Western Art Movements II Art Movements    

Lesson 1: Pointillism - Picking Peas (1887)

by Camille Pissarro

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 movement.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Discuss the review questions.

Synopsis

Camille Pissarro 'Picking Peas' (1887), an oil painting on canvas, is a landscape featuring five female farm laborers in the midst of a pea harvest. They wear head coverings to protect themselves from the sun. The long shadows cast by the women hint that the sun is low in the sky. The setting is outside Pontoise, France, located just over 20 miles from Paris. In the background, a man faces away from the viewer, holding a basket. Pissarro used pointillism to create the field of peas. Pointillism uses small dots of color to create an image.

Vocabulary

Pointillism: In art, the use of small areas of color to construct an image.
Harvest: The process of gathering the ripened crop.
Oil Paint: A paint in which the colors or pigments are suspended in an oil-based carrier such as linseed oil which hardens on exposure to the air.
Canvas: A type of coarse cloth, woven from hemp, useful for making sails and tents or as a surface for paintings.

Concepts

Featured Movement:

1. Name - Pointillism
2. Peak Prevalence - 1886-1900

Characteristics:

1. Dots of different colors blend at a distance to make images

2. Pointillism artists often used oil-based paint

3. Pointillism artists often painted on canvas

Common Coinciding Genres:

1. Landscapes - 'The Cabbage Place at Pontoise' by Camille Pissarro

2. Portraits - 'Woman with a Hat' by Jean Metzinger

3. Genre Art (Everyday life) - 'Woman and Child' by Théo Van Rysselberghe

Enrichment

Activity 1: Can You Find It?

Find the following in the artwork:

• 5 Women
• Gentleman
• Pea Plants
• 3 Baskets
• White House
• Poplar Trees (tall and skinny)
• Horizon
• White dot of color
• Green dot of color
• Bluish dot of color

Activity 2: Narrate the Artwork

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

Activity 3: Map the Artwork

Find France and Paris on the map of Europe.

Activity 4: Classify the Artwork

• This artwork employs pointillism.
• Find pointillism on the timeline.
• During which approximate years did pointillism flourish?
• Which art movement followed pointillism?

Activity 5: Recreate/Color the Artwork   

• Click the crayon above and complete page 4 of 'Fifth Grade Art History Coloring Book.'

Review

Question 1

What is pointillism?

1 / 7

Answer 1

Pointillism involves using small dots of color to create an image.

1 / 7

Question 2

What is the setting of the artwork?

2 / 7

Answer 2

The setting is a pea field outside Paris, France.

2 / 7

Question 3

What happens in the artwork?

3 / 7

Answer 3

A group of women and a man harvest peas and place them into baskets.

3 / 7

Question 4

Into which genre does the artwork fall?

4 / 7

Answer 4

The artwork falls into the landscape genre.

4 / 7

Question 5

To which western art movement does this painting belong?

5 / 7

Answer 5

This painting belongs to the pointillism art movement.

5 / 7

Question 6

Which genres commonly coincide with the pointillism technique?

6 / 7

Answer 6

Landscapes, portraits, and genre art often coincide with the pointillism technique.

6 / 7

Question 7

During which century was this artwork created?

7 / 7

Answer 7

This artwork was created in the late 19th century (1887).

7 / 7

❮ ❯

1. What is pointillism? Pointillism involves using small dots of color to create an image.
2. What is the setting of the artwork? The setting is a pea field outside Paris, France.
3. What happens in the artwork? A group of women and a man harvest peas and place them into baskets.
4. Into which genre does the artwork fall? The artwork falls into the landscape genre.
5. To which western art movement does this painting belong? This painting belongs to the pointillism art movement.
6. Which genres commonly coincide with the pointillism technique? Landscapes, portraits, and genre art often coincide with the pointillism technique.
7. During which century was this artwork created? This artwork was created in the late 19th century (1887).

References

'Pointillism.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.

'Camille Pissarro: Reaping the rewards.' Christie's. christies.com/features/Triton-Camille-Pissaro-5801-1.aspx. n.p.