Art Around the World World Art    

Lesson 19: Study by the Balcony

by Cristóbal Rojas

Directions

Study the artwork for one week.

Over the week:

• Examine the artwork.
• Read the synopsis.
• Study the vocabulary words.
• Recite the artist and artwork names.
• Read about the art region or artist.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Discuss the review questions.

Synopsis

Cristóbal Rojas' 'Study by the Balcony' shows a little girl in a dress running inside from a balcony. A woman in pink stands on the balcony and looks over the side, enjoying the bright, sunny day. Another person in black sits at a table covered with a black and pink tablecloth.

Vocabulary

Balcony: A platform enclosed by a wall or railing on the outside of a building, with access from an upper-floor window or door.

Concepts

1. Venezuelan painter Cristóbal Rojas was born in 1857 in Cúa, Venezuela. See his self-portrait below.

2. Zoom in and find Rojas' country of birth on the map of South America below.

3. Rojas lived a fairly comfortable life until his father died when he was 13. Responsibility fell to him to earn money for his family, and he began working in a tobacco factory.
4. Rojas' grandfather taught him to draw, and he eventually studied art at the Universidad Central de Venezuela.
5. One of Rojas' paintings earned him a scholarship to study in Paris, where he was inspired by artwork in the Louvre museum.
6. Many of Rojas' works feature people suffering from tuberculosis, to which he coincidentally succumbed. Sick and out of money, he returned to Venezuela.
7. Rojas died of tuberculosis in Caracas, Venezuela in 1890 at the age of 32.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Can You Find It?

Find the following in the artwork:

• Little Girl
• Balcony
• Woman
• Table Leg
• Table Cloth
• Open Door
• Glass Panes
• Light and Shadow on the Table

Activity 2: Narrate the Artwork

• After studying the artwork, narrate the scene shown aloud using your own words.

Activity 3: Complete Vocabulary Activities

• While studying the new words, point out any you see in the painting.
• Define each of the vocabulary words in your own words.

Activity 4: Color the Artwork   

• Click the crayon above, and complete page 30 of 'Art History Coloring Pages for Second Grade.'

Review

Question 1

Who are the characters in the artwork?

1 / 3

Answer 1

The characters include a little girl, a woman, and a person in black.

1 / 3

Question 2

What is the setting of the artwork?

2 / 3

Answer 2

The setting is inside a home or apartment that has a balcony.

2 / 3

Question 3

What is the weather like in the painting?

3 / 3

Answer 3

The weather is sunny and warm.

3 / 3

❮ ❯

1. Who are the characters in the artwork? The characters include a little girl, a woman, and a person in black.
2. What is the setting of the artwork? The setting is inside a home or apartment that has a balcony.
3. What is the weather like in the painting? The weather is sunny and warm.

References

'Cristóbal Rojas (artist).' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.