and thought-provoking higher level thinking questions. This versatile resource can be hung in the classroom or used as an art manipulative.

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Free Resource!

* Elements & Principles Printable Pack *

The Elements & Principles of Art are the foundation of every artwork, but teaching them can be a bore. Wake your students up and engage them with full color artworks, easy to understand definitions, and thought-provoking higher level thinking questions. This versatile resource can be hung in the classroom or used as an art manipulative.

Explore the full Elements of Art and Principles of Design series for more resources and examples to enrich your curriculum.

For ready-to-use classroom activities, check out our printable art interpretation worksheets.

Download the Free Elements and Principles Printable Pack


This pack of printables was designed to work in a variety of ways in your classroom when teaching the elements and principles of art. You can print and hang in your classroom as posters/anchor charts or you can cut each element and principle of art in its own individual card to use as a lesson manipulative.

What does balance mean in art?

Balance in art is just what is sounds like; it is the sense of stability in a work of art. To create balance in art, artists combine the visual components to ensure that one part of the artwork doesn’t completely overshadow the rest. Each choice made by the artist is a deliberate one in order to ensure equilibrium and balance in the art. Artists create this pleasing effect using the different types of balance in art listed below.

Symmetrical Balance in Art Examples

Symmetrical Balance in Art Examples

What is symmetrical balance in art? Symmetrical balance in art is when each half of the artwork is identical or very similar. Draw a line through the artwork and compare each side.

  • Cimabue, Santa Trinita Madonna, 1280-90
  • Pietro Perugino, Christ Giving the Keys to St. Peter, 1481–1482
  • American 19th Century, Cutout of Animals, second quarter 19th century
  • Frida Kahlo, Self-Portrait, 1940
  • Chokwe people, African, Chibinda Ilunga, mid-19th century
  • Naum Gabo, Untitled sculpture in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, 1957
  • Georgia O’Keefe, Oriental Poppies, 1928
  • Diego Rivera, Flower Day, 1925
  • Ancient Greece, The Parthenon, 447-438 B.C.E.
  • Tapirapé, Cara Grande feather mask, c. 1960
  • Japan, Portrait sculpture of a Zen priest, 14th–15th century
  • M.C. Escher, many
  • Francis Bacon, Figure with Meat, 1909-92
  • Salvador Dalì, Mae West Lips Sofa, 1938
The Art Curator for Kids - Example Artworks the Show Balance - Asymmetrical Balance Examples

Asymmetrical Balance in Art Examples

What is asymmetrical balance in art? Asymmetrical balance in art is when each half is different but has equal visual weight. The artwork is still balanced. For example, in the Caravaggio (the picture in the right in the collage), the three men are balanced with Jesus on the left. Jesus is facing forward and in brighter light which balances out the three men in shadow.

  • James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Arrangement in Grey and Black: Portrait of the Painter’s Mother known as “Whistler’s Mother,” 1871
  • Caravaggio, The Incredulity of Saint Thomas, 1601-02
  • Georges Seurat, A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, 1884
  • Edgar Degas, The Rehearsal, 1877
  • Edgar Degas, Dancers Practicing at the Barre, 1876-77
  • Gian Lorenzo Bernini, David, 1623
  • Alexander Calder, Mobile, 1942
  • Yinka Shonibare, Dysfunctional Family, 1999
  • Katsushika Hokusai, The Great Wave off Kanagawa, c. 1829-32
  • Paul Strand, Abstraction, Twin Lakes, Connecticut, 1916
  • Ikebana, various
  • Vincent van Gogh, The Starry Night, 1889
  • Jacques-Louis David, Oath of the Horatii, 1785
  • Edward Hopper, Nighthawks, 1942
The Art Curator for Kids - Example Artworks the Show Balance - Radial Balance Examples

Radial Balance in Art Examples

What is radial balance in art? Radial balance in art is when there are equal parts that radiate out from the center. Think of it like pieces of pie. You will find in the examples of balance in art here that there can be many equal pieces–from 3 in the Charles II Charger to 16 in the Gothic Rose window!

  • Gothic Rose Windows
  • England, 17th century, Charger of Charles II in the Boscobel Oak, c. 1685
  • M.C. Escher, many
  • Mandalas, many
  • Melozzo da Forlì, St. Mark’s Sacristy, 1480s
The Art Curator for Kids - Example Artworks the Show Balance - Off-Balance Examples

Off-Balance or Unbalanced Artworks (kind of)

It’s hard to find artworks that are unbalanced by well-known artists. These teeter on the edge between asymmetrically-balanced and unbalanced. It’s up for debate and would be a great discussion with your students!

  • Edgar Degas, Race Horses, 1885-1888
  • Paul Cezanne, Still Life with Apples and a Pot of Primroses, c. 1890
  • Precolumbian, Presentation of Captives to a Maya Ruler, A.D. 785
  • John Singer Sargent, El Jaleo, 1882
  • Juan Sánchez Cotán, Quince, Cabbage, Melon, and Cucumber, 1602
  • Judith Leyster, A Boy and Girl with a Cat and an Eel, c. 1635
  • Paulus Potter, The Bull, 1647
  • Harmen Steenwyck, Still Life: An Allegory of the Vanities of Human Life, c. 1640

Do you have great examples of balance in art? Share them with me in the comments, and I will add it to the list!

💡 Looking for more comprehensive art appreciation resources?

Join the Curated Connections Library to access a wealth of lessons, activities, and professional development materials tailored for art educators.
👉 Learn more here

Elements and Principles Teaching Bundle

This extraordinary bundle includes the best resources for teaching each of the elements and principles—37 worksheets/handouts, 15 lessons (with accompanying PowerPoints and Handouts), 3 ready-to-go art analysis activities, 3 art analysis videos, and 13 elements and principle PDF articles.

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There you have it! The best examples of balance in art for your elements and principles of art lessons. Want more elements and principles of art teacher resources? Check out the below posts.



The Art Curator for Kids -Example Artworks that Show Space - The Elements and Principles of Art Series-300The Art Curator for Kids - Example Artworks that Show Line - The Elements and Principles of Art - 300The Art Curator for Kids - Example Artworks that Show Emphasis - The Elements and Principles of Art SeriesElements and Principles of Art - Artworks that Show Proportion in art and ScaleThe Art Curator for Kids - Elements and Principles of Art Series - Artworks that Show Shape - 300The Art Curator for Kids - Why I Hate the Elements and Principles But Teach Them Anyway - 300The Art Curator for Kids - How Artists Depict Space - Masterpiece Monday - John Sloan , South Beach Bathers, 1907-1908, Art Lessons for Kids - Elements of Art Lessons

Filed Under: Elements and Principles of Art
Tagged With: alexander calder, caravaggio, cimabue, diego rivera, edgar degas, edward hopper, francis bacon, frida kahlo, georges seurat, georgia o'keeffe, gian lorenzo bernini, harmen steenwyck, jacques-louis david, james whistler, john singer sargent, juan sánchez cotán, judith leyster, leonardo da vinci, m.c. escher, naum gabo, paul cezanne, paul strand, paulus potter, pietro perugino, salvador dali, vincent van gogh, yinka shonibare

 

March 28, 2016 6 Comments

How to Compare and Contrast Art to Teach Art History

Inside: Use these techniques artwork examples to compare and contrast art in your classroom. Art comparison help students see the art in a new way and make the conventions of an art movement more clear and understandable.

If I had to pick my favorite teaching method for art history, it probably would be compare and contrast art. When you place two artworks next to each other, new ways of understanding the art can open up!

Compare and Contrast art

There are multiple ways to compare and contrast art:

  • comparing works of art from the same art movement or period to look for commonalities and shared themes,
  • comparing two depictions of the same subject,
  • comparing works of art from one period with works from the period that came before,
  • and probably many more!

Using Compare and Contrast to Teach Art History

In this post, I focus on comparing works from one period with art from the period that comes before. I love this method because, in addition to reviewing prior knowledge, you teach students to discover the conventions of the art movement or period on their own.

It’s easy to tell students that the conventions of Baroque art are contrasted between light and dark, intimate compositions, use of contemporary everyday models, foreshortening, etc, but they won’t remember it unless they find those things for themselves. When you put a Baroque artwork next to a Renaissance artwork, those conventions become immediately clear.

Use the following artwork pairs to have students better understand and connect with the conventions and themes of the art periods.

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Get the Full Lesson!

This Lesson is in The Curated Connections Library!

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Compare and Contrast Art Examples: Renaissance/Baroque

In my Italian Baroque lesson (which you can download as a member of The Curated Connections Library), I have 4 sets of images that I print and have students compare and contrast art in small groups. My favorite set is Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper and Caravaggio’s Supper at Emmaus.

Side by side-The Last Supper and Supper at Emmaus, art comparisons
At left: Caravaggio, Supper at Emmaus, 1601; At right: Leonardo Da Vinci, The Last Supper, 1495

Lead a discussion on these artworks being sure to note the differences in the lighting, the people, the setting/background, the positions of the people, the lines, and the colors.

Compare and Contrast Art Examples: Ancient Rome/Byzantine

After Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, art took a drastic turn from the focus on man to the focus on God. I love to compare this Roman mosaic with the mosaic of Justinian and his attendant.

Justinian and two athletes mosaics, how to compare and contrast art paintings
At left: Mosaic, Church of San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy, Justinian and his Retinue (noblemen, patrons, attendants), 6th Century C.E. At right: Floor mosaic from Baths of Caracalla , Vatican Museums, Rome, Two athletes, c.200-500 C.E.

The differences in subject matter are clear. The Roman artwork glorifies the strength and the body of a man while the Byzantine artwork no longer shows the men with realistic proportions in art. Students will note the differences in body proportions, the use of color and pattern, and the Byzantine complexity vs. the Roman simplicity.

Compare and Contrast Art Examples: Romanesque/Gothic

Romanesque is kind of a weird art period to teach. It is so varied and transitional. Putting a Romanesque building next to a Gothic really trains students to look closely at details and notice the glory and impressive engineering of a Gothic Cathedral!

Gothic architecture comparing artworks
At left: Abbey of la Madaleine, Vézelay, Photo Credit: Delta 51; At right: Cathedral at Reims, Photo Credit: bodoklecksel

Check out this past post on teaching Gothic architecture for more information about this side-by-side.

Resource Library Subscribers: Download the Gothic PowerPoint.

Compare and Contrast Art Examples: Neoclassical/Romantic

The honor and stoicism of Neoclassical art is a great contrast to the emotional turmoil of Romanticism. Compare David’s Oath of the Horatii with Delacroix’s Lady Liberty Leading the People.

compare and contrast art history
At left: Eugene Delacroix, Liberty Leading the People, 1830; At right: Jacques-Louis David, The Oath of the Horatii, 1784

Patriotism and nationalism are key themes in both of these art movements, but this manifested in their art in incredibly different ways. This art comparison works really well too with a poetry writing exercise. Have students write haikus about the paintings, and then compare the language used in each.

Compare and Contrast Art Examples: Impressionism/Post-Impressionism

I find Post-Impressionism a little harder to teach than other art movements. It’s mainly just a collection of artists in this strange transition period between Impressionism and Modern Art. It’s Impressionism but it’s not. It’s Fauvism but it’s not.

compare and contrast art
At left: Claude Monet, Wheatstacks (End of Summer), 1890-91; At right: Vincent van Gogh, The Starry Night, 1889

Putting a Van Gogh next to a Monet works as an art comparison because you can really notice the addition of emotion. I describe Post-Impressionism to my students as Impressionism+Emotion+Bolder, Unrealistic Colors.

Classroom Connection


The compare and contrast art activity from the bundle of free art appreciation worksheets is a great way to get students thinking.

What other artworks do you like to compare and contrast with your students? Please share in the comments!

Filed Under: Art Connection Activities, Art Teacher Tips, Featured
Tagged With: best of art class curator, caravaggio, claude monet, eugene delacroix, jacques-louis david, leonardo da vinci, vincent van gogh

 

September 13, 2015 7 Comments

Exploring Narrative in Art

the Art Curator for Kids - Exploring Narrative in Art-700x1000
the Art Curator for Kids - Exploring Narrative in Art

One of the best ways for a student to connect with art is through narrative or story. Really, it’s not just appropriate for just students–we all connect through narrative. Narrative is how all of us see the world and how we connect with each other. We put together stories in our heads for situations in our lives. We try to fill in the blanks. And when we first see a work of art for the first time, we often go straight to narrative (if the strong emotions in the work don’t grab us first!).

The benefits of including narrative writing in your curriculum are many: from emotional expression to social and cultural awareness and understanding to developing creativity. Hearing others’ stories and telling your own story are powerful.

Art is a natural fit for narrative because much art tells a story, but that story is up for interpretation from the viewer. The story and the art itself changes depending on who is looking at it. The artist leaves us clues and descriptors and emotions, and we are left to put the pieces together. It is exciting and creative and challenging.

I say it is challenging, but really our kids don’t find it as daunting as we do as adults. They are primed for story creating, and all we need to do is help guide them through the process. The rest of this post gives you a step by step guide to exploring narrative through art.

Analyze the Painting: Visual Thinking Strategies

This human focus on the narrative is what led Abigail Housen and Philip Yenawine to develop Visual Thinking Strategies (or VTS). I’ve briefly mentioned them before on the blog here. VTS was created in response to Housen’s stage theory of Aesthetic Development (source). Don’t click away; I won’t bore you with the details, but she discovered that there are five stages of how people interact with artwork. In the first stage or Accountive stage, viewers of art focus on narrative.

Accountive viewers are storytellers. Using their senses, memories, and personal associations, they make concrete observations about a work of art that are woven into a narrative. Here, judgments are based on what is known and what is liked. Emotions color viewers’ comments, as they seem to enter the work of art and become part of its unfolding narrative. (source)

vts image

So, what is VTS?
With VTS, you use three questions only: “What’s going on in this picture?”, “What do you see that makes you say that?”, and “What more can you find?” That’s it! You basically just keep poking and prodding the student for more information and connecting his or her ideas together. Starting with that key question, “What’s going on?” will spark a lot of ideas and stories in the student. The question hints at narrative but doesn’t limit the student’s response. I was really skeptical of this strategy when we discussed it in grad school, but honestly, I find it to be a very effective way of talking about art with students.

Develop the Story

While I think VTS is useful and works very well, sometimes you want to go deeper into the interpretation of the work. Remember, this is YOUR or your student’s story. Don’t look up the “right answer.” Your interpretation is just as correct as whatever you might find to read about the work.

  1. The first step of interpreting narrative in art is fully exploring the painting–taking an inventory of all of the things, emotions, places, actions, and people present in the work. The artist makes a lot of choices that impact the story, so make sure you and your student have discovered and analyzed these choices fully.
  2. Next, you can work together or alone through writing to figure out what happened before the moment depicted in the painting. Figure out the motives and personalities of the characters. What were they doing in painting, and what did they do to get to that point? What were they reacting to? Why were they feeling those emotions? Create a back story.
  3. After developing the back story and present story, create what will happen next. Back up ideas that you have with clues from the painting, but feel free to get creative.
  4. Outline the story and flesh out the details. Study parts of a story to make sure you have all the elements of a good narrative and to connect with your language arts curriculum.

Document the Story and Create

Once you have figured out your story, take it further with one or more of these activities.

  1. Draw, paint, or storyboard the story. Create new paintings of moments in the story before or after the painting in question. Or, create a storyboard with all of the key points illustrated as if preparing for an animated movie on a notecard or a template printed from online.
  2. Write it out. Depending on the age and ability of the student, write out the story. You could have the student write a short story or a screenplay. If your student is unable to write yet, take a video of him or her telling the story out loud or write it down for her.
  3. Act it out. Have students work with other students to put on a play or make a video. Make costumes and props, develop the script, and practice the emotions.
  4. Create a tableau vivant. If you have multiple students, create a series of tableaux vivants, or living pictures. Have them create the story using their bodies with props if you’d like. This is basically like a freeze-frame. You could have them do one point of the story as a freeze-frame which morphs into another freeze frame for the middle of the story which then morphs into the end of the story. Snap pictures of each tableau to document the learning experience. It may sound like a silly activity, but the students I have done this with always get a good laugh out of it and it helps them make a deeper connection with the artwork.

Your Turn!

Let’s try it out. Take a close look at this artwork.

Jacques-Louis David, The Death of Socrates, 1787
Jacques-Louis David, The Death of Socrates, 1787

Develop the story based on clues from the painting, and tell me your story in the comments. 🙂

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This Lesson is in The Curated Connections Library!

Find the full lesson from this post along with hundreds of other art teaching resources and trainings in the Curated Connections Library. Click here for more information about how to join or enter your email below for a free SPARKworks lesson from the membership!

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Get the Full Lesson!

This Lesson is in The Curated Connections Library!

Find the full lesson from this post along with hundreds of other art teaching resources and trainings in the Curated Connections Library. Click here for more information about how to join or enter your email below for a free SPARKworks lesson from the membership!

This article was originally published on June 18, 2014.

Filed Under: Art and Artists, Downloads and Resources
Tagged With: bartolome esteban murillo, best of art class curator, caravaggio, eugene delacroix, gian lorenzo bernini, jacques-louis david

 

May 31, 2015 1 Comment

Art About Art: 6 Artworks about Other Works of Art

The Art Curator for Kids - Art About Art History - 6 Artsworks that Are About Other Works of Art - These are so much fun!

I’m a big art history nerd, so I love art that references other artworks in funny and interesting ways. Check out these 6 works of art that are about other works of art. These works add something new to the conversation and make us think about the original works of art differently. These works would be a really fun addition to your art and aesthetics lessons with your high school or college art or art history classes.

The Art Curator for Kids - Art About Art History - 6 Artsworks that Are About Other Works of Art - These are so much fun!

For more information about how to talk about art with kids, check out this post on how to look at art with kids for tips on discussion artworks. You can also use my art worksheets with these artworks.

Yasumasa Morimura, Las Meninas Reborn in the Night: Las Meninas renacen de noche IV: Peering at the secret scene behind the artist, 2013

The Art Curator for Kids - Art About Art History - Las Meninas by Diego Velazquez and Yasumasa Morimura


It was close to impossible to pick just one artwork by Yasumasa Morimura! He has done dozens or more of artworks where he adds himself into artworks by Rembrandt, Frida Kahlo, Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent van Gogh, Vermeer, Salvador Dalí, Andy Warhol, and many more! Visit this website to see them all.

I chose this one because it shows another view of the artwork and makes us think about it in different ways. We see what the artist is painting (with the artist’s face on the girl on the painting), and we also see the painting in situ at the Prado Museum in Madrid.

He did other versions of this painting as well. He recreated it with himself as all of the characters and did one with the King and the Queen looking at the painting.

I have seen Yasumasa Morimura be referred to as the Cindy Sherman of Japan. One of Cindy Sherman’s works is down below.

Rene Magritte, Perspective: Madame Récamier by David, 1951

The Art Curator for Kids - Art About Art History - René Magritte and Jacques-Louis David, Madame Récamier

This painting by René Magritte always makes me chuckle. Magritte has a masterful way of making ordinary things amusing. I’m not going to say much about this one, because I’d like you and your students to ponder it on your own.

Cindy Sherman, Untitled (#224), 1990

The Art Curator for Kids - Art About Art History - Cindy Sherman, Untitled 224 and Caravaggio Young Sick Bacchus

Contemporary artist, Cindy Sherman, created a series of historical portraits where she put herself into famous portraits. Young Sick Bacchus by Caravaggio is said to be a self-portrait of the artist as the Roman god of wine, the harvest, theatre, and “ritual madness.”

You can read an interview with Cindy Sherman about the history portrait series on the art:21 website.

Aesthetics Lesson Bundle

What is art? Get your students in the mindset to THINK in art class and lead fun art discussions with this lesson bundle!

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Robert Rauschenberg, Erased de Kooning Drawing, 1953

The Art Curator for Kids - Art About Art History - Erased de Kooning Drawing by Robert Rauschenberg

This artwork is the focus of another one of the Puzzles about Art aesthetics lessons I have written about on the website in the past.

Here’s the text from the activity sheet I used in my college classes about this art. The below text is from Battin, M.P., Fisher, J., Moore, R., and Silvers, A. (1989). Puzzles about art: An aesthetics casebook. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

In 1953, Robert Rauschenberg, a young though not inconsequential artist, asked Willem de Kooning (famous artist) to participate in an art project. De Kooning, who was not only older and much more established than Rauschenberg, but whose works sold for considerable sums of money, agreed to participate and gave Rauschenberg what he considered to be an important drawing which was executed in heavy crayon, grease pencil, ink, and graphite. Rauschenberg spent a month on the work, erasing it completely. Then he placed the de Kooning drawing in a gold leaf frame and hand-lettered the date and title on the drawing: Erased de Kooning Drawing, 1953. Rauschenberg had not only erased de Kooning’s work, but he had also exhibited the “erasure” as his work of art.Has Rauschenberg created a work of art, destroyed one, or perhaps both? Why?“

The de Kooning work from the picture is NOT the one he erased. I included it as an example of a de Kooning drawing so you could have an idea of what it looked it before Rauschenberg erased it.

Guerilla Girls, Do Women Have to Be Naked to Get Into the Met Museum?, 1989–2005

The Art Curator for Kids - Art About Art History - Guerilla Girls and Ingres, La Grande Odalisque

This iconic Guerilla Girls work is not necessarily about Ingres’ painting, but I have included it to show where they got the image from the poster. The Guerilla Girls are an anonymous group of women dedicated to fighting sexism in the art world. They point out injustices and inequalities at museums and galleries with public art pieces, billboards, t-shirts, bumper stickers, handbills, etc. Their protest art is data-driven and often uses humor to make their point.

Marcel Duchamp, L.H.O.O.Q., 1919

The Art Curator for Kids - Art About Art History - Mona Lisa by da Vinci and L.H.O.O.Q. by Duchamp

Marcel Duchamp and the dada art movement questioned the idea of art. What is art? Can you take the most famous painting, make a print of it, add a mustache and a caption, and it still be a work of art? Is art about the idea or the image?

The letters are wordplay. If you say those letters in french quickly, it sounds like you are saying the equivalent of “there is fire down below.”

Thanks for visiting! Which of these do you find the most interesting? What artworks did I miss? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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Get the Full Lesson!

This Lesson is in The Curated Connections Library!

Find the full lesson from this post along with hundreds of other art teaching resources and trainings in the Curated Connections Library. Click here for more information about how to join or enter your email below for a free SPARKworks lesson from the membership!

Filed Under: Art and Artists
Tagged With: caravaggio, cindy sherman, diego velazquez, guerilla girls, jacques-louis david, jean-auguste-dominique ingres, rene magritte, robert rauschenberg, willem de kooning, yasumasa morimura

 

February 11, 2015 2 Comments

Kinesthetic Learning in Art: Artworks That Make You Move

The Art Curator for Kids - Kinesthetic Learning in Art - Art that Makes you Move

The Art Curator for Kids - Kinesthetic Learning in Art - Art that Makes you Move

On Monday, I listed 10 kinesthetic art activities to do in front of works of art. Now, here are 12 artworks that can be explored through movement. Show the art to the kids and get them moving with some kinesthetic art appreciation activities!

Don’t stop there; be sure to discuss the artwork with your students as well using these ways to talk about art with kids.

Note: Some of these artworks contain nudity. You can make the decision for your own families/classes whether or not you are comfortable showing it to kids. The great majority of students I’ve taught were able to handle this respectfully. It’s only weird if you make it weird.

The Art Curator for Kids - Kinesthetic Art History, kinesthetic learning in art - Titian_Bacchus_and_Ariadne from 1520 until 1523
Titian, Bacchus and Ariadne, 1520-23

Teens of the 90s may recognize this one. “Mmm mmm mmm mmm.”

The Art Curator for Kids - Kinesthetic Art History, kinesthetic learning in art - Indian, Shiva as Lord of Dance (Nataraja), ca. 11th century
Indian, Shiva as Lord of Dance (Nataraja), ca. 11th century, Met Museum
The Art Curator for Kids - Kinesthetic Art History, kinesthetic learning in art - Emil Nolde, Dance Around the Golden Calf, 1910
Emile Nolde, Dance Around the Golden Calf, 1910
The Art Curator for Kids - Kinesthetic Art History, kinesthetic learning in art - El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos), The Vision of Saint John, ca. 1609–14
El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos), The Vision of Saint John, ca. 1609–14
The Art Curator for Kids - Kinesthetic Art History, kinesthetic learning in art - Auguste Rodin, The Burghers of Calais, 1884-86 by AgnosticPreachersKid
Auguste Rodin, The Burghers of Calais, 1884-86, Photo by AgnosticPreachersKid
The Art Curator for Kids - Kinesthetic Art History, kinesthetic learning in art - Durga as Slayer of the Buffalo Demon Mahisha (Mahishasura Mardini), 14th-15th century
Nepalese, Durga as Slayer of the Buffalo Demon Mahisha (Mahishasura Mardini), 14th-15th century, Met Museum
The Art Curator for Kids - Kinesthetic Art History, kinesthetic learning in art - Masaccio, Expulsion from the Garden of Eden, c. 1424-28
Masaccio, Expulsion from the Garden of Eden, c. 1424-28
The Art Curator for Kids - Kinesthetic Art History, kinesthetic learning in art - Michelangelo, Creation of Adam, Sistene Ceiling
Michelangelo, Creation of Adam, Sistene Ceiling, 1508-12
The Art Curator for Kids - Kinesthetic Art History, kinesthetic learning in art - Marc Chagall, The Juggler, 1943, Oil on canvas, The Art Institute of Chicago
Marc Chagall, The Juggler, 1943, Oil on canvas, Click to See Larger
The Art Curator for Kids - Kinesthetic Art History - kinesthetic learning in art, Laocoön and his sons, also known as the Laocoön Group, Copy after Hellenistic original of c. 200 BCE
Laocoön and his sons, also known as the Laocoön Group, Copy after Hellenistic original of c. 200 BCE
The Art Curator for Kids - Kinesthetic Art History, kinesthetic learning in art - Pontormo, Deposition from the Cross, 1525-1528
Pontormo, Deposition from the Cross, 1525-1528
The Art Curator for Kids - Kinesthetic Art History, kinesthetic learning in art - Jacques-Louis David-The Death of Socrates
Jacques-Louis David, The Death of Socrates, 1787

Which one is your favorite?

Check out part one of this post:

The Art Curator for Kids - Kinesthetic Learning in Art - 10 Fun Kinesthetic Activities to Do with Art - kinesthetic art activities

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This Lesson is in The Curated Connections Library!

Find the full lesson from this post along with hundreds of other art teaching resources and trainings in the Curated Connections Library. Click here for more information about how to join or enter your email below for a free SPARKworks lesson from the membership!

Filed Under: Art Connection Activities, Art Teacher Tips
Tagged With: auguste rodin, el greco, emile nolde, jacopo pontormo, jacques-louis david, marc chagall, masaccio, michelangelo, titian

 

January 26, 2015 4 Comments

Masterpiece Monday: David’s The Death of Socrates

The Art Curator for Kids - Masterpiece Monday - Jacques-Louis David The Death of Socrates - Art Analysis Video, Discussion Questions, Learning Activities, and Lesson Plans

Welcome back to Masterpiece Monday, where I share with you awesome artworks and share ways to use them in your classroom or homeschool. Today is a special one, because I’ve made a video to go along with the post!

Masterpiece Monday - Amazing Works from Art History Each Week at the Art Curator for Kids - The Art Curator for Kids - Masterpiece Monday - Jacques-Louis David The Death of Socrates - Art Analysis Video, Discussion Questions, Learning Activities, and Lesson Plans

I’ve selected The Death of Socrates by Jacques-Louis David, because it is one of my favorite paintings. I love how this painting tells a story and connects with history. I’ve featured it before on Exploring Narrative in Art, and today I’m diving into the painting a little deeper. First, take a good look at it!

The Art Curator for Kids - Kinesthetic Art History - Jacques-Louis David-The Death of Socrates
Jacques-Louis David, The Death of Socrates, 1787

I’ve made for you a YouTube video going through the process of interpreting this painting as well as sharing the story of the painting and how it relates to history (the French Revolution). I wouldn’t hesitate to show this artwork to as young as maybe third or fourth grade. The video would work best for high school and adults (you!) probably.

If you don’t feel like watching, you can read the video transcript.

Art Discussion Questions

Use these questions to help discuss this painting:

  • What’s going on in this painting?
  • Describe the actions and emotions in the painting.
  • What’s the story in this painting? How can you tell?
  • What choices did the artist make to emphasize Socrates?
  • How is Socrates different from the other people in the painting?
  • What does this painting tell us about the people who made it?

Art Learning Activities

Here are some art learning activities that can accompany this painting. Please note, this post includes Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • For high school and college students, read these accounts of the Trial and Death of Socrates by Plato ($2.70 on Amazon and only $.99 on Kindle).
  • Complete any of the creative activities from Exploring Narrative in Art.
  • Check out this awesome collection of art lesson plans on Neoclassical art from the Getty for middle and high school students.
  • Learn more about Ancient Greek philosophy with this video.

That’s it! Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed my foray into making videos! 🙂

Filed Under: Art, Art and Artists
Tagged With: best of art class curator, jacques-louis david

 

January 6, 2015 19 Comments

A Year of Art Appreciation for Kids: 52 Artworks your Child Should Know

I have compiled for you a massive list of artworks for you to look at with your kids this year. I picked one artwork for each week of the year, and I tried to pick the best of the best. If you haven’t been showing art to your kids, this is a great list to start with! Just sit down and talk about a new artwork each week for a few minutes.

Please note, this post includes Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

How to Talk about Art with Your Kids

Here are some posts from Art Class Curator for tips at looking at art with your kids.

  • How to Look at Art with your Children
  • How to Look at Art with Toddlers and Preschoolers
  • Charlotte Mason Picture Study: An Easy Way to Introduce Art to your Kids

Art Appreciation for Kids

Instead of dividing by week, I divided by time period. Regrettably, this list does not include non-western art or contemporary art. For more awesome non-western art, check out my Art Around the World series. Each entry below includes a link to find the picture.

the Art Curator for Kids - Art Appreciation for Kids - Ancient to Classical Art

Ancient to Classical Art

  • Prehistoric, Nude Woman (Venus of Willendorf), c. 28,000-25,000 B.C.E (On ACFK, 5 Artworks to Promote Introspection) (Buy replica on Amazon)
  • Sumer, the Standard of Ur, about 2600-2400 B.C.E. (Book about this artwork)
  • The Law Code of Hammurabi, King of Babylon, c. 1750 B.C.E (Book about Hammurabi’s Code)
  • Ancient Egyptian, Palette of King Narmer, c. 3000-2920 B.C.E.
  • Myron (Ancient Greek), Discus-thrower (Discobolus), Roman copy of a bronze original of the 5th century BC (Book about this artwork)
  • Hellenistic Greek, Laocoön and His Sons, early first century C.E.
  • Ancient Roman, Augustus of Primaporta, first century, C.E.
  • Ancient Roman, The Alexander Mosaic, ca. 100 BC (Poster of this artwork)

the Art Curator for Kids - Art Appreciation for Kids - Medieval to Renaissance Art

Medieval and Renaissance Art

  • Byzantine, Justinian and his Attendants, Basilica di San Vitale, 547 C.E
  • Gothic, Chartres Cathedral (Book about Chartres)
  • Jan and Hubert van Eyk, Adoration of the Mystic Lamb (Ghent Altarpiece), 1432 (Book about the Nazi theft of this artwork)
  • Sandro Botticelli, The Birth of Venus, 1482-85 (Poster of this artwork)
  • Leonardo da Vinci, Last Supper, 1498 (Print of this artwork on wood)
  • Michelangelo Buonarroti, Sistene Chapel Ceiling, 1508-12 (Jigsaw puzzle of this artwork)
  • Raphael, School of Athens, 1509-11 (Coffee mug of this artwork)
  • Michelangelo Buonarroti, Slaves or Prisoners, ca. 1520-23



the Art Curator for Kids - Art Appreciation for Kids - 17th-18th Century Art

17th-18th Century Art

  • Artemisia Gentileschi, Judith Beheading Holofernes, 1614-20 (On ACFK, Masterpiece Monday) (Novel about the Artist)
  • Gianlorenzo Bernini, Apollo and Daphne, 1622-25 (Replica of this sculpture)
  • Judith Leyster, Self-Portrait, c. 1630
  • Rembrandt, Officers and Men of the Company of Captain Frans Banning Cocq and Lieutenant Wilhelm van Ruytenburgh, known as the Night Watch, 1642 (Canvas print of this artwork)
  • Diego Velázquez, Las Meninas, 1656 (On ACFK, 20 Great Artworks to Look at with Young Kids) (Poster of this artwork)
  • Jean-Honoré Fragonard, The Swing, 1767 (Poster of this artwork)
  • Jacques-Louis David, Oath of the Horatii, 1785 (Poster of this artwork)

the Art Curator for Kids - Art Appreciation for Kids - 19th Century Art

19th-Century Art

  • Francisco Goya, Third of May, 1808 (Mouse pad of this artwork)
  • Eugène Delacroix, July 28: Liberty Leading the People, 1830 (Poster of this artwork)
  • William Turner, Slave Ship (Slavers Throwing Overboard the Dead and Dying, Typhoon Coming On), 1840 (Poster of this artwork)
  • Claude Monet, Les Nymphéas (The Water Lilies), 1840-1926 (Monet magnets)
  • Jean-François Millet, L’Angélus, c. 1857-1859
  • Georges Seurat, A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, 1884 (Coffee mug of this artwork)
  • Auguste Rodin, The Burghers of Calais, 1884-95 (Coffee mug of this artwork)
  • Paul Gauguin, Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going?, 1897-98
  • Vincent van Gogh, The Starry Night, 1889 (On ACFK, 5 Exciting Art History Projects for Kids that Made me Say “WOW!”) (Umbrella of this artwork)

the Art Curator for Kids - Art Appreciation for Kids - Modern Art

Modern and Contemporary Art

  • Henri Matisse, Harmony in Red/La Desserte, 1908 (Jigsaw puzzle of this artwork)
  • Edvard Munch, The Scream, 1910 (Inflatable Scream Doll)
  • Franz Marc, Fate of the Animals, 1913 (On ACFK, Art Spotlight: Franz Marc’s Fate of the Animals)
  • Marc Chagall, I and the Village, 1911 (On ACFK, 5 Artworks Your Children will Love) (Poster of this artwork)
  • Wassily Kandinsky, Panel for Edwin R. Campbell No. 4, 1914
  • Salvador Dali, The Persistence of Memory, 1931 (Melting clock)
  • Pablo Picasso, Guernica, 1937 (Jigsaw puzzle of this artwork)
  • Frida Kahlo, The Two Fridas, 1939 (On ACFK, 5 Artworks to Intrigue Your High Schooler) (Poster of this artwork)
  • Jackson Pollock, One: Number 31, 1950, 1950 (Book about this artwork)
  • Francis Bacon, Study after Velazquez’s Portrait of Pope Innocent X, 1953 (On ACFK, Art Around the World in 30 Days – Ireland)
  • Andy Warhol, Campbell’s Soup Cans, 1962 (Converse shoes of this artwork)
  • Robert Rauschenberg, Skyway, 1964
  • Andy Goldsworthy, Fall Leaves (On ACFK, 5 Exciting Art History Projects for Kids that Made me Say “WOW!”) (Book about this artist)

the Art Curator for Kids - Art Appreciation for Kids - American

American Art

  • John Singleton Copley, Watson and the Shark, 1778  (On ACFK: Charlotte Mason Picture Study: John Singleton Copley)
  • Thomas Moran, The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, 1872 (Jigsaw puzzle of this artwork)
  • John Singer Sargent, El Jaleo, 1882 (Poster of this artwork)
  • Frederic Remington, A Dash for the Timber, 1889 (Poster of this artwork)
  • Grant Wood, American Gothic, 1930 (Children’s book about this artist)
  • Jacob Lawrence, The Migration Series, 1940-41 (Children’s book about this series)
  • Edward Hopper, Nighthawks, 1942 (Poster of this artwork)

Whew! This is quite a list. It was hard to choose, and I know I left out some great artworks. Keep reading on Art Class Curator to learn more about teaching art to kids.

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Filed Under: Art Connection Activities
Tagged With: andy goldsworthy, andy warhol, artemisia gentileschi, auguste rodin, claude monet, diego velazquez, edvard munch, edward hopper, eugene delacroix, francis bacon, francisco goya, franz marc, frederic remington, frida kahlo, georges seurat, gian lorenzo bernini, grant wood, henri matisse, jackson pollock, jacob lawrence, jacques-louis david, jan van eyck, jean-francois millet, jean-honore fragonard, john singer sargent, john singleton copley, judith leyster, leonardo da vinci, marc chagall, michelangelo, pablo picasso, paul gauguin, raphael, rembrandt, robert rauschenberg, salvador dali, sandro botticelli, thomas moran, vincent van gogh, wassily kandinsky, william turner

 

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