Do you think these two artworks have anything in common?
Let's investigate.
Describing what we see can be a useful place to start.
Each of these artworks has either natural things
like fruits and flowers, or man made objects arranged together
on a flat surface.
This makes them both still lifes.
Artists have been making still lifes for thousands of years
because they offer an opportunity to reflect
on the objects that surround us in daily life.
Now, let's spend time with each artwork
so we can learn more about them.
This is a painting known as "Fruit Piece"
made by Jan van Huysum in 1722.
We can see a variety of fruits and flowers arranged together
in an outdoor setting.
There are many organic shapes throughout,
in the grapes, nectarines, flowers, and more.
What shapes can you identify?
There are a wide variety of colors, also known as hues.
There are secondary and intermediate colors,
which are different combinations of the primary colors;
red, yellow, and blue.
The colors are also low intensity,
meaning they are not extremely bright.
How many colors can you identify?
This is a photograph known as "Still Life"
made by Man Ray in 1933.
The composition of this artwork indicates to us
that it is considered a still life. But there are no flowers!
Instead there are hands, faces, and rounded shapes.
What other objects can you identify?
The colors are eye catching.
The primary colors red, blue, and yellow are featured.
Overall, the colors are high in intensity,
meaning they are very bright.
There are also many distinct lines and hard edges,
as seen in these geometric shapes.
Now that we have described these artworks,
let's consider what they have in common.
Both use repetition and variety of elements to make the picture
seem active and unified.
In what ways are these artworks different from one another?
The shapes in "Fruit Piece" are more organic than the geometric
shapes in "Still Life."
The colors are complimentary and low intensity in "Fruit Piece,"
and primary and high intensity in "Still Life."
Now, let's share our impressions of the artworks.
It's like a test question that you always
get right, because it's about your opinion.
It may help to have some background information
on the artists so you can better reflect on potential meanings
of their work.
Jan van Huysum, like others still life painters
of his time, painted arrangements of natural objects
in celebration of the beauty and abundance of life.
Van Huysum developed his own special process
of building up layers of color in order
to create these realistic looking fruits and flowers.
Man Ray was really interested in making things
that were new and different.
This photograph refers to the traditional still life
paintings that artists like van Huysum made.
The different choices in subject matter,
like Man Ray including his own sculpture and photograph,
draw attention to the fact that he
was having fun with tradition.
So if you were going to make a still life,
what would you put in it?