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| National Gallery of Art The Bridge at Argenteuil by Monet, 1874 |
Become the "resident expert" on one French Impressionist painter and write a review of that artist's work.
Some artists to choose from are:
- Edouard Manet (1832-1883)
- Claude Monet (1840-1926)
- Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919)
- Edgar Degas (1834-1917)
- Camille Pissarro (1830-1903)
- Berthe Morisot (1841-1895)
First learn about the era during which the Impressionists painted, and the style and techniques that were called "impressionist."Take notes on the historical background of of this artistic movement. Then choose a painter to study. (Look at Impressionist paintings on the Internet or in art books to find an artist whose work you like.) Gather biographical information and facts about the subjects of his or her paintings. Read articles of art criticism to learn what people thought of the artist's work, both during the period when he or she was painting and today. Imagine you'd like to buy a painting by the artist you choose. How much might you have to pay today? Explain how you arrived at that price.
STEP 1: Initial Search
Begin your research with visits to the following Web sites:
Yahooligans! Art History
Under "Sites," click on "Impressionism" to learn basic facts on the movement. Then read other related articles.
Open Directory Art
Click on one of the artists listed at the top. That will take you to a list of links on the artist.
New York Art-Isms
Click "Artists" on the list of links, top right of the home page.
Starting with the sites listed above, search for information about Impressionism and Impressionist artists. Take notes on specifics of the movement, artists, and general information about Impressionism.
Focus your search on three artists. Use cluster diagrams to organize the details you have discovered about each artist. Then choose the artist who most interests you. (See Grammar for Writing, Level Gold, pages 10-11.)
STEP 2: Focus Your Search
Search the Internet for additional information on the artist you have chosen and his or her works. Explore other resources such as books on art and art history, an encyclopedia, an almanac, and newspaper and magazine articles. Also visit Internet museum sites such as:
STEP 3: Define Your Audience
Make your information interesting to an art history class. Your audience may have heard about the artist whose work you are reviewing but may not know about specific paintings, the artist?s life and times, or the impact of the artist's work during or after his or her lifetime. Make your style informative and serious. Write a report packed with facts that support your opinions.
STEP 4: Brainstorm Ideas
Brainstorm about the things you want to include in your review. Include (1) information about the artist's life; (2) discussions of specific works by the artist; and (3) The response to the artist's work both during his or her life and today.
When you review your draft, look for places to combine sentences in order to create a more polished piece. (See Grammar for Writing, Level Gold, page 45.)
If you are not sure about the writing style an art critic uses, do some research. Read three or four reviews written by different critics. Take notes about the way in which each critic discusses the various elements in the artist's work and the overall tone and style of each article. Refer to your notes when you develop your outline and develop your own style.
STEP 5: Organize Your Ideas and Write a Rough Draft
Organize your ideas into an outline before your begin writing. Consider what points you want to make and the information you want to share in your review, and adjust your outline accordingly.
When you write your rough draft, try three different opening lines. Choose the one that best expresses your ideas and best leads into the body of your review.
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Edgar Degas |
STEP 6: Revise, Edit and Proofread Your Writing
Reread your review. Make sure that each paragraph has a topic sentence and that all the sentences in the paragraph support that topic. Add facts and details to help draw in your reader.
Edit your review for grammatical errors; then proofread your work carefully for spelling, punctuation, and capitalization errors.
STEP 7: Publish Your Work
Present your review to the class. You will want to have copies of all artworks discussed in the review. If possible, a color version of each work will give the class a better idea of what the artist's work was like.
Copyright ©2007 by William H. Sadlier, Inc. All rights reserved.