The Dutch masters crafted incredible still life scenes, using stark blossoms that seemed to leap beyond the canvas. Though rendered realistically, these arrangements were almost always artistic fantasies, showing flowers together that would never have been in bloom during the same season.
“The Sunflower is mine”—van Gogh. Many Impressionists and Post-Impressionists painted flowers that were personally meaningful to them, as opposed to their cultural or religious symbolism. Van Gogh for example took the sunflower as his own personal artistic signature as he created several versions of them and they became a distinctive and popular part of his body of work.
Rejecting perfectionist styles, expressionists and fauvists depicted everyday moments in life in a progressive way that was characterised by dramatic use of colour and highly exaggerated forms. Henri Matisse, considered to be one of the 20th century’s most important French painters, regularly depicted flowers in his works, and is famously quoted as saying ‘There are always flowers for those who want to see them’.
In the mid 1900’s the depiction of flowers transformed from being observations of nature to more abstract forms. Pop Artist Andy Warhol often painted flowers in a way that could not be pinned down to a particular species.
From the end of the 20th century onward, flowers have starred as works of art in their own right. Like Jeff Koons’ 43-foot-tall sculpture of a West Highland Terrier which is covered in a colourful carpet of over 60,000 flowering plants, flowers are no longer just being depicted on canvas.
1400___________________________________
1600___________________________________
1860-1900______________________________
1900-1950______________________________
1950___________________________________
1970-now_______________________________
5. Look through the text again and choose in which grammar tense are the words in bold used:
Present Simple
Past Simple
Future Simple
6. Answer the questions:
In which situations is the chosen grammar tense from exc. 5 used in the text?
What should be added to the verb?
7. Study the rules:
Rules
We use Past Simple:
Facts in the past (usually with concrete time)
We use Past Continuous:
For background actions that were in process in the past
We use Past Perfect:
For actions that happened before action in the past
8. Put the verbs in brackets in the correct past grammar tense:
a)
Renoir frequently________(paint) roses—most often red ones.
b)
He____________(paint) sunflowers in the garden when she_________(come).
c)
Piet Mondrian, being Dutch,__________(come) from a long cultural tradition of flower art.
d)
Alex _________(go) to the park to paint some lilac when he ________(understand) that he___________(forget) his pencils.
e)
Redon_________(not turn) to flower painting until he_____(be) 60 years old.
f)
When she ___________(gather) flowers she________(hear) a noise behind her.
g)
He ______________(not listen) a lecturer, because he ________(read) about foral design before.
9. Choose one of the following floral art-projects. Imagine that you’re an author of one of them. Create the story of how you made it using phrases below and past grammar tenses:
Remember to say:
Which flowers you used
What did you do
USEFUL PHRASES
Ordering information:
Firstly,…
Secondly,…
Thirdly,…
The next thing/point is …
In addition to…
Moreover
Furthermore
Also
Showing contrast:
However
Nevertheless
Despite / in spite of…
On the other hand,…
Finishing the story:
As a result
Finally
In conclusion
Now you know:
–Historical facts about using flower motives in art
–Phrases to order information, show the contrast and finish the story
–How to differ and use Past Simple/Past Continuous/ Past Perfect
1. Study the names of flowers and give Russian equivalents:
2. Check the description, find out which flowers are described and fill in the gaps:
a)
One of the most interesting colors of a ________ variety is the deep purple of the Queen of the Night________.
b)
The usual_______ flower color is a shade of purple, but white, light blue, pale yellow and pink, and even a dark burgundy color are also found.
c)
_______ oil is an important ingredient in the perfume industry.
d)
Before _______was hung in houses to accompany Christmas trees, it was considered to be a sacred plant by the Druids.
e)
