Teacher Key:
Worksheet for A. Pintura: Art Detective

1. What does Miss Featherduster bring you? What does she want you to do?

She brings you a painting she says she found in her grandfather's attic after he passed away. She wants you to tell her who painted it.

2. What country was Picasso from and when did he live?

Picasso was Spanish (though he lived in France most of his life) and lived from 1881-1973.

3. Describe the kind of subjects Titian liked to paint.

Titian usually painted only famous or important people. Generally that meant people from the Bible or classical Greek or Roman myths, or important people in his own time. (He was so respected in the 1500's that Emperor Charles V once picked up a brush Titian had dropped--and royalty rarely stoops for anyone. Titian was also the clever fellow who made it popular to paint on canvas instead of wood panels.)

4. What was the Renaissance? When was it?

The Renaissance was the greatest flowering of art and literature since the Classical period of ancient Greece. The Renaissance lasted from 1400 to 1600 A.D. Renaissance artists turned their interest from the deep religious symbolism of Medieval Art (400-1400 A.D.) to naturalistic details and classical ideals., like the ideal proportions of the human figure and the rules of perspective.

5. Describe Van Gogh's painting style (brushstrokes, colors, subjects...).

Van Gogh used bold, intense colors and strong, rough brushstrokes to communicate the strong emotions and moods he felt about his subjects. He painted many landscapes, still lives, and portraits. The painting used as a comparison in A. Pintura is Landscape Near Auvers.

6. What was one of Gauguin's favorite subjects?

Gauguin was fascinated by the tropical colors and subjects of Tahiti.

7. What was Millet most interested in showing in his paintings?

Millet, the painter of Miss Featherduster's mystery painting, usually depicted the unglamorous, hardworking peasants of France. He strove to give dignity to even the most humble of tasks. His most famous painting, The Gleaners, is used as a comparison to the mystery painting.

8. Describe perspective as used by Raphael. When was it developed and what does it do?

Renaissance artists (1400-1600) such as Raphael were very interested in formal composition. They developed perspective: a mathematical system used to create the illusion of depth. Using a vanishing point and precise lines, artists could line up objects from the foreground to the background so they systematically got smaller and higher on the canvas and appeared to get further away.

9. Which artist painted the mystery painting? How do you know?

Millet. Students should base their answer on color, composition, brushstroke, subject, or style.

10. Why did Miss Featherduster really want to know about the mystery painting?

An art thief posing as a maid, Miss Featherduster stole the priceless Millet painting. After you told her who painted it, she sold it and bought herself a nice life in Tahiti.

11. Which was your favorite artist? Why?

If you like A. Pintura, please try our other art adventure: Inside Art

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