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marcel duchamp

May 8, 2025 12 Comments

The Ultimate Collection of Color in Art: Examples and Definitions

Color is often the first thing students notice when they look at a work of art. It’s emotional. It’s bold. It shapes the entire mood and message of the piece.

That makes it one of the most powerful tools you can teach.

In this post, you’ll find a curated collection of artworks that show color in action—from symbolism and contrast to harmony and chaos. Use them to spark discussion, inspire student work, and bring the element of color to life in your classroom.

👉 Want a printable to go with it? Grab the free Elements & Principles Pack below to get ready-to-use teaching materials. 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.

Download

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.

Inside: A curated collection of color in art examples, showcasing how artists use color to express emotion, create contrast, and shape meaning. A continuation of the Elements and Principles of Art series.

This post is part of the Elements of Art series—check out the full collection to build a rich, connected curriculum.

Looking for classroom-ready activities? These printable art interpretation worksheets pair perfectly with the artworks in this post.

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.

Examples of Color in Art

The Art Curator for Kids - Color in Art Examples - Primary Color Art

Primary Color Art

The primary colors are red, yellow, and blue. The primary colors are the basis for all other colors. You cannot do anything to mix blue, yellow, or red. They just exist.

  • Piet Mondrian, Broadway Boogie Woogie, 1942-43
  • Mark Rothko, Untitled (Yellow, Red, and Blue), 1953
  • Jacob Lawrence, Workshop (Builders #1), 1972 and many others
  • Cy Twombly, Summer Madness, 1990 (Click link, then click #20)
  • Hans Hofmann, The Golden Wall, 1961
  • Pablo Picasso, Claude and Paloma Playing, 1950
  • Fritz Glarner, Relational Painting No. 64, 1953
  • Roy Lichtenstein, Stepping Out, 1978
  • Ancient Roman, Glass Garland Bowl, late 1st century B.C.E.
  • Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Ambassadeurs Aristide Bruant in his cabaret, 1892
  • Nicolas Poussin, The Death of Germanicus, 1627

Complementary Colors in Art

Complementary colors in art are opposite each other on the color wheel. They create a lot of contrast in art. Look around in the world, and you will be surprised how often complementary colors are used. What are the sets of complementary colors? The basic complementary color pairings are red and green, purple and yellow, and orange and blue.

  • Wassily Kandinsky, Improvisation 31 (Sea Battle), 1913
  • Pablo Picasso, Woman in Striped Armchair, 1941
  • Rufino Tamayo, Women of Tehuantepec, 1939, Oil on canvas

The Art Curator for Kids - example of color in art - Complementary Colors in Art - Green and Red

Complementary Colors in Art – Red and Green

  • Marc Chagall, I and the Village, 1911
  • Ando Hiroshige, Plum Estate, Kameido From “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo”, 1857
  • Shinobo Ishihara, Test for Color Deficiency
  • Vincent van Gogh, The Night Café, 1888
  • Jan van Eyck, The Arnolfini Portrait, 1434
  • Henri Matisse, Portrait of Madame Matisse (Green Stripe), 1905
  • Pablo Picasso, Woman with Hat, 1962
  • Georgia O’Keeffe, Anything, 1916 (Click link, top right image)
  • Vincent van Gogh, La Berceuse (Woman Rocking a Cradle; Augustin-Alix Pellicot Roulin, 1851-1930), 1889
  • Kay Kurt, Weingummi II, 1973

Complementary Colors in Art - Blue and Orange

Complementary Colors in Art – Blue and Orange

  • Mary Cassatt, Mother and Child, 1890
  • Edgar Degas, Ballerina and Lady with Fan, 1885
  • Claude Monet, Rouen Cathedral, West Façade, Sunlight, 1892
  • Paul Klee, Ad Parnassum, 1932
  • Vincent van Gogh, Self-Portrait, 1889
  • Claude Monet, Impression, Sunrise, 1872
  • Fritz Bultman, Blue I, 1958
  • Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Portrait of Oscar Wilde, 1895
  • Sandy Skoglund, Revenge of the Goldfish, 1981
  • Stuart Davis, Colonial Cubism, 1954
  • Edvard Munch, The Scream, 1893
  • Arnold Böcklin, Island of the Dead, 1880

artist who use colour - Complementary Colors in Art - Purple and Yellow

Complementary Colors in Art – Purple and Yellow

  • Claude Monet, Water Lilies, 1914-1926
  • Fritz Scholder, Dream Horse G, 1986
  • Henri Matisse, The Dream, 1940
  • Pablo Picasso, Woman with Yellow Hair, 1931 (also red/green)
  • Ray Spillenger, Purple and Yellow, 1963
  • Francis Bacon, Study after Velázquez’s Portrait of Pope Innocent X, 1953
  • Federico Barocci, The Nativity, c. 1597
  • Mark Rothko, Untitled, 1954

The Art Curator for Kids - elements of color in art - Analogous Colors Examples

Analogous Colors Examples

Analogous colors are next to each other on the color wheel. They create unity in art because they are made of the same colors. Example sets of analogous colors are blue, blue-green, and green or orange, red-orange, and red.

  • Josef Albers, Homage to the Square: Soft Spoken, 1969
  • Vincent van Gogh, The Olive Trees, 1889
  • Claude Monet, The Water-Lily Pond, 1899
  • Mark Rothko, Untitled (Violet, Black, Orange, Yellow on White and Red), 1949
  • Helen Frankenthaler, Freefall, 1992
  • Ed Paschke, Painted Lady, 1995
  • Giorgio de Chirico, Mystery and Melancholy of a Street, 1914
  • Jean-Honoré Fragonard, Young Girl Reading, c. 1770
  • Geertgen Tot Sint Jans, John the Baptist in the Wilderness, ca. 1490

Warm and Cool Colors in Art

Warm colors are the colors red, orange, and yellow. They are bright and pop out. They create energy and excitement in an artwork. Blue and green are cool colors. These cool colors create a calming energy in an artwork. Violet/purple can be both warm and cool depending on how much red or how much blue is in the violet.

The Art Curator for Kids - Color in Art Examples - Warm Colors in Art

Warm Colors in Art

  • Vincent van Gogh, Sunflowers, 1888
  • Paul Gauguin, Still Life with Mangoes, 1891-1896
  • Mark Rothko, Untitled (Violet, Black, Orange, Yellow on White and Red), 1949
  • Vincent van Gogh, The Night Café, 1888
  • Robert Adam, The Croome Court tapestry room, Worcestershire, 1758-67
  • Frederic Church, Cotopaxi, 1862
  • Caravaggio, The Incredulity of Saint Thomas, 1601-1602

The Art Curator for Kids - famous artists that use colour - Cool Colors in ArtCool Colors in Art

  • Claude Monet, The Artist’s Garden at Giverny, 1900
  • Winslow Homer, Fishing Boats, Key West, 1903
  • Richard Parkes Bonington, The Undercliff, 1828
  • James McNeil Whistler, Nocturne, Blue and Silver: Chelsea, 1871
  • Natalya Goncharova, Linen, 1913
  • Katsushika Hokusai, 36 Views of Mount Fuji, ca. 1829-32

The Art Curator for Kids - Color in Art Examples - Neutral Colors in Art

Neutral Colors in Art

Neutral colors are created by using white and black or are created by mixing sets of complementary colors together to make varying shades of brown. Examples of neutrals include gray, brown, tan, white, black, etc.

  • El Lissitzky, Proun 19D, c. 1922
  • Claude Monet, Sunrise (Marine), 1873
  • Georgia O’Keeffe, Black Iris, 1926
  • Camille Pissarro, Place du Théâtre Français, Paris: Rain, 1898
  • Marcel Duchamp, Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2, 1912

Color Intensity in Art

Intensity refers to how saturated a color is. It is the brightness or the dullness of a color. Colors with high intensity are bright, and colors with low intensity are dull.

The Art Curator for Kids - elements of art colour - Color Intensity in Art: High Intensity

Color Intensity in Art: High Intensity

  • Pablo Picasso, The Weeping Woman, 1937
  • Andre Derain, Charing Cross Bridge, 1906
  • Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Seated Girl (Fränzi Fehrmann), 1910
  • Jim Dine, The Circus #3, 2007

Color Intensity in Art: Low Intensity examples

Color Intensity in Art: Low Intensity

  • Salima Hashmi, Poem for Zainab, 1994
  • Paul Klee, Hammamet with Its Mosque, 1914
  • Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Moulin Rouge The Departure of the Quadrille, 1892
  • Camille Pissarro, Place du Théâtre Français, Paris: Rain, 1898
  • Helen Frankenthaler, Mountains and Sea, 1952

💡 Want even more lessons like this—ready to go?

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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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For more elements of art examples and principles of design examples, visit the following resources.



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: ando hiroshige, andre derain, arnold böcklin, camille pissarro, caravaggio, claude monet, cy twombly, ed paschke, edgar degas, edvard munch, el lissitzky, ernst ludwig kirchner, federico barocci, francis bacon, frederic church, fritz bultman, fritz glarner, fritz scholder, geertgen tot sint jans, georgia o'keeffe, giorgio de chirico, hans hofmann, helen frankenthaler, henri de toulouse-lautrec, henri matisse, jacob lawrence, james whistler, jan van eyck, jean-honore fragonard, jim dine, josef albers, kay kurt, marc chagall, marcel duchamp, mark rothko, mary cassatt, natalia goncharova, nicolas poussin, pablo picasso, paul gauguin, paul klee, piet mondrian, ray spillenger, richard parkes bonington, robert adam, roy lichtenstein, rufino tamayo, salima hashmi, sandy skoglund, stuart davis, vincent van gogh, wassily kandinsky, winslow homer

 

May 8, 2025 3 Comments

Rhythm in Art: The Ultimate List of Rhythm in Art Examples

Rhythm in art is more than repetition—it’s the visual beat that moves your eyes across a composition, guiding attention and building energy.

For students, it’s one of the easiest elements to feel and one of the hardest to define. That’s what makes it such a powerful teaching moment.

Below, you’ll find a curated selection of rhythm-in-art examples that will help you and your students identify, understand, and feel the pulse of rhythm in visual form.

👉 Want a printable to use in your classroom? Grab the free Elements & Principles Pack below. 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.

Download

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.

Inside: The ultimate collection of rhythm in art examples, including everything from regular to random, plus a rhythm in art definition. A continuation of our Elements and Principles of Art series.

This post is part of the Elements of Art series—explore them all to build a strong foundation for your classroom. Want more ways to get students engaging with artworks? Check out these printable art worksheets designed for deeper connection and interpretation.

Below, you’ll find a growing collection of rhythm-in-art examples. These are perfect for introducing rhythm in your elements and principles lessons.
(Tip: Bookmark this post—I update it as I discover new examples!)

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.

Rhythm Art Definition

Rhythm is a principle of design that suggests movement or action. Rhythm is usually achieved through repetition of lines, shapes, colors, and more. It creates a visual tempo in artworks and provides a path for the viewer’s eye to follow.

Principles of Design Examples Rhythm in Art

Rhythm in Art Examples

rhythm in art examples
  • Jacob Lawrence, Parade, 1960
  • André Derain, Charing Cross Bridge, 1906
  • Marcel Duchamp, Nude Descending a Staircase (No. 2), 1912
  • Gino Severini, Dynamic Hieroglyphic of the Bal Tabarin, 1912
  • Marsden Hartley, Indian Composition, 1914-15
  • George Tooker, The Subway, 1950
  • Martin Puryear, Ladder for Booker T. Washington, 1996
  • Grant Wood, American Gothic, 1930
  • Alexandra Exter, The Boat and the Town, 1925
  • Louise Bourgeois, The Blind Leading the Blind, c. 1947-49
  • Albert Renger-Patzsch, Beech Forest in Fall, 1936

Alternating Rhythm

Alternating rhythm describes an artwork that contains a repetition of two or more components that are used interchangeably. Some alternating rhythm examples include alternating light and dark colors or placing various shapes and/or colors in a repeating pattern.

alternating rhythm in art examples
  • Henri Matisse, Red Room, 1908
  • M.C. Escher, Lizard, 1942
  • George Tooker, Government Bureau, 1956
  • Frank Lloyd Wright, Interior, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
  • Robert Delaunay, Endless Rhythm, 1934
  • Andy Warhol, Untitled from Marilyn Monroe, 1967 (9 Screen prints)
  • Hans Hinterreiter, ME 25 B, 1935
  • Bernard Hoyes, Sweeping Ribbons

Random Rhythm

Random rhythm describes an artwork that contains repeating elements without a specified order or arrangement. Some random rhythm examples include splatters of paint or shells on a beach.

random rhythm in art examples
  • Piet Mondrian, Broadway Boogie Woogie, 1942-3
  • René Magritte, Golconde, 1953
  • Alexander Calder, International Mobile, 1949
  • Bridget Riley, Recollection, 1986
  • Mary Martin, Compound Rhythms with Blue, 1966
  • Alice Aycock, A Little Cosmic Rhythm, 2007
  • Chuck Close, Self Portrait, 2007
  • Joan Miro, Rhythmix Characters, 1934
  • Jackson Pollock, Autumn Rhythm (Number 30), 1950

Flowing Rhythm

Flowing rhythm describes an artwork that contains curved or circular elements that give the art movement. Some flowing rhythm examples include flowers, clouds, or waves.

flowing rhythm in art examples
  • Vincent van Gogh, The Starry Night, 1889 (See: The Starry Night story and lesson)
  • Gloria Petyarre, Bush Medicine Dreaming, 2008
  • Edvard Munch, The Scream, 1893 (See: The Frieze of Life, Lesson & Project, Visual Analysis Lesson)
  • Henri Matisse, The Dance, 1910
  • Hans Hokanson, Helixikos Number 3, 1968
  • Sonia Delaunay, Electric Prisms, 1914
  • Hokusai, The Great Wave, 1829-32
  • Gustav Klimt, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, 1907
  • Bruce Barnbaum, Dance of the Corn Lilies, 1991
  • Bruce Barnbaum, Moonrise over Cliffs and Dunes,1992
  • Gustav Klimt, Fish Blood, 1897-8

Regular Rhythm

Regular rhythm describes an artwork that contains repeating elements with a specified order or arrangement that can be measured. Some regular rhythm examples include evenly spaced windows or tiles.

regular rhythm in art examples
  • Donald Judd, Untitled, 1969/1982
  • Christo and Jeanne-Claude, The Gates, 2005
  • Do-Ho Suh, Floor, 1997-2000
  • Wayne Thiebaud, Banana Splits, 1964
  • Wayne Thiebaud, Nine Jellied Apples, 1963
  • Grant Wood, Fall Plowing, 1931
  • Andy Warhol, Twenty-Five Colored Marilyns, 1962
  • Ferdinand Hodler, Rhythmic landscape on Lake Geneva, 1908
  • Marimekko, Hevoskastanja, 2005
  • Paul Klee, Pastoral (Rhythms), 1927

Progressive Rhythm

Progressive rhythm describes an artwork that contains repeating elements in a pattern that change either in size or color as they repeat. Some progressive rhythm examples include building blocks arranged from smallest to largest and spirals.

progressive rhythm in art examples
  • Victor Vasarely, Alom, 1966
  • Marcel Duchamp, Nude Descending a Staircase (No. 2), 1912
  • Sydney Opera House
  • Hilma af Klint, Altarpiece No. 1, Group X, 1915
  • Jasper Johns, Three Flags, 1958
  • MC Escher, Smaller and Smaller, 1956
  • Wayne Thiebaud, Banana Splits, 1964
  • Grant Wood, Fall Plowing, 1931
  • Andy Goldsworthy, Carefully broken pebbles scratched white with another stone, 1985
  • Bramante Staircase in the Vatican, 1932

In this fun rhythm in art examples video, the differences between pattern, repetition, and rhythm are described and put to music:

Rhythm in Art Resources

  • Art Soup Video: Principles of Design: Rhythm
  • Horse in Motion & The First Moving Pictures
  • Early Photography Inspired Flipbook Project

Remember I will add to this, so don’t forget to pin this post!

Do you have a great example to teach rhythm in art? Share it with me in the comments, and I will add it to the list!

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.

Buy Now

💡 Want more ready-to-use art appreciation lessons?

The Curated Connections Library includes resources like this—plus hundreds more lessons, activities, and trainings for art teachers.
👉 Click here to learn more.

There you have it! The best rhythm in art examples 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: Albert Renger-Patzsch, alexander calder, Alexandra Exter, Alice Aycock, andre derain, andy goldsworthy, andy warhol, Bernard Hoyes, Bridget Riley, Bruce Barnbaum, Charles Burchfield, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Chuck Close, do-ho suh, Donald Judd, edvard munch, ferdinand hodler, frank lloyd wright, george tooker, Gino Severini, Gloria Petyarre, grant wood, gustav klimt, Hans Hinterreiter, Hans Hokanson, henri matisse, Hilma af Klint, jackson pollock, jacob lawrence, Jasper Johns, joan miro, Louise Bourgeois, m.c. escher, marcel duchamp, marsden hartley, martin puryear, Mary Martin, paul klee, piet mondrian, rene magritte, Robert Delaunay, Sonia Delaunay, Victor Vasarely, vincent van gogh, wayne thiebaud

 

July 31, 2015 4 Comments

What is art? 6 Artworks that Help Define Art

The Art Curator for Kids - Art About Art - What is art? - 6 Artworks that Help Define Art - Aesthetics Discussion Questions

A few months ago, I shared with you 6 artworks about other artworks. I love this art about art theme, so I want to keep going with it today. The art about art artworks in this collection are works that help define what art is. They make you think about that ultimate art and aesthetics question, “What is art?“

The Art Curator for Kids - Art About Art - What is art? - 6 Artworks that Help Define Art - Aesthetics Discussion Questions

In my community college classes early in the semester, I have all of these artworks in an “art about art” lesson. I’ll share some of the discussion points and why I put them in this art about art category below. You will see the last question of each question list below is, “What does this artwork tell us about art?” That’s how I tie them all together. I have also divided the class into groups assigning each group one artwork to analyze and then present their ideas to the class.

Grade Level: These artworks and discussion questions are best geared toward high school or college students.

Note: Several of these artworks have nudity. My policy is to not censor on the blog because that is my personal approach, and I leave it up to you as the teacher or parents to decide if you are comfortable with that.

Michelangelo Buonarotti, Slaves, 1513-1516

Michelangelo Buonarotti, Slaves, 1513-16 - Middle Photo Credit-Dada
Michelangelo Buonarotti, Slaves (Atlas, Rebellious, Awakening), 1513-16 (Middle Photo Credit: Dada)

I don’t know if Michelangelo was considering this when he made these artworks, but to me, these sculptures address this art about art theme in two different ways. First, I love how these sculptures show the relationship of the artist to the art. You can see the artist’s hand, and it really shows you how incredibly hard it is to make these sculptures. The contrast of the rough and smooth textures really highlights this.

But, the main reason I chose these artworks is how they show the figures attempting to break free from the stone. Michelangelo famously said, “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” And he also said, “The best artist has that thought alone Which is contained within the marble shell; The sculptor’s hand can only break the spell To free the figures slumbering in the stone.” Michelangelo believed the figure was there, and it was his job to release it.

Questions to Ask: What is happening here? What do you notice? What is this sculpture about? Who are these men? What are they doing? Why did Michelangelo choose to depict them this way? What does this sculpture tell us about art?

Edouard Manet, Le Dejeuner sur L’Herbe (Luncheon on the Grass), 1863

Edouard Manet, Le Dejeuner sur L'Herbe (Luncheon on the Grass), 1863
Edouard Manet, Le Dejeuner sur L’Herbe (Luncheon on the Grass), 1863

Nudity is a very common subject in art, but when this painting was first displayed at the Salon des Refusés it was really shocking and controversial? Why? Because, it was normal to have nudes in a mythological or allegorical context, but it was not normal to have a nude woman in a contemporary setting–especially one surrounded by clothed men.

Another dimension to this is the stare by the woman to the viewer. Her looking out at us makes us feel a little voyeuristic in a way. I think it can spark an interesting discussion about the connection between the artwork and the viewer.

Questions to Ask: What is your initial reaction to this picture? How does this painting make you feel? Comfortable? Uncomfortable? Why? What is happening here? How does the artist address gender? Why is the woman looking out at us? What does this painting tell us about art?

René Magritte, The Treachery of Images (This is Not a Pipe), 1929

René Magritte, The Treachery of Images (This is Not a Pipe), 1929
René Magritte, The Treachery of Images (This is Not a Pipe), 1929

The text on this image says, “This is not a pipe.” At first, this is confusing to my students usually. “Yes, it is.” they think. But, when you keep thinking about it, you realize no, it isn’t a pipe. It is a canvas with oil paint on it (or a bunch of pixels of color projected onto the screen on this website). It is not a pipe; it is a picture of a pipe. Ultimately, pictures and words are just symbols for the real thing.

I usually bring in a little bit of Plato’s philosophy into this discussion. Plato believed that art is an imitation of an imitation. He believed that all things were originally an idea from God. So a pipe is not a pipe. A pipe is an idea made by God. An actual real-life 3D pipe is an imitation of God’s idea of a pipe. So, a painting of a pipe is an imitation of the pipe-maker’s imitation of God’s idea of a pipe. Confused, yet?

Questions to Ask: This says, “This is not a pipe.” What was the artist trying to say? What is more real–a pipe that you could actually smoke, a picture of a pipe, or the word “pipe” written out on a piece of paper?

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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Keith Arnatt, Trouser – Word Piece, 1972-89

Keith Arnatt, Trouser - Word Piece, 1972-89
Keith Arnatt, Trouser – Word Piece, 1972-89

Conceptual art from the 1960s and 70s is some of the most intriguing art to me. Artists during this time just did anything and everything to push the boundaries of what is and is not considered art. This piece by Keith Arnatt has a photo of the artist holding a sign saying “I’m a real artist” plus a text quotation from a book that questions how something changes when you add the word “real” in front of it. Read more about the work here.

Questions to Ask: What is your first reaction to this? What message was the artist trying to convey? What is a real artist? What is a not real artist? What makes someone an artist?

Marcel Duchamp, Fountain, 1917

Marcel Duchamp, Fountain, 1917
Marcel Duchamp, Fountain, 1917

Marcel Duchamp took a urinal, placed it on its side, signed a fake artist’s name on it, and put it in an art exhibit. This begs the question, does the artist have to actually make the object in order for it to be art?

Questions to Ask: Is this art? Is this allowed? Is art about the idea or the end result? Would this still be art if it wasn’t in an art exhibit? 

Mark Tansey, The Innocent Eye Test, 1981

Mark Tansey, The Innocent Eye Test, 1981
Mark Tansey, The Innocent Eye Test, 1981

I think this artwork is delightful. I see these scientific men trying to determine the merits of a painting’s “realness” by seeing if it would fool a cow. It’s funny. Here’s a quotation from the artist to help you think about this one even more.

I think of the painted picture as an embodiment of the very problem that we face with the notion “reality.” The problem or question is, which reality? In a painted picture, is it the depicted reality, or the reality of the picture plane, or the multidimensional reality the artist and viewer exist in? That all three are involved points to the fact that pictures are inherently problematic.

— Mark Tansey, quoted in Mark Tansey: Visions and Revisions, by Arthur C. Danto (Source)

Questions to Ask: What is each character thinking, and why are they there? What do they want of the cow? Why is the cow there? What is he going through? What does the artist want from us? What’s with the mop? Why are they wearing glasses? What does this say about art? What does this painting mean?

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

Filed Under: Art and Artists, Art Connection Activities
Tagged With: edouard manet, keith arnatt, marcel duchamp, mark tansey, michelangelo, rene magritte

 

May 4, 2015 5 Comments

5 Artworks to Intrigue Your High Schooler

The Art Curator for Kids - 5 Artworks to Intrigue your High Schooler

Welcome back to my series where I curate groups of paintings around themes for use with your students. Each post, I will pick 5 artworks that you could start discussing today in your homeschool or classroom.

Also, check out this post on how to look at art with kids for tips on discussion artworks.

Note about the images in this series: Because of copyright law, I cannot include pictures of all the works discussed. Instead, I have included low-quality thumbnails for reference and commentary. For full versions of those works protected under the law, please click the link or picture to find the image. I couldn’t bear leaving them off the list just because I couldn’t post a pic! Also, click on the pictures to get a bigger copy to see all the details.

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Our students learn so much from looking at art. Use this poster in your classroom to remind them of all the skills they’re growing!

In this post, I selected artworks good for all ages. This time, I am focused on captivating the older set. I picked some works that are interesting, quirky, and sure to capture the imagination of your high school students. Let’s get started!

1. Frida Kahlo, The Two Fridas, 1939


The Two Fridas, as well as much of the work of Frida Kahlo, is a great painting on which to practice your art interpretation skills. Her paintings are so personal, so real, and so cool. I don’t want you to read anything below until you have clicked the link and looked at the painting on your own (the same goes for your high schooler). Go through these discussion questions and think about it first. Promise?

Frida Kahlo, Two Fridas, 1939, click image to enlarge
Frida Kahlo, Two Fridas, 1939, click image to enlarge
Questions to ask: What’s going on in this painting? What do you see that makes you say that? Who are these women? What is their relationship? How are they dressed? Why are they dressed that way? How are the two women the same? How are they different? What is different about the hearts? What do you think that means? What is she holding (see the close-up shots in the link provided)? Why is she holding that? Why is she using scissors? What do the blood, veins, and heart symbolize? What emotions are present in this artwork? What do you see that makes you say that? How does her use of color contribute to the feeling of the painting? What do you think this artist is trying to say here; what is the meaning or message?

I’m hesitant to give you any information about this because your ideas are just as important as the “real meaning.” I’ll give you a bit to whet your appetite. Did you keep your promise and look/think first? I’m trusting you. Okay, this painting shows two elements of the artist and her mixed ancestry. One side displays her father’s German-Jewish descent, and the other side illustrates her mother’s Mexican roots. The real story shows her tumultuous relationship with the famous Mexican muralist, Diego Rivera. This link has a great roll-over activity showing key elements of the painting and highlights some of the elements of her relationship with Diego.

2. John Feodorov, Animal Spirit Channeling Device for the Contemporary Shaman, 1997


I hate linking to an “unofficial” source, but this link has the full image. I’m not sure why it is cropped in all the official sources.

John Feodorov, Animal Spirit Channeling Device for the Contemporary Shaman, 1997
John Feodorov, Animal Spirit Channeling Device for the Contemporary Shaman, 1997
Questions to ask: What is this? Describe what you see. What elements do you recognize? What to the feathers, bells, and animal fur remind you of? Why? What is the artist saying by putting those objects with a child’s toy? What is the meaning or message? What does the artwork say about contemporary culture? How does the title contribute to your understanding of the meaning?


Remember, your interpretation is just as valid as mine or the artists. Hopefully, when you ask your child about the feathers, bells, fur, and “shaman” in the title, they are reminded of American Indians, but if they don’t get there on their own, you might consider nudging them in that direction. This artwork has lots of connections to mass production in contemporary culture, convenience replacing meaning, cultural assimilation, etc.

This is what the artist had to say about it.

“Western culture likes to castrate the powerful, maybe because it doesn’t want to be less powerful than something else, that maybe it has to bring everything down to a level where…well, maybe it’s capitalism really, to where it’s a product, to where it’s something that can be controlled by purchase, controlled by owning it and by owning, even in art.”
– John Feodorov (source)

3. Nkisi Nkondi power figures made by the Kongo people of Western Africa

Nkisi Nkondi, Congo, c. 1880-1920
Nkisi Nkondi, Congo, c. 1880-1920, Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, PA

Oh, the emotions of an adolescent! Sometimes you need to take a nail and hammer the crap out of it to get your feelings out. That’s kind of what’s happening here.

Questions to ask: Describe this sculpture including the facial expressions and pose. Mimic the facial expression and pose with your body. How does it feel? What emotions are present (both the emotion projected and the emotion of you, the viewer)? What is the significance of the opening in the stomach and the open mouth? What is the purpose of all of the nails in the sculpture? What do you see that makes you say that? Were the nails placed in by the artist or someone else? Why do you think that? Were the nails placed all at the same time or over a period of time? How do you think this sculpture was used by the people who made it? What was its function? Was this intended to be a work of art or not? Why do you think that?


The word nkondi comes from the word “to hunt.” The nkondi is a hunter–hunting down and attacking wrong-doers and enemies (wikipedia). This type of sculpture was used as a healer, protector, hunter, and provider of justice for the Kongo people. There were often holes in the stomach and mouth where medicine bundles were placed to give the sculpture its power. The nails hammered into the sculpture activate the powers and send the sculpture to perform his duty. Mirrors often covered the stomach hole and eyes to connect to a spiritual realm and provide a window to spy on the wrong-doers.

Check out this link for more great information about this type of sculpture. There are many many more sculptures like this. A Google image search for nkisi nkondi will give you lots of choices. Try compare and contrasting the works together for another great looking exercise.

4. Henry Fuseli, The Nightmare, 1781

Honestly, I’m not sure this needs any explanation at all. It’s just one of those artworks that always gets a “whoa!” reaction from anyone who sees it. I’m going to let you think about how to talk about this one on our own with your students. Share initial reactions, theorize about the meaning, and discuss the choices the artist made to intensify the meaning.

Henry Fuseli, The Nightmare, 1781, Detroit Institute of Arts
Henry Fuseli, The Nightmare, 1781, Detroit Institute of Arts


This painting is from the Romantic period in the art of the late 18th century and early 19th centuries. Don’t be fooled by the name, this art period is not about love and kisses and roses. Romantic artists were out to shock and engage the viewer with powerful imagery and emotions, explore elements of the subconscious, connect with other art forms (especially literature), captivate with exotic tales and locations, and mesmerize with the awe and power of nature. This painting sums all that up in one quirky and disturbingly delicious package; don’t you think?

5. Hugo Ball’s Sound Poetry, Karawane, 1916

Hugo Ball in cubist costume performing Karawane, 1916
Hugo Ball in cubist costume performing Karawane, 1916
“If you have serious ideas about life, If you make artistic discoveries and if all of a sudden your head begins to crackle with laughter, If you find all your ideas useless and ridiculous, know that IT IS DADA BEGINNING TO SPEAK TO YOU” Paris January 12, 1921 E. Varèse, Tr. Tzara, Ph. Soupault, Soubeyran, J. Rigaut, G. Ribemont-Dessaignes, M. Ray, F. Picabia, B. Péret, C. Pausaers, R.Hülsenbeeks, J. Evola, M. Ernst, P. Eluard, Suz. Duchamp, M. Duchamp, Crotti, G. Cantarelli, Marg. Buffet, Gab. Buffet, a. Breton, Baargeld, Arp., W. C. Arensberg, L. Aragon

This is Hugo Ball. He was a mover and a shaker in a short-lived art movement in the early 20th century called dada. Rumor has it they picked a random word out of the dictionary to name their group (check out the manifestos linked below for more info about what dada means. Spoiler alert: “DADA DOES NOT MEAN ANYTHING”). While the movement was short and seemingly silly, it began as a reaction against the horrors of World War I. They valued whimsy, irrationality, shock value, and spontaneity to counteract the serious undertones and themes of politics, war, media, language, civil rights, and technology. These artists tested the limits of art by integrating visual art, public gatherings and demonstrations, theatre, poetry, and even just pure sounds. That’s what is happening here with Hugo Ball’s Karawane. He put on this awesome costume and read his poem of nonsensical sounds and words in a cafe. I can’t find a recording of him doing it, but poets.org has a great audio recording of someone giving it a go.

Where do you begin talking about this one with your students? Let them take the lead. They probably are more comfortable with the silly of this than you are. In the past, I’ve made my college students create dada performances in class inspired by the Dada Manifesto by Tristan Tzara and the Dada Manifesto by Hugo Ball. It is great, creative fun. Your high schooler will kind of hate you for making you do it, but it’s fun to torture them a little sometimes; am I right?


Side note:
Although it started as an anti-war movement in Europe, once it hit America it became more about anti-art and questioning the value and purpose of art. Check out this “Ready-made” (That’s a fancy way of saying urinal.) by Marcel Duchamp to see where that went. Is art the idea, or is art the final product?

Dada. Dada, dada. Da. Da.

Thanks for reading! See more art-related posts on Art Class Curator. Which of these artworks did you like the most? Let me know in the comments if you tried out any of these artworks with your kids! What other artworks intrigue your older kids?

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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 was originally posted on April 14, 2014.

Filed Under: Art and Artists
Tagged With: frida kahlo, henry fuseli, hugo ball, john feodorov, marcel duchamp

 

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