Artist of the week....Edouard Manet

Artist: Edouard Manet
Dates: 1832 - 1883
Nationality: French
Style: Realism/Impressionism

Manet painted scenes and people from everyday life in Paris, usually showing his subjects in the way he would have seen them - in a realistic, natural and honest manner. Because of this approach to his subjects Manet is often described as a Realist. Manet spent time with the group of painters known as the Impressionists although he never exhibited with them. Some of his later paintings are very 'impressionistic' in style.

His favorite work to paint was portraits.  

We discussed how you can learn about a person by a portrait.  How are they dressed?  Can you tell their profession?  What about their social standing?

Some of Manet's works are:

Lydia and I found a great site set up by the Philadelphia Museum of Art on Manet and the Sea.  Lydia enjoyed playing with this site.

On that day Caty had been painting with shaving cream and glue...puffy paint.  So Lydia started talking about what the sea can look like at times.  What a calm sea is like and what an angry sea is like.  So she decided to use the white puffy paint to paint an angry sea portrait in honor of Manet's seascapes.  I'm not quite sure how the glitter is supposed to portray an angry sea.  But I couldn't say much considering I am always telling the kiddos that all art is beautiful...as long as they are happy with it.

I was trying to come up with another project for Manet.  And thought about her painting a portrait.  But remembered that Manet did some etching also.  This process was a bit long, and requires chemicals.  So instead I cut up a cereal box and made a crayon etching sheet for her.  She use the handles from her paint brushes to scratch her picture into the cardboard.  We discussed the process that artists used to do actual etching prints.

Our local art museum has an exhibit of Manet's portraits of Life.  We were very fortunate to get to visit it this week.  It was crowded, but Lydia recognized alot!

 Brayden even decided that he would come and see "fine art"!  Yes....he came without a bribe or being forced.  He asked to come!

At the Art Museum, they had masks that the kids could cut out of famous Manet prints.  So we brought them home to do.

We also looked up the prints of The Railway, and discussed what could have been happening in the painting.  I encouraged her to create a story about it.

We also discussed the painting that Manet did of his friend Claude Monet and his family in their garden.

This was a great week for discussion about art, and how everyday life can be art.  She learned the word 'Realism'.

Now next week, we'll get back on track with our American artists...Mary Cassatt.  I switched it up since we had the opportunity to see the Manet traveling exhibit at our Art Museum.