Sixth Grade
Youtube Video Links -
History - youtu.be/KT4sdOAYGbw Demo -
History - youtu.be/KT4sdOAYGbw Demo -
Diego Rivera, "Flower Vendor"
Diego Rivera (1886 - 1957) was a Mexican painter who championed the causes of Mexico's common people, peasants, and native underclass. Many of his paintings celebrate these groups and elevate them in art to a higher status than they held in the real world. Rivera's most important works include large wall mural paintings. These murals are filled with large, simplified figures and bold colors, and they tell stories about Mexican history and politics, including the 1910 Mexican Revolution.
Diego Rivera also painted many smaller scale works, including several versions of flower sellers, vendors and carriers. All of these scenes represent the indigenous people of Mexico, but in a broadly generic or symbolic way. Notice that in all of these images the human figures are practically anonymous, with their heads bowed or turned away from the viewer. The bodies and clothing are simplified in shape and filled in with flat areas of color. These things remove any specific individuality and instead leave us with a type - the humble, poor worker. The flowers represent wealth or luxury, and these images symbolize how hard the poor laborers must work for the wealthy people's luxury.
In all cases the flowers seem more important than the humans, usually gathered in enormous bunches, with a scale that almost seems to overtake the human figures. The colors of the flowers are brighter too. The dark shadowed background around the edges of the painting serve as sharp contrast to the highlighted flowers, which often fill up the entire picture plane. Also notice the way Rivera repeats colors and shapes to unite the image and create patterns. Each painting also seems to have one color that is unique, like the blue strap, the blue shawl, or the red belt in the first three images above. These details help return our focus to the human element of the picture. And, despite the massive presence of the flowers, the human figures are solid and firm, crisp in their presentation, without a sense of struggle or unease. They may be poor, but Rivera portrays them as handling their burdens with pride and dignity.
Diego Rivera also painted many smaller scale works, including several versions of flower sellers, vendors and carriers. All of these scenes represent the indigenous people of Mexico, but in a broadly generic or symbolic way. Notice that in all of these images the human figures are practically anonymous, with their heads bowed or turned away from the viewer. The bodies and clothing are simplified in shape and filled in with flat areas of color. These things remove any specific individuality and instead leave us with a type - the humble, poor worker. The flowers represent wealth or luxury, and these images symbolize how hard the poor laborers must work for the wealthy people's luxury.
In all cases the flowers seem more important than the humans, usually gathered in enormous bunches, with a scale that almost seems to overtake the human figures. The colors of the flowers are brighter too. The dark shadowed background around the edges of the painting serve as sharp contrast to the highlighted flowers, which often fill up the entire picture plane. Also notice the way Rivera repeats colors and shapes to unite the image and create patterns. Each painting also seems to have one color that is unique, like the blue strap, the blue shawl, or the red belt in the first three images above. These details help return our focus to the human element of the picture. And, despite the massive presence of the flowers, the human figures are solid and firm, crisp in their presentation, without a sense of struggle or unease. They may be poor, but Rivera portrays them as handling their burdens with pride and dignity.
PowerPoint presentation that can be used to teach this lesson:
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the Project
Prep - 30 minutes (includes time to make sample)
Print - The Flower Carrier (but the digital images above are preferable)
Materials
-9 x 12 black construction paper per student
-chalk pastels
-white tempera paint
-yellow tempera paint
-paint brushes
-paint palettes
-water containers to share
-hairspray to fix chalk when finished (please spray outside!!)
Lesson
1. Talk about Diego Rivera. Show students The Flower Carrier print (or use a computer to show the variety of flower pictures above) and ask them what they see. Have the students discuss whether the flowers or the humans are more important in the picture. You can point out some of the visual cues discussed above.
2. Show students your sample and ask them what different art mediums you used to create this work of art (Chalk pastels and tempera paint).
3. Explain that you drew the lady and her basket first in chalk pastels. Draw the figure and basket in black chalk pastel and then color in all areas with colored chalk pastels. They can use very simple shapes to make their drawing.
--Remind students that everyone's will look different and they are suppose to-- this is art. I like to say, "If we wanted them to all look the same we would just make a color copy of one project." Another statement I make is, "There is no right or wrong in art."
4. Show students how you used white and yellow tempera paint to paint the flowers in the top of the basket. Show students on a piece of paper how you used your paint brush to paint the white flowers and once the basket was full, you came back and added the yellow centers.
Print - The Flower Carrier (but the digital images above are preferable)
Materials
-9 x 12 black construction paper per student
-chalk pastels
-white tempera paint
-yellow tempera paint
-paint brushes
-paint palettes
-water containers to share
-hairspray to fix chalk when finished (please spray outside!!)
Lesson
1. Talk about Diego Rivera. Show students The Flower Carrier print (or use a computer to show the variety of flower pictures above) and ask them what they see. Have the students discuss whether the flowers or the humans are more important in the picture. You can point out some of the visual cues discussed above.
2. Show students your sample and ask them what different art mediums you used to create this work of art (Chalk pastels and tempera paint).
3. Explain that you drew the lady and her basket first in chalk pastels. Draw the figure and basket in black chalk pastel and then color in all areas with colored chalk pastels. They can use very simple shapes to make their drawing.
--Remind students that everyone's will look different and they are suppose to-- this is art. I like to say, "If we wanted them to all look the same we would just make a color copy of one project." Another statement I make is, "There is no right or wrong in art."
4. Show students how you used white and yellow tempera paint to paint the flowers in the top of the basket. Show students on a piece of paper how you used your paint brush to paint the white flowers and once the basket was full, you came back and added the yellow centers.
Art Project
-pass out black paper and chalk pastels
-have print displayed on overhead for students to draw
-remind them to put their name on the back of their paper in white crayon
-have students draw the figure in black chalk and color in the rest in colored chalk
-when students are done with drawing have them turn in their chalk pastels and get their paint
-have students paint all white flowers first, remember, this should take up the whole top half of the paper
-have students use the yellow (without washing out their brush) to make the flower centers
-when students are done have a couple of them wash out brushes and paint palettes
-collect all supplies and return to art room
-wash out brushes again and lay on counter to dry
-pass out black paper and chalk pastels
-have print displayed on overhead for students to draw
-remind them to put their name on the back of their paper in white crayon
-have students draw the figure in black chalk and color in the rest in colored chalk
-when students are done with drawing have them turn in their chalk pastels and get their paint
-have students paint all white flowers first, remember, this should take up the whole top half of the paper
-have students use the yellow (without washing out their brush) to make the flower centers
-when students are done have a couple of them wash out brushes and paint palettes
-collect all supplies and return to art room
-wash out brushes again and lay on counter to dry