|
VISUAL ARTS
Compare John Twachtman’s Winter (1890s) to John Sloan’s Six O’clock Winter of 1912. Discuss some of the differences, considering atmosphere, color, and mood.
Compare Twachtman’s Winter with William Merritt Chase’s Hide and Seek (1888). Both artists were considered American Impressionists. The American Impressionists were interested in showing momentary impressions of nature and of everyday life in their paintings. Discuss how these two works are both Impressionistic. Consider the artists’ choice of subject matter, composition and use of light.
In nature, we think of snow as being white—but in this painting, the artist represented snow with many colors. Name the other colors Twachtman used. How does this affect the painting? What would it look like if the artist made the snow all white?
On this cold day, do you think the artist was working outdoors and observing nature directly or working from his memory and imagination? Discuss the differences in painting from life versus from one’s imagination. Create a scene from your observation and another of the same scene from your memory.
LANGUAGE ARTS
Haiku poems often describe beautiful things in nature. Write a haiku poem about the snowy day depicted in this painting
SOCIAL STUDIES
When this work was painted, Twachtman spent his winters in Connecticut. Using the Internet, find out what the different seasons are like in Connecticut. How does the weather in Connecticut compare to where you live? Track daily temperatures where you live for one week and compare.
SCIENCE
Twachtman’s Winter illustrates how snow can look in the sunlight. Study light refraction, and what happens when sunlight and other features of the landscape are reflected in snow.
|
