Da Vinci was born in a. Florence b. Venice c. Anchiano
One of da Vinci’s famous inventions was a. a communication device b. a flying machine c. a printing press
More than a century after his death, da Vinci’s __________ were discovered. a. talents b. sketches c. notebooks
Discussion/essay questions
Da Vinci’s notebooks are famously difficult to read. He did not organize them by subject, and he often wrote backwards. Some people say that disorganization is connected to creativity. Do you think this is true? Why or why not?
Transcript
Leonardo da Vinci was an Italian artist and engineer. He was born in Anchiano, Tuscany in 1452. Da Vinci is one of the most famous figures from the Renaissance period. He is especially well known for his paintings, including the iconic Mona Lisa. However, da Vinci was also an accomplished inventor. He even designed a flying machine, called an ornithopter, hundreds of years before the Wright brothers flew the first airplane. Because of his many talents, da Vinci is often called a polymath. For many years, most people only knew about his paintings. His notebooks were discovered more than a century after his death. They contained a complicated mix of designs, theories, and calculations. Although da Vinci died more than 500 years ago, his genius still fascinates artists and scientists today.
Taylor Swift was born in a. Reading, Pennsylvania b. Nashville, Tennessee c. Tallahassee, Florida
When she was 20, Swift became the youngest artist to win a Grammy for a. Song of the Year b. Best Country Song c. Album of the Year
Taylor Swift is now known as a. a country artist b. a pop artist c. an artist with music in multiple genres
Discussion/essay questions
Who is your favourite artist? Which genres of music do you like to listen to?
Do you consider yourself a part of any particular fanbase? Why or why not?
Transcript
Taylor Swift is an American singer-songwriter. She was born in 1989 in Reading, Pennsylvania. Swift began writing songs when she was 12 years old. Her family moved to Nashville when she was 13 to help her pursue her career. Swift won her first Grammy award at age 20 for her album Fearless. At the time, she was the youngest artist ever to win Album of the Year. Swift began as a country artist, but her music now spans multiple genres, including pop, rock, and folk. Many of her songs are about real relationships in her life. Since her first win, Swift has collected 13 more Grammy awards. She has released a total of 11 original albums, as well as 4 re-recorded albums. She currently has a large and loyal fanbase.
Michelangelo became an apprentice when he was a. 13 years old b. 14 years old c. 17 years old
Of all the art forms, Michelangelo was most interested in a. mural painting b. portraits c. sculptures
Michelangelo found the experience of painting the Sistine Chapel a. easy b. enjoyable c. frustrating
Discussion/essay questions
Michelangelo’s depictions of human bodies are celebrated now. However, the nudity in his paintings and sculptures was controversial in his time. Some people thought it was disrespectful to paint nude figures in religious buildings. Why do you think it often takes time for people to appreciate art? Which types of art are controversial today?
Transcript
Michelangelo was an Italian Renaissance artist. He is known for some of the most famous artworks of all time. Michelangelo was born in Florence in 1475. When he was 13, he trained as an apprentice under the muralist Domenico Ghirlandaio. Although Michelangelo was very skilled in drawing and painting, he became more interested in sculpture, and he left his apprenticeship two years early. In 1504, Michelangelo completed his most famous statue, the 17-foot tall David. He was commissioned by the Pope to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in 1508. Michelangelo found the Chapel frustrating. He was more familiar with stone than paint, and the job was very physically demanding. He even wrote a poem about his dislike for the project. However, the Chapel ceiling is still one of Michelangelo’s most recognizable pieces. Michelangelo lived a long life, and continued to create art as he got older. He died in 1564, at age 88.
Art is very subjective. Everyone has different opinions about it. What do you think makes art “good”? Why?
Transcript
Pablo Picasso was a Spanish artist. He was born in 1881, in Málaga, Spain. When he was just 14 years old, Picasso was accepted into an art school in Barcelona. He had his first exhibit in Paris in 1901, and he moved there three years later. Throughout his life, Picasso became very famous. He was best known for being a pioneer of the Cubist art movement. Along with French artist Georges Braque, he created paintings that deconstructed objects and showed multiple angles at once. However, he also experimented with many other art forms, including sculpture and Surrealist painting. Picasso died in 1973, at age 91. He is known today as one of the most important artists of the 20th century.
Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch . He was born in Zundert, Netherlands in 1853. Growing up, van Gogh was very . In fact, he had to leave school to find work when he was only 15. His job was selling art from a London gallery. He didn’t start making his own paintings until 1880. Van Gogh painted often through the last decade of his life, but his struggles with mental made it difficult for him to work. In 1888, he cut off his own . A few months later, he decided to move into a psychiatric hospital so that he could recover. While living there, he made the iconic painting The Starry Night. Van Gogh’s work is very well-known today, but almost nobody knew his name when he was alive. His paintings only became after his death in 1890.
Comprehension questions
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Discussion/essay questions
Do you like van Gogh’s artwork? Why or why not?
Transcript
Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch painter. He was born in Zundert, Netherlands in 1853. Growing up, van Gogh was very poor. In fact, he had to leave school to find work when he was only 15. His job was selling art from a London gallery. He didn’t start making his own paintings until 1880. Van Gogh painted often through the last decade of his life, but his struggles with mental illness made it difficult for him to work. In 1888, he cut off his own ear. A few months later, he decided to move into a psychiatric hospital so that he could recover. While living there, he made the iconic painting TheStarry Night. Van Gogh’s work is very well-known today, but almost nobody knew his name when he was alive. His paintings only became famous after his death in 1890.
Frida Kahlo was one of many creators who have used art to cope with pain. Why do you think people find comfort in art and creativity?
Transcript
Frida Kahlo was a Mexican painter, best known for her self-portraits. She was born in 1907 in Mexico City. At the age of five, Kahlo contracted polio, which left her with a permanent limp. Later, as a teenager, she was seriously injured in a bus accident. Throughout her life, Kahlo had to have surgery often in order to stay alive and healthy. Because of this, she spent a lot of time recovering in bed. In fact, many of her most famous works were painted from her bed. Though the accident caused a lot of pain in her life, it also inspired much of her artwork. Almost half of her paintings were self-portraits, most of them meant to symbolize her pain. Kahlo’s work has often been classified as surrealism, a style of art that is inspired by dreams. However, Kahlo disagreed with this, because she had always seen her art as an expression of real life. As Kahlo got older, her health got steadily worse. She died in 1954, when she was only 47. Although Kahlo died young, both her life and her artwork are still celebrated today.
