Western Art Movements II Art Movements    

Lesson 8: Expressionism - The Yellow Cow (1911)

by Franz Marc

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

German painter Franz Marc's 'Yellow Cow' (1911), an oil painting on canvas, shows a cow joyously frolicking within a vivid landscape. According to [2], color provides the expressionist elements. For Franz Marc, blue symbolizes spirituality/masculinity, yellow stands for passion/femininity, and red represents the earth.

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.
Spirituality: Concern for that which is unseen and intangible. Appreciation for religious values.

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:

• Cow
• Udder
• Mountains
• Something Potentially Representing Passion/Femininity
• Something Potentially Representing the Earth

Activity 2: Narrate the Artwork

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

Activity 3: Map the Artwork

Find Germany, Franz Marc'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 11 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 wooded area.

2 / 8

Question 3

Into which genre does the artwork fall?

3 / 8

Answer 3

The artwork falls into the landscape genre.

3 / 8

Question 4

What happens in the artwork?

4 / 8

Answer 4

A cow jumps joyously, frolicking in the woods.

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 the artwork serve as an example of expressionism?

6 / 8

Answer 6

The yellow potentially represents passion/femininity.

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 (1911).

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 wooded area.
3. Into which genre does the artwork fall? The artwork falls into the landscape genre.
4. What happens in the artwork? A cow jumps joyously, frolicking in the woods.
5. To which western art movement does this painting belong? This painting belongs to the expressionism art movement.
6. How does the artwork serve as an example of expressionism? The yellow potentially represents passion/femininity.
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 (1911).

References

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

'Yellow Cow.' Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_Cow. n.p.