Behind the Reality of Fantasy
“Fantasy is hardly an escape from reality. It's a way of understanding it.” - Lloyd Alexander
The Reality of Jan Vermeer
The idea in this lesson is to explore with the children the essentials of drawing and painting based in the observation of reality. Children, will travel through times to Netherlands to the 17th Century and they will explore the characteristics in Johannes Vermeer paintings and their attachment to reality. Then, they will be challenge to draw with “chiaro-oscuro” a realistic image.
Objectives:
- Teach children about Jan Vermeer, his artwork and his time.
- Discuss about everyday scenes, people and objects that surround us, and why they are important to depict.
- Learn how to draw realistic images, the chiaro-oscuro technique and hints about choosing the right object or scene to paint.
- Practice the new knowledge by creating a portrait base in lights and shadows.
Essential Questions:
1. Does artists need to understand their reference elements before attempting to draw them? Why?
2. Does artists are able to portrait reality exactly as it is?
3. Is reality considered art? If so, why reality is important in art?
Materials:
Drawing pencils, eraser, sharpener, drawing paper and color pencils
Discussion:
The students will watch a short video about Vermeer and his life and the discussion will be about the 17th Century and how artist in that time like to depict life and objects as close as possible to reality. They didn’t have cameras and through painting people liked to represent their way of living, Vermeer actually create the “camera-oscura” and use it for his artwork. We are going to discuss also about todays reality representation through photographs and how can we draw elements and people also that can be very faithful to reality by using chiaro-oscuro or lights and shadow. We are going to discuss about observation and its relationship to art.
Extension:
Children book: Johannes Vermeer (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists) by Mike Venezia.
Watch the girl with the pearl earring video.
Activity:
1. Present the portrait “Girl with a Pearl Earring” of Jan Vermeer.
2. Explain how to draw a basic portrait and explain why lights and shadows are so important to represent realistic portraits.
3. Guide students through the process of reproduce an image or portrait base in reality with drawing and color pencils.
Assessment:
Students will demonstrate their understanding by completing their art project.
Resources:
• Jan Vermeer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwePebWCtMw&feature=fvsr
The life of Johannes Vermeer, By Dr. Betty Ann Brown, Art Historian, Critic and curator.
• Girl with the Pearl Earring
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijMGqg6qjMo&feature=fvsr
8 year old Sophia recreates by Johannes Vermeer's masterpiece, Girl With A Pearl Earring using acrylic paint
• Essential Vermeer Resources
http://www.essentialvermeer.com
A site for exploring every facet of the life and work of Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer.