Art History

Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3 Lesson 4 Lesson 5 Lesson 6

Lesson #6. Art objects have a variety of uses.

Why do people make art? What is art used for? What is art's purpose? There are basically four uses and purposes for art:

1. Historical = to record the history of men and events.

Long ago, art was the main way that man used to record important events. Here is an example of a picture painted about a very big event, the crowning of Napoleon Bonaparte and his wife, Josephine:

The Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon and the Coronation of Empress Josephine (December 2, 1804), by Jacques Louis David, Le Louvre, Paris, France

People used art to make a record of the life of mankind. There were no cameras or computers to do those things in those days.

Artists were also often asked to paint pictures of people to record what they looked like. We call these portraits. Here are a few examples:

The Mona Lisa (La Gioconda),by Leonardo da Vinci,,Le Louvre, Paris Many artists practiced portraits of neighbors, friends, or people they knew.

George Washington, by Gilbert Stuart, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Many famous people, like our Presidents, have a portrait painted.

Madame Georges Charpentier and Her Children, by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Some artists painted portraits of families.

Self Portrait, by Vincent van Gogh, The Art Institute of Chicago Many artists often painted their own portraits.

2. Expressive = to express ideas and feelings.

Art can be a way for the artist to show his feelings and ideas. Art work can communicate a message.

One of the most famous examples of expressive art is this piece about the effect of war on a little town. Can you see the artist's feelings in this painting?

Guernica, by Pablo Picasso, Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain.

3. Utilitarian = to be useful and decorative.

Much art is useful, such as architecture, furniture, or costumes. This is also true when a sculpture is used for a fountain, or a drawing is used as the cover of a book.

How are the following art works useful?

Helmet Mask, Cameroon,Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York   Masks were used by many early groups of people for special ceremonies as well as role-playing. Masks are still used today, especially for plays.

Pictorial Quilt by Harriet Powers, Boston Museum of Fine Arts   Quilts are used as blankets and furniture throws. Old quilts are being kept for their artistic value because they do not last very long.

Wine Jar (Stamnos), Greek, c. 450 B.C., Art Institute of Chicago     Jars and containers are still as useful as they were in the ancient times to hold liquids, flowers, and other things.

4. Aesthetic = for personal enjoyment.

Then there is art just for enjoyment, to bring beauty into the world. This can depend on what a person likes, enjoys, or what a person thinks is beautiful.

Cupid, by Etienne-Maurice Falconet, State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

Heroic Roses, by Paul Klee, Bild-Kunst, Bonn

Regatta at Argenteuil, by Claude Monet, Louvre, Paris, France

Try This!

Look at the following paintings or pictures of art objects. See if you can tell if the main purpose of the art work would be

• historical (to record the history of men and events),
• expressive (to express ideas and emotions),
• utilitarian (to be useful and decorative), or
• aesthetic (for personal enjoyment).

"Wedding Cake" House, by G. Bourne Kennebunkport, ME	1. Historical Expressive Utilitarian Aesthetic Click here for an explanation.
The Gleaners, by Jean-François Millet	2. Historical Expressive Utilitarian Aesthetic Click here for an explanation.
Head of Man, by Paul Klee	3. Historical Expressive Utilitarian Aesthetic Click here for an explanation.
Lascaux Cave Painting, the Cave of Lascaux, France	4. Historical Expressive Utilitarian Aesthetic Click here for an explanation.
Food Basket, Native American, Panamint People, Honolulu Academy of Arts	5. Historical Expressive Utilitarian Aesthetic Click here for an explanation.
Irises, by Vincent Van Gogh, Los Angeles: Getty Center	6. Historical Expressive Utilitarian Aesthetic Click here for an explanation.
Symphony in White, No. 1: The White Girl, by James McNeill Whistler, National Gallery of Art	7. Historical Expressive Utilitarian Aesthetic Click here for an explanation.
The Lovers, by Pablo Picasso, The National Gallery of Art, Washington	8. Historical Expressive Utilitarian Aesthetic Click here for an explanation.

  Activity #6 - Make something utilitarian!

Choose one of the art problems from the list below. Here are the problems:

• Design and make an outdoor toy.
• Design and make a sculpture for the school.
• Design and make an original painting for hanging in the school cafeteria.
• Design a "fun" chair.
• Design the ideal or "dream" classroom of the future.

Materials needed:

• Depending on the problem you have chosen, you may need a computer painting program, a scanner, or a camera.
• Some solutions need supplies to make a model. You may ask the teacher and also get some things from your house. Recycle as much as possible.

Directions:  

•  Plan and build or draw a model of the solution to your chosen problem from above.
• You may work alone or with a group of 2 - 3 students to plan, make, and get a picture of your problem's solution. Be sure each member does something in the group.

 

Response #6:

Be sure to include the activity number, #6, and your names. Write your response to the following:

¶ Explain your problem and describe how the solution solves the problem.

¶ Describe how it felt doing this kind of art activity. Use at least 3 sentences. Describe what part each team member took and did.

Now send a picture of the solution and response to Mrs. Ogata through e-mail.

If you need directions to attach to e-mail, click here.

Activity #6 Grading Rubric:

3 - Proficient	2- In progress	1 - Needs improvement
Model of the solution works well to solve the chosen problem.	Model of the solution seems to partially solve the problem, or is lacking in some quality.	Model of the solution does not solve the problem chosen by the student.
Each team member did a part of the work as evidenced in the response.	Some team members may have done more than others as evidenced in the response.	It was evident that the group did not work together well to produce a solution.
Response answers all questions.	Response answers most of the questions.	Response answers less than half the questions.
Response uses good sentences, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.	Some sentence, capitalization, and punctuation errors are in the response, but the reader can still get the message.	Many writing errors do not help get the message across. Cannot understand what the message is.

This is the end of this Art History Unit.

Congratulations!

Now Take Quiz #2!

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