Western Painting: A History of Styles and Innovations

Unit 1: Introduction to Western Painting

Lesson 1: What is Western Art?

Objectives:

• Define Western art
• Identify the purpose of Western art during the Middle Ages
• Recognize the innovations of Giotto di Bondone in Western painting

Activities:

• Brainstorm with students what they think Western art is.
• Discuss the purpose of Western art during the Middle Ages and show examples of two-dimensional, religious paintings.
• Introduce Giotto di Bondone and show examples of his paintings.
• Lead a class discussion on the innovations of Giotto di Bondone and how they changed Western painting.

Assessment:

• Students will write a short paragraph explaining the purpose of Western art during the Middle Ages and the innovations of Giotto di Bondone.

Lesson 2: The Renaissance

Objectives:

• Define the Renaissance period
• Identify the new attitudes towards life during the Renaissance
• Recognize the innovations of Masaccio and the famous painters of the Renaissance

Activities:

• Introduce the Renaissance period and its new attitudes towards life.
• Show examples of Masaccio's use of perspective and how it changed Western painting.
• Introduce Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael and show examples of their paintings.
• Lead a class discussion on how the Renaissance period changed Western painting.

Assessment:

• Students will create a timeline of the Renaissance period and include the innovations of Masaccio and the famous painters of the time.

Unit 2: Modern Western Painting

Lesson 1: Impressionism

Objectives:

• Define Impressionism and its origins
• Identify the innovations of Impressionist painters
• Recognize the differences between Impressionist paintings and photographs

Activities:

• Introduce Impressionism and its origins in France.
• Show examples of Impressionist paintings, including Claude Monet's 'Impression, Sunrise'.
• Lead a class discussion on the innovations of Impressionist painters, including their use of light and movement.
• Compare and contrast Impressionist paintings with black-and-white photographs from the same time period.

Assessment:

• Students will create their own Impressionist painting, focusing on light and movement.

Lesson 2: Modern Art

Objectives:

• Define Modern Art and its characteristics
• Identify the different movements within Modern Art
• Recognize the importance of questioning 'What is art?'

Activities:

• Introduce Modern Art and its characteristics, including the focus on abstraction and questioning what art is.
• Show examples of different movements within Modern Art, including Cubism and Surrealism.
• Lead a class discussion on the importance of questioning what art is and how it has influenced Modern Art.
• Have students create their own abstract artwork and write a short reflection on the process.

Assessment:

• Students will write a short essay answering the question, 'What is art?' and how Modern Art has attempted to answer that question.