Western Art Movements II Art Movements    

Lesson 3: Pointillism - Sunset at Ambleteuse (1899)

by Théo van Rysselberghe

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

Théo van Rysselberghe's 'Sunset at Ambleteuse' (1899), an oil painting on canvas, is a landscape featuring a panoramic view of a glorious sunset. Ambleteuse is a town in the far north of France, where the Slack River flows into the Strait of Dover. At the time Rysselberghe painted the work, Ambleteuse was known as a vacation escape for city people from Paris and Lille. Vacationers swam, fished, and dug for oysters in the bay at Ambleteuse. Rysselberghe used pointillism to create the artwork, employing small dots of color to create the image.

Vocabulary

Pointillism: In art, the use of small areas of color to construct an image.
English Channel: The arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates the British Isles from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean.
Strait of Dover: A strait in the English Channel, connecting to the North Sea, between Dover (England) and Calais (France).
Bay: A body of water (especially the sea) more or less three-quarters surrounded by land.
Strait: A narrow channel of water connecting two larger bodies of water.

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:

• Slack River
• Bay
• Road
• Fence Posts
• Hills
• Boats
• Yellow dot of color
• Green dot of color
• Orange dot of color
• Blue dot of color
• Gray 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 the following on the map of France:

• Paris
• Lille
• Dover
• English Channel
• Narrowest Part of the English Channel
• Strait of Dover

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 6 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 Ambleteuse, where the Slack River flows into the Strait of Dover.

2 / 7

Question 3

Into which genre does the artwork fall?

3 / 7

Answer 3

The artwork falls into the landscape genre.

3 / 7

Question 4

What happens in the artwork?

4 / 7

Answer 4

The sun sets over the hills surrounding the Slack River.

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 (1899).

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 Ambleteuse, where the Slack River flows into the Strait of Dover.
3. Into which genre does the artwork fall? The artwork falls into the landscape genre.
4. What happens in the artwork? The sun sets over the hills surrounding the Slack River.
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 (1899).

References

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

'Ambleteuse.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.