Genres of Paintings Painting Genres    

Lesson 10: Seascape - The Wave

by Pierre-Auguste Renoir

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 artwork's genre.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Discuss the review questions.

Synopsis

French impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir's seascape, 'The Wave,' encompasses a flurry of brushstrokes to depict a wave churning against the seashore. White sea spray dances into the air, showing the power of the wave. Multiple colors are used to create the crashing wave, including reds, yellows, blues, greens, and whites. Black strokes suggestive of boats sail the line where the sea meets the sky. The greens, blues, and yellows of the sea at the horizon contrast with the darker blues and purples of the sky.

Vocabulary

Seascape: A view of an expanse of sea.
Impressionist: An art style featuring thin, visible brush strokes of color.

Concepts

1. Seascape artwork depicts the water, waves, weather, ships, people, and lighthouses of the sea.
2. Seascapes may include views of both land and sea, boats and the sea, exclusively feature the sea, or even hint at what lies beneath the surface of the sea.
3. Whereas with seascapes, the central feature of the artwork tends to be the sea, artwork prominently featuring boats may be referred to as nautical art and artwork featuring commercial or military vessels may be classified as maritime art.
4. Study the subtle differences between seascapes, nautical art, and maritime art by examining Gustave Courbet's seascape, 'The Wave,' Vincent van Gogh's nautical painting, 'Fishing Boats at Sea,' and Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom's maritime painting, 'Dutch Ships Ramming Spanish Galleys off the English Coast, 3 October 1602.'

Enrichment

Activity 1: Can You Find It?

Find the following in the artwork:

• White, Green, Black, Yellow, Blue, Brown, Red, and Purple Brushstrokes
• Sea Spray
• Sea Foam
• Ships
• Horizon

Activity 2: Narrate the Artwork

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

Activity 3: Map the Artist

Zoom in on the map of Europe to find the country of France.

Activity 4: Color France on the Map   

• Click the crayon above and complete page 22 of 'Art History Coloring Pages for Second Grade.'

Activity 5: Color the Artwork   

• Click the crayon above and complete page 23 of 'Third Grade Art History Coloring Book.'

Review

Question 1

Who are the characters in the artwork?

1 / 4

Answer 1

There are no humans in the painting other than the sailors on the black ships, which cannot be directly seen.

1 / 4

Question 2

What is the setting of the artwork?

2 / 4

Answer 2

The setting is the seashore.

2 / 4

Question 3

How is artwork impressionistic?

3 / 4

Answer 3

Renoir used brushstrokes of color to suggest or provide an impression of shape and form, versus trying to closely mimic all of the details of reality.

3 / 4

Question 4

Into which genre is this painting classified?

4 / 4

Answer 4

This painting falls into the seascape genre.

4 / 4

❮ ❯

1. Who are the characters in the artwork? There are no humans in the painting other than the sailors on the black ships, which cannot be directly seen.
2. What is the setting of the artwork? The setting is the seashore.
3. How is artwork impressionistic? Renoir used brushstrokes of color to suggest or provide an impression of shape and form, versus trying to closely mimic all of the details of reality.
4. Into which genre is this painting classified? This painting falls into the seascape genre.

References

'Seascape.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.