Western Art Movements II Art Movements    

Lesson 7: Expressionism - The Old Guitarist (1904)

by Pablo Picasso

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

Pablo Picasso's 'The Old Guitarist' (1904) shows a portrait of an elderly man playing the guitar on the streets of Barcelona, Spain. This work is part of Picasso's Blue Period, occurring between 1901 to 1904. During this time, Picasso struggled with poverty as well as the death of a friend. The somber blue palette expresses Picasso's sorrow during this period.

Vocabulary

Expressionism: A movement in the arts in which the artist did not depict objective reality, but rather a subjective expression of their inner experiences.
Poverty: The quality or state of being poor; lack of money.

Concepts

Featured Movement:

1. Name - Expressionism
2. Peak Prevalence - 1905-1920

Movement Characteristics:

1. Conveys artist's subjective emotion and derived meaning rather than objective reality
2. Deforms elements of reality
3. Features vivid or unnatural colors
4. Expresses strong emotions including dismay and sadness
5. See 'Fighting Forms' by Franz Marc as an example of expressionist characteristics

Common Coinciding Genres:

1. Landscapes - 'Landscape with Cows and Camel' by August Macke

2. Portraits - 'Portrait of Gerda' by Ernst Kirchner

3. Cityscapes - 'Berlin Street Scene' by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

Enrichment

Activity 1: Can You Find It?

Find the following in the artwork:

• Guitar
• Guitar Neck
• Guitar Bridge
• Guitar Strings
• Someone Elderly
• Something Representing the Artist's Sadness

Activity 2: Narrate the Artwork

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

Activity 3: Map the Artwork

Find Spain, Pablo Picasso's home country, on the map of Europe.

Activity 4: Classify the Artwork

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

Activity 5: Recreate/Color the Artwork   

• Click the crayon above and complete page 10 of 'Fifth Grade Art History Coloring Book.'

Review

Question 1

What is expressionism?

1 / 8

Answer 1

Expressionism seeks to represent what the artist feels rather than an objective representation of reality.

1 / 8

Question 2

What is the setting of the artwork?

2 / 8

Answer 2

The setting is outdoors in Barcelona, Spain.

2 / 8

Question 3

Into which genre does the artwork fall?

3 / 8

Answer 3

The artwork falls into the portrait genre.

3 / 8

Question 4

What happens in the artwork?

4 / 8

Answer 4

An elderly man plays the guitar.

4 / 8

Question 5

To which western art movement does this painting belong?

5 / 8

Answer 5

This painting belongs to the expressionism art movement.

5 / 8

Question 6

How does this artwork serve as an example of expressionism?

6 / 8

Answer 6

The somber blue palette expresses Picasso's sorrow during this period.

6 / 8

Question 7

Which genres commonly coincide with expressionism?

7 / 8

Answer 7

Landscapes, portraits, and cityscapes often coincide with expressionism.

7 / 8

Question 8

During which century was this artwork created?

8 / 8

Answer 8

This artwork was created in the early 20th century (1904).

8 / 8

❮ ❯

1. What is expressionism? Expressionism seeks to represent what the artist feels rather than an objective representation of reality.
2. What is the setting of the artwork? The setting is outdoors in Barcelona, Spain.
3. Into which genre does the artwork fall? The artwork falls into the portrait genre.
4. What happens in the artwork? An elderly man plays the guitar.
5. To which western art movement does this painting belong? This painting belongs to the expressionism art movement.
6. How does this artwork serve as an example of expressionism? The somber blue palette expresses Picasso's sorrow during this period.
7. Which genres commonly coincide with expressionism? Landscapes, portraits, and cityscapes often coincide with expressionism.
8. During which century was this artwork created? This artwork was created in the early 20th century (1904).

References

'Expressionism.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.

'The Old Guitarist.' Wikiart. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Old_Guitarist. n.p.