Inst r uct ional Resour ce

Brandan Haag

DECEMBER, 2016

LEADINGEUROPEANARTISTSFROMTHE16THTO18TH
CENTURY
Recommended for H igh School Students

Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas.

Many students have heard the phrase "Art imitates life". What does this mean when asked to a class of young art
historians? Students will examine a selection of artworks from leading European artists during the 16th to 18th
century, encompassing a variety of movements that were pivotal to the development of both artists and patrons
throughout Europe and the introduction of new techniques and ideology, to determine what these paintings are
supposed to represent in their culture and time period. Students will be expected to analyze artwork, draw
conclusions, and apply lessons from the artwork to their own lives in order to gain an depth of understanding
about the characteristics that defined these important European artworks.
The following is an example sequence using works of art from The Kimbell Art Museum's collection. A similar
sequence can be developed for any school, district, city, state, and region.

Obj ectives
Students will
Students will
Students will
Students will
Students will

learn about the history of artwork produced in the 16th, 17th, and 18th century.
learn how to look critically at artwork to identify their characteristics and stylistic differences.
learn how to compare artworks based on both formal and thematic elements.
discuss questions and ideas raised by these works.
complete creative projects related to the selected artworks.

DECEMBER, 2016

Brandan Haag

THECARDSHARPS
Caravaggio (M ichelangelo M erisi)
Abou t t h e Ar t ist
Caravaggio was one of the leading artists during the the Italian Baroque period typically overshadowed by the Renaissance and Northern
European styles (Keith, 1998). During his lifetime, Caravaggio paved the way for a new more theatrical art style that inspired others to create their
own paintings of dramatic relationships (Kimbell, The Cardsharps). Caravaggio's masterpiece The Cardsharps came to the attention of the
Cardinal Francesco Maria del Monte (Mahon, 1988) who purchased the artwork, and moved Caravaggio into his palace (Keith, 1998). It was
because of the Cardinal that Caravaggio was able to enter the world of collectors, who purchased many of his works, and produce large-scale
commissions for the church.
Abou t t h e Ar t w or k
In The Cardsharps, the players are engaged in an
early version of poker called primera (Pericolo,
2008). On the left is the target, unaware that the
man to his right is signaling his accomplice to reach
behind his back to pull a hidden card from his pants,
preparing to cheat (Pericolo, 2008). This act signifies
misfortune and impending violence against the
target by the cardsharps (Wind, 1989). The painting
focuses on the depiction of still-life and naturalistic
portraits through both gesture and expression, a
trait that was distinctly northern Italian style (Keith,
1998). This style focused on accurate depictions of
subjects within paintings and the depiction of
extreme value relationships, called chiaroscuro.
In t er act ion
Have the children imagine and demonstrate what
movement the figure was doing just before it was
"frozen in time." Describe what you think might
have happened before the moment depicted in this
painting. Describe what you think might happen
next.

The Cardsharps, Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi). 1595. Oil on canvas. 37 1/16 x 51 9/16 inches. AP 1987.06.
Collection of Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth.

Draw or paint a picture of a specific event that

happened to you. Pick a time when you felt a very strong emotion. It might be a time you were surprised, or got into a fight, or found something
you thought you had lost. Use gesture, facial expression, light and color to tell what happened.

Still LifewithOranges,Jars,andBoxesof Sweets

Luis M elndez
Abou t t h e Ar t ist
Luis Melndez was the greatest Spanish still-life painter of his time. Melndez stated
that it was his intention to depict ?every food consumable that Spain produces?;
whether this idea was the influence of patriotism, nostalgia, or ambition to become
a court painter is unknown to us now (Southgate, 1995). Melndez's father began
training him to become a painter as a child where he then served as an apprentice to
Michel van Loo, soon to be court painter to King Phillip V., before Melndez's
expulsion in 1747 (Kimbell, Still Life with Oranges, Jars, and Boxes of Sweets).
Melndez ended up selling the majority of his collection to the king where they were
hung in the Palace of Aranjuz (Southgate, 1995).
Abou t t h e Ar t w or k
In this painting, Melndez paints a still-life featuring some of the food products of
Spain; oranges, jars of honey, and boxes of sweets are depicted here. Melndez
still-life combines Italian and Spanish influences; the Spanish desire for naturalism
and the Italian talent for dramatics (Southgate, 1995). Melndez demonstrates
mastery of chiaroscuro with the strong light on the sweet boxes, and the dark
shadow from the honey jar to the right of the painting (Kimbell, Still Life).
In t er act ion
Compare this painting to The Cardsharps and Four Figures On a Step. Develop a list
comparing and contrasting the three paintings:
Describe how chroma is used in all three works.
Describe how chiaroscuro is used within all three works.
Describe what is the theme or subject of each individual work.
Still Life with Oranges, Jars, and Boxes of Sweets, Luis Melendez.
1760-1765. Oil on canvas. 19 x 13 7/8 inches. AP 1985.13. Collection of
Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth

Compare the experience of seeing this painting in a museum today with how you
might have seen it at the time it was completed.

Brandan Haag

DECEMBER, 2016

Four FiguresonaStep
Bartolom Esteban Murillo
Abou t t h e Ar t ist
Bartolome Esteban Murillo was one of the most celebrated
artists of Spain's Golden Century until he faded away due to the
success of Velzquez and El Greco in the late nineteenth century
(Kimbell, Four Figures on a Step). Most of his works were
religious in theme and he was often commissioned by convents,
monasteries, and churches. Despite many praising his technical
skills, Murillo was largely viewed unfavorably by critics until
fairly recently, due to the rarity of his works having survived
through the years (Southgate, 2002).
Abou t t h e Ar t w or k
Four Figures on a Step depicts a variety of figures that
aggressively confront the viewer; scowling, taunting, and
mocking (Southgate, 2002). This painting goes against the
traditional composition of Golden Century Spanish art as the
figures have no direct relationship to each other (Tomlinson &
Welles, 1996). However, it still reflects the desire to depict a
scene that displays strong naturalistic figures and an emphasis
on chiaroscuro (Southgate, 2002). There has been a strong push
Four Figures on a Step, Bartolom Esteban Murillo. 1655-1660. Oil on canvas. 43
1/4 x 56 1/2 inches. AP 1984.18. Collection of Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth
from art historians to establish a theme or unity between the
figures, identifying the figures as a group of peasants, a Spanish
family of peasants, even Murillo's own family (Tomlinson & Welles, 1996).
In t er act ion
Invite children to mimic the form of each figure. Encourage them to include the figure's tension and gestures. Discuss the position of their
hands, feet, heads. What movement is involved?
Imagine that you are an investigative reporter who has just arrived on the scene of this painting. You want to find out the story. Write
down the eye-witness accounts of each person. Then, write an article about what happened.

Assessment
Refer to the objectives at the beginning of the
resource, using them as criteria for evaluation.
Determine how students?discussions and
completed activities reflect their understanding
of leading European artwork from the 16th to
18th century.

National Standards
Anchor Standard #1. Generate and
conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
Anchor Standard #2. Organize and develop
artistic ideas and work.
Anchor Standard #3. Refine and complete
artistic work.
Anchor Standard #7. Perceive and analyze
artistic work.
Anchor Standard #8. Interpret intent and
meaning in artistic work.
Anchor Standard #9. Apply criteria to evaluate
artistic work.
Anchor Standard #10. Synthesize and relate
knowledge and personal experiences to make
art.
Anchor Standard #11. Relate artistic ideas and
works with societal, cultural and historical
context to deepen understanding.

Resources
Keith, L. (1998). Three paintings by Caravaggio. National Gallery technical
bulletin, 19, pp. 37-51.
Kimbell Art Museum. Still Life with Oranges, Jars, and Boxes of Sweets.
Collection.
https://www.kimbellart.org/collection-object/still-life-oranges-jars-and-boxes-sweets
Kimbell Art Museum. Four Figures On a Step. Collection.
https://www.kimbellart.org/collection-object/four-figures-step
Kimbell Art Museum. The Cardsharps. Collection.
https://www.kimbellart.org/collection-object/cardsharps
Mahon, D. (1988). Fresh light on Caravaggio's earliest period: his' Cardsharps'
recovered. The Burlington Magazine, 130(1018), pp. 11-25.
Pericolo, L. (2008). Caravaggio's" The Cardsharps" and Marino's" Gioco di
Primera": A Case of Intertextuality?. Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome,
53, pp. 129-152.
Southgate, M. T. (1995). The Cover - Luis Melendez, Still Life With Oranges, Jars,
and Boxes of Sweets. JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association-US
Edition, 273(9). pp. 684-685.
Southgate, M. T. (2002). Four Figures on a Step. JAMA - Journal of the American
Medical Association, 288(17). pp. 2083-2083.
Tomlinson, J. A., & Welles, M. L. (1996). Picturing the Picaresque: Lazarillo and
Murillo's Four Figures on a Step. HISPANIC ISSUES, 12. pp. 66-85.
Wind, B. (1989). A note on card symbolism in Caravaggio and his followers.
Paragone, 40(475). pp. 15-18.