Numbers in the compositional structure Upper Sec
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This lesson teaches high school students about compositional structure in Renaissance and Baroque artworks. It explains that composition represents the secret mathematics and geometry used by Renaissance artists to create harmonious designs, often based on musical ratios. Students will compare a symmetrical Renaissance painting using simple shapes to a Baroque triptych with dynamic diagonal movements and chiaroscuro shading. By sketching the compositional elements of each style, students can better understand the differences and how numbers influenced artistic works during these periods. Key terms like perspective, rhythm, and color harmony are also introduced.
Numbers in the compositional structure Upper Sec
- 1. Lesson Description „Numbers in the compositional structure” “Carmen Sylva” High school Ploiești, România Professors: Rita Bădulescu, Iulia Ignat Unit: Numbers Subunit: Numbers in the compositional structure Age group: 17 – 18 years old Time: 60 minutes Resources – Materials: Copies of representative works of art of the Renaissance and Baroque period (Giotto, Leon Battista Alberti, Botticelli, Piero’s Della Francesca, Rubens) Acrylic paint, brushes, paper Recycled language: Canvas, Renaissance, Baroque, work of art, composition, palette, equilibrium, rhythm New language: Sfumato, value, hue, chiaroscuro, color harmony Objectifs: Pupils should be able to: 1. Understand the term „rhythm” and the meaning of „compositional structure”. 2. Understand and recognize the difference between the Renaissance and Baroque curents. 3. Understand the role of numbers in the creation of the artists in Renaissance. 4. Comprehend and learn new art terms. 5. Practice by painting in order to understand and learn new compositional structures.
- 2. Time Procedure 15’ - Introduction – Our lesson is about artistic composition and we chose to exemplify through a comparison between Renaissance and Baroque. Let’s remember about Giotto. What does he bring new to the pictorial representation? He oversteps the classical technique of representing icons, such as flat, decorative shapes and volumes interpretation, with no perspective. His works begin to have compositional structure. What does it mean compositional structure? C. s. represents the secret mathematics of a painting. It is based more on geometry and the artists of the Renaissance period used numbers in order to find harmonious solutions to compose. Leon Battista Alberti studied architecture, mathematics, music and the art of painting. He creates a connection between musical rhythm and visual rhythm. He suggests some compositional structures based on musical consonance: 2/3, ¾, ½ or other derivatives 9/12/16 or 4/6/9. Botticelli uses these numbers in order to bring harmony in his works. The golden ratio is frequently used as a measurement in the Renaissance. In today’s lesson for a better understanding of the importance of compositional structure, we create a comparison between the Renaissance and Baroque styles. In Piero’s Della Francesca work of art, we can observe a clear, symmetrical composition, structured in a solid pyramid shape. It’s all harmony and simplicity. The triptych “The descent of the cross” of Rubens form dynamic compositions, the character’s movements are drawn on diagonal axis, also there are character congestions, painted in chiaroscuro technique to underline the specific drama caught in the scenes. Whole class 30’ - Activity – Practice – Individual work
- 3. The sketches that we are making will simplify and interpret two kind of compositions, one from the Renaissance period, that captures a simple geometry based on the musical rhythms, with bright colors, pyramidal structure, harmonious shapes and one from Baroque period, that brings strong movement, agglomeration, dynamism and chiaroscuro contrast. We will keep the lines drawn on the copies of the works of art to understand and to be able to highlight the specifics of every artistic period. 15’ - Evaluation – We discuss about the exercise/practice and we underline the new learnt terms. Whole class „Numbers in the compositional structure” is a lesson dedicated to highschool children and it reveals some notions about the way the painters between 14 and 18 century created their work of arts. Any work of art has its own structure, it represents a composition. “In the visual arts, composition is the placement or arrangement of visual elements or ingredients in a work of art, as distinct from the subject. It can also be thought of as the organization of the elements of art according to the principles of art. The artist determines what the center of interest (focus in photography) of the art work will be, and composes the elements accordingly. The gaze of the viewer will then tend to linger over these points of interest, elements are arranged with consideration of several factors (known variously as the principles of organization, principles of art, or principles of design) into a harmonious whole which works together to produce the desired statement – a phenomenon commonly referred to as unity. Such factors in composition should not be confused with the elements of art (or elements of design) themselves. For example, shape is an element; the usage of shape is characterized by various principles. Some principles of organization affecting the composition of a picture are: Shape and proportion Positioning/orientation/balance/harmony among the elements The area within the field of view used for the picture ("cropping") The path or direction followed by the viewer's eye when they observe the image. Negative space Color Contrast: the value, or degree of lightness and darkness, used within the picture. Arrangement: for example, use of the golden mean or the rule of thirds
- 4. Lines Rhythm Illumination or lighting Repetition (sometimes building into pattern; rhythm also comes into play, as does geometry) Perspective Breaking the rules can create tension or unease, yet it can add interest to the picture if used carefully.” For more information about composition you can check: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composition_(visual_arts). This lesson teaches us the specifics of Renaissance and Baroque’s paintings in composition, by creating a comparison between the two periods. It is easier because of the antithesis of styles. Also, the pupils get familiar with artistic terms such as: Canvas, Renaissance, Baroque, work of art, composition, palette, equilibrium, rhythm, Sfumato, value, hue, chiaroscuro, color harmony. It is interesting that this lesson reveals a little-known fact that art is also mathematics, that can be created with mathematical formulas, that can be “measured”, that has a specific rhythm that can be counted and so on …