Unit 1: Folk Literature
Finding Ourselves
Class Discussion
 What is art?
 What is the difference between good art
and bad?
 What makes a work of art interesting?
• Is it the subject matter?
• The use of the medium?
 What else might it be?
What Makes Art Work?
• Art appreciation is a personal thing.
• A work of art that one person dislikes may
be valued by another person.
• Art contains many elements that determine
how it appears to the audience.
• Perhaps one of the most apparent is a
work’s composition.
Composition
• In art, the word composition refers to the
arrangement of forms within the work.
• Compositions can be stable or dynamic.
• Many people prefer certain compositions
over others.
• Forms within a composition can create
positive and negative space.
Stable Compositions
• A stable composition creates little tension,
the forms are balanced and there is little
visual movement.
Dynamic Compositions
• A dynamic composition creates tension
and movement, and may not be balanced.
• Note the positive and negative spaces.
Negative Space
Positive Space
Stable versus Dynamic
Compositions
 Look at the following works of art.
 Determine whether they are dynamic or
stable compositions.
Isaac Royall and His Family, 1741. Robert Feke. Oil
on canvas.
St. George and the Dragon, 1505. Raphael.
St. Michael, 1665–66. Bartolomé Esteban Murillo.
Arrangement in Grey and Black, No. 1: Portrait of the
Artist’s Mother, 1871. James Abbot McNeill
Whistler.
Stable
Dynamic
Stable
Dynamic
Composition (cont.)
 Look at the following painting by
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio.
 It is called Narcissus.
 What type of composition does it utilize?
Narcissus, c. 1600. Michelangelo Merisi da
Caravaggio. Oil paint on canvas.
Refer to the Art
• Note that Narcissus, the main figure, is not
moving.
• The painting is free of tension.
• The painting is well balanced and almost
symmetrical.
• This painting has a stable composition.
?
What Do You Notice?
 Caravaggio, the artist who created this
painting, was known for his approach to
light and shadow.
 How would you describe the light and
shadow in the painting?
Chiaroscuro
• Caravaggio’s approach to light and shadow
is called chiaroscuro.
• Chiaroscuro means a dramatic contrast
between light and dark.
• This approach makes the figures appear to
stand out of the darkness.
• Chiaroscuro also brings the main figures
toward the viewer visually.
About the Art
• The painting depicts Narcissus, a
handsome young man from a classic myth.
• He was told that he would live a long life if
he never “came to know himself.”
• One day, however, he saw his own
reflection and fell in love with himself.
• Narcissus spent the remainder of his life
wasting away by his image.
Make Connections
• How does the painting Narcissus reflect
the Unit 1 theme of “Finding Ourselves.”
• Recall the selection “Flowers for
Algernon” in your textbook.
• Does Charlie Gordon “find himself” in
“Flowers for Algernon”?
• What connections can you draw between
“Flowers for Algernon” and the myth and
painting of Narcissus?
Classroom Discussion
 Discuss the composition style you prefer
and explain your reasoning.
 Look at Narcissus again and describe the
scene it depicts. What mood is depicted?
 How does chiaroscuro affect the mood of
the painting?
 How does the Unit Theme present itself in
the painting?
Extension Activities
• Find a variety of images and describe the
composition of each. Explain whether the
image is stable or dynamic, and describe
how the artist achieved that state.
• Use your own experience and your
understanding of the
story of Narcissus
to write a review
of Caravaggio’s
painting Narcissus.