Following on from last week’s ‘Become an Art Critic’ post, I thought we could meet up here to have a discussion regarding the paintings. You can have another look at them here before adding your comments below:
My personal favourite from the ones I posted is number 5 – ‘Starry Night’ by Vincent van Gogh. It depicts a moonlit scene with a large cypress tree in the foreground and a small town in the background. The most noticeable thing is, however, the sky. The artist has used bold, swirling brushstrokes to create a sense of movement. This makes me think that he may have been upset or agitated when he was painting this. The cypress tree in the foreground is buffeted by the wind, perhaps reflecting van Gogh’s own inner turmoil. It is not a calming painting, but I love the colours and the wildness of the swirling starry sky.
Let’s hear your thoughts!
Hi Ms Rees my favourite painting is number one the Eiffel tower by Georges Seurat. I really like this picture because he uses a different technique of painting by making the picture out of dots and not using a paint brush to paint it. I think he used his finger tip to shape the dots. He used lots of bright colours which I really liked.
You are correct, Cameron – the painting is composed of many small dots rather than brush-strokes. This is a technique known as pointillism, and I believe Seurat did use a paintbrush to create this. It was painted the same year that the Eiffel Tower was built – in 1889.
I liked the Starry Night too. The sky is blue not black and it’s colourful.
Thank you, Gabriella. Can you explain how the painting makes you feel? How do you think the artist was feeling when he painted it?
The painting makes me feel happy – like it’s just outside my window. I think the artist felt calm and happy because he’s enjoying the view of the village. I think that he was proud when he’d finished.
Thank you for sharing your opinions, Gabriella. I would certainly have been proud to complete a painting like that!