Western Art Movements II Art Movements    

Lesson 15: Cubism - The City (1919)

by Fernand Léger

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

Synopsis

French painter Fernand Léger captured the cacophony of a bustling city his Cubist piece, 'The City' in 1919. Human figures bustle in the midst of a colorful riot of overlapping lines and geometric shapes. Roads, stairs, bridges, buildings, street signs, and scaffoldings of steel beams layer to provide a three-dimensional feel. As with other cubist works, a fractured appearance, three-dimensionality, sharp angles, and the depiction of natural forms as geometric structures characterize the piece.

Vocabulary

Cubism: An avant-garde artistic movement in the early 20th Century characterized by the depiction of natural forms as geometric structures of planes.
Avant-garde: Any group of people who invent or promote new techniques or concepts, especially in the arts.
Fractured: Broken into sharp pieces.
Geometric: Using simple shapes such as circles, triangles and lines in a decorative object.
Three-dimensionality: The state or characteristic of occupying, or of appearing to occupy, three dimensions of space.

Concepts

Featured Movement:

1. Name - Cubism
2. Peak Prevalence - 1907-1914

Movement Characteristics:

1. Geometric shapes (squares, rectangles, etc.)
2. Three-dimensionality
3. Fractured appearance
4. Sharp angles rather than flowing curves
5. Note the geometric shapes, three-dimensionality, fractured appearance, and sharp angles exemplified by Pablo Picasso's 'Girl with a Mandolin' (1910), an example of a cubist artwork

Common Coinciding Genres:

1. Landscapes - 'Quarry Bibémus' (1900) by Paul Cézanne

2. Portraits - 'Soldier at a Game of Chess' (1915) by Jean Metzinger

3. Cityscapes - 'La ville no. 2' (1911) by Robert Delaunay

4. Still Lifes - 'Violin and Candlestick' (1910) by Georges Braque

Enrichment

Activity 1: Can You Find It?

Find the following in the artwork:

• Road
• Bridge
• Stairs
• People
• Buildings
• Street Signs
• Scaffoldings

Activity 2: Narrate the Artwork

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

Activity 3: Map the Artwork

• Fernand Léger was born in France.
• Find France on the map of the world.

Activity 4: Classify the Artwork

• This artwork belongs to the cubism art movement.
• Find cubism on the timeline.
• During which approximate years did cubism flourish?
• Which art movement followed cubism?

Activity 5: Recreate/Color the Artwork   

• Click the crayon above and complete page 18 of 'Fifth Grade Art History Coloring Book.'

Review

Question 1

What is cubism?

1 / 7

Answer 1

Cubism is an artistic movement in the early 20th Century characterized by the depiction of natural forms as geometric structures of planes.

1 / 7

Question 2

Into which genre does the artwork fall?

2 / 7

Answer 2

The artwork falls into the cityscape genre.

2 / 7

Question 3

What happens in the artwork?

3 / 7

Answer 3

The artwork shows a bustling city.

3 / 7

Question 4

To which western art movement does this painting belong?

4 / 7

Answer 4

This painting belongs to the cubism art movement.

4 / 7

Question 5

How does the artwork serve as an example of cubism?

5 / 7

Answer 5

The painting's geometric shapes, fractured appearance, and three-dimensionality are all characteristic of cubism.

5 / 7

Question 6

Which genres commonly coincide with cubism?

6 / 7

Answer 6

Landscapes, portraits, cityscapes, and still lifes often coincide with cubism.

6 / 7

Question 7

During which century was this artwork created?

7 / 7

Answer 7

This artwork was created in the early 20th century (1919).

7 / 7

❮ ❯

1. What is cubism? Cubism is an artistic movement in the early 20th Century characterized by the depiction of natural forms as geometric structures of planes.
2. Into which genre does the artwork fall? The artwork falls into the cityscape genre.
3. What happens in the artwork? The artwork shows a bustling city.
4. To which western art movement does this painting belong? This painting belongs to the cubism art movement.
5. How does the artwork serve as an example of cubism? The painting's geometric shapes, fractured appearance, and three-dimensionality are all characteristic of cubism.
6. Which genres commonly coincide with cubism? Landscapes, portraits, cityscapes, and still lifes often coincide with cubism.
7. During which century was this artwork created? This artwork was created in the early 20th century (1919).

References

'Cubism.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.

'Fernand Léger.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.