Western Art Movements II Art Movements    

Lesson 4: Pointillism - The Green Sail (1904)

by Paul Signac

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

Paul Signac's 'The Green Sail' (1904), an oil painting on canvas, is a cityscape depicting a sailboat gliding over the Venetian lagoon. Nearby in the water, Gondoliers propel their gondolas with long oars. The Venetian skyline, including the dome and tower of the church of San Giorgio (left), provides the backdrop. Signac used pointillism to create the painting. 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.
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.
Venetian: Of, from, or relating to Venice, an Italian city.
Lagoon: A shallow body of water separated from deeper sea by a bar or sand or earth.
Gondola: A small long, narrow boat with a high prow and stern, propelled with a single oar, especially in Venice.
Gondolier: A Venetian boatman who propels a gondola.

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:

• The Green Sail
• Gondolas
• Gondoliers
• Lagoon
• Venetian Skyline
• San Giorgio Dome
• San Giorgio Tower
• 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 Venice on the map of Italy.

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 7 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 the lagoon near Venice, Italy.

2 / 7

Question 3

Into which genre does the artwork fall?

3 / 7

Answer 3

The artwork falls into the cityscape genre.

3 / 7

Question 4

What happens in the artwork?

4 / 7

Answer 4

A sailboat with a green sail glides near gondolas.

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 early 20th century (1904).

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 the lagoon near Venice, Italy.
3. Into which genre does the artwork fall? The artwork falls into the cityscape genre.
4. What happens in the artwork? A sailboat with a green sail glides near gondolas.
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 early 20th century (1904).

References

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