Visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York City, on Google’s Arts & Culture platform. Explore the collection and look at the different works of art on display.
From the collection, select two paintings that use oil paint on different surfaces and respond to the series of questions provided to explore them in depth.
1. Describe the two works by providing the following information for each.
a. Who is the artist?
Work 1:
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Work 2:
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b. What is the title of the work?
Work 1:
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Work 2:
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c. When was the work created?
Work 1:
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Work 2:
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d. How large is the work? Provide dimensions.
Work 1:
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Work 2:
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e. Is the work representational? Naturalistic? Abstract? Stylized? Nonrepresentational? Give details that demonstrate your answer.
Work 1:
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Work 2:
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f. What surface is the work painted on?
Work 1:
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Work 2:
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2. Compare and contrast the two works of art by analyzing each artist’s use of the surface.
a. How do the works differ based on the surface on which they are each painted?
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b. How do the different surfaces affect the color and texture of the oil paint?
c. Why might these artists have used oil paint as opposed to tempera, watercolor, encaustic, fresco, or acrylic?
d. What does the use of oil paint bring to these paintings?
3. Go back into the museum and find one other work that uses paint in a less traditional way (for instance, on a sculpture).
a. What is the artist trying to convey by using the paint in this way?
b. How does its function differ from the way it is used in the two paintings above?
c. How does the quality with which the paint is applied differ in the three works?
d. How do the respective time periods of the works affect the technique and use of oil paint?
4. Recall your initial reasons for selecting the first two works.
a. What were your first impressions?
b. Do the works fit into your notion of what oil painting should look like?
c. How have your impressions changed after you looked at the two works closely?
link of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York City, (https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/the-metropolitan-museum-of-art)
