20/06/2014 8:19 pm Creativity Resource for Teachers Blog Archive A Moment in Time

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Lesson Plan: A Moment in Time
Autumn Poplars
Camille Pissarro
1894
Overview
Students will gain an appreciation of Camille Pissarros painting Autumn Poplars and the
innovative style of the Impressionists through sketching and painting a moment in time.
Age Group
Secondary (grades 6-12)
Standards
21 Century Learning Skills Addressed:
Critical Thinking and Reasoning
Information and Literacy
Self-Direction
Invention
2009 Colorado Academic Standards Primary Area Addressed:
Visual Arts
Observe and Learn to Comprehend
Envision and Critique to Reflect
Invent and Discover to Create
Relate and Connect to Transfer
Additional 2009 Academic Standards Addressed:
Language Arts
Oral Expression and Listening
Length of Lesson
Two 45-minute lessons
Rationale
Students will develop an appreciation and understanding of Pissarros unique painting style as they analyze his
painting Autumn Poplars and create their own impressions of a moment in nature. Working collaboratively, students
learn from each other about what one sees and how to translate that into a painting.
Objectives
Students will be able to:
analyze and discuss a painting for its composition and stylistic techniques;
create a list of words that describe the moment in time in the painting;
create a quick sketch that captures the essence of a moment in nature;
use sketches and other preparatory exercises as inspiration for a finished work; and
present their work to the class in a polished and professional manner.
Materials
Sketch paper (or individual sketchbooks if you have them) and drawing utensils
One large sheet of drawing paper
Watercolors or oil pastels
Copies of About the Art sheet on Autumn Poplars (found at the end of the lesson plan) or student access to this
part of Creativity Resource online
One color copy of the painting for every four students, or the ability to project the image onto a wall or screen
Lesson
st
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Day 1
1. Display the image of Pissarros Autumn Poplars. Allow students time to look and share observations. Have them
look closely at color, shape, technique, shadows, attention to detail, etc.
2. Ask students what they know about the Impressionist movement. Join their discussion, using the About the Art
sheet to share more information about the Impressionist movement and background information about Pissarro. It
might be helpful to share the following information from the About the Art sheet:
Pissarro and the Impressionists had liberated themselves from the constraints of subject matter,
composition, and style. Impressionists were breaking boundaries and exploring new ways to depict the
world through painting. In light of their work, new possibilities opened upamong them what colors to use,
what subjects to portray, and even how to paint them.
3. Have the students analyze the painting for Impressionist characteristics, such as brush strokes, textural quality,
and color. (Share information from the Things to Look For section of the About the Art sheet: If you look closely
at this painting, its easy to see thousands of small dots or dabs of paint. When viewed from a distance, the colors
begin to blend into one another, creating a more recognizable image. Many different colors can be seen in this
painting: yellow, green, pink, red, black, and blue. Light shines from behind the trees, causing shadows to be
cast, which were painted in a darker green, across the grass. Leaves that have fallen off the smaller tree in the
foreground dot the green grass.)
4. If possible, take the students outside with their sketch paper and drawing utensils. If going outside is not an
option, provide copies of natural scenes or have students look out a window as Pissarro did when painting
Autumn Poplars.
5. Have students work in groups of three to come up with a list of descriptive words about what they see around
them. Have people share their lists.
6. Give students ten minutes to make sketches of the scene. Remind students that the sketches dont have to be
realistically perfect, but they should capture the impression of the scene, the essence of the moment. Have them
pay close attention to light, shadow, atmospheric conditions, and movement.
Day 2
1. Display the Pissarro image again and review what the class noticed about the painting the day before. Is there
anything new that they hadnt noticed the day before?
2. Revisit the list of descriptive words and sketches from the previous lesson. Now that students have had time to
reflect on that moment, ask the students what they would add to or change about their sketches.
3. Distribute watercolors or oil pastels and have the students create a color painting or drawing inspired by their
sketches. Encourage them to remember what it felt like outside and to use Impressionist techniques in their work,
such as loose brushstrokes and unusual colors.
4. Invite students to present their drawings to the class, explaining their artistic choices.
20/06/2014 8:19 pm Creativity Resource for Teachers Blog Archive A Moment in Time
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About the Art
Autumn Poplars by Camille Pissarro, 1894
Who Made It?
Camille Pissarro was born on the island of St. Thomas in the West Indies (Virgin Islands, when the island was still a
territory of Denmark), where he spent most of his formative years. Pissarro was an artistic youth and spent much of his
time drawing and painting. He moved to Paris in 1855, began his art studies, and joined a group of young painters who
later became known as the Impressionists. Impressionist artists used bright colors, painted everyday scenes, and left
their brushstrokes broken and visibletechniques that challenged the rules of academic painting at the time. Most
Impressionists were not allowed to show their works at the Salon, the official French art exhibition, because of their
unconventional approaches to painting. In response to their exclusion, Pissarro organized an exhibition of
Impressionist paintings in 1874. A total of eight Impressionist exhibitions were organized after 1874 and Pissarro was
the only artist in the group to show his work at all of them. He is considered by many to be the central figure of the
Impressionists. In his time, Pissarro saw the Impressionist style move from being unconventional and rejected to
favorable and admired.
What Inspired It?
Pissarro painted Autumn Poplars from the window of his country home in the village of Eragny, about an hour
northwest of Paris. He loved painting outdoors and even invented an easel on wheels to help him accomplish this.
Pissarro was an innovative artist, constantly searching for new means of expression; his style was always evolving. In
this painting, Pissarro experimented with color, painting dots of pure, unmixed colors side by side. When viewed from a
distance, the colors blend together, creating an image that is very different than what one would see close-up. He
began experimenting with this technique after meeting French painter Georges Seurat [sur-AHT], who is known for this
style of painting. Pissarro put his own twist on Seurats tight, tiny dot technique by using looser brushstrokes that
appear more like dabs of paint.
Pissarro and the Impressionists had liberated themselves from the constraints of subject matter, composition, and style.
Impressionists were breaking boundaries and exploring new ways to depict the world through painting. In light of their
work, new possibilities opened upamong them what colors to use, what subjects to portray, and even how to paint
them. Pissarro explored and experimented with these new possibilities throughout his career.
For more resources related to this artwork, check out the "Find Out More" section for this object on Creativity
Resource online.
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Things to Look For
Autumn Poplars by Camille Pissarro, 1894
Subject Matter
Pissarro, like most Impressionists, was interested in scenes from ordinary life and the effects of
light. In this painting, there are no people, just several poplar trees in their rich autumn colors.
Dont miss the grazing cows in the background between the trees.
Color, Light, and Shadow
Many different colors can be seen in this painting: yellow, green, pink, red, black, and blue. Light
shines from behind the trees, causing shadows to be cast, which were painted in a darker green,
across the grass. Leaves that have fallen off the smaller tree in the foreground dot the green
grass.
Brushstrokes
If you look closely at this painting, its easy to see thousands of small dots or dabs of paint. When
viewed from a distance, the colors begin to blend into one another, creating a more recognizable
image.
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Autumn Poplars
Camille Pissarro
1894
Funds from Helen Dill bequest, 1935.16
Photograph Denver Art Museum 2009. All Rights Reserved.
This image is intended for classroom use only and may not be reproduced for other reasons without the permission of the Denver Art Museum.
This piece may not currently be on display at the museum.