Art

Last Thursday the Grade 5’s and 6’s were very excited to be leaving the Beehive and heading into the city for an excursion to the Lume. All term they had been studying the Impressionists, and especially the ‘father’ of this movement Claude Monet, so they had an idea of what to expect, at least so they thought! Many students were extremely surprised when they entered the main hall of the Lume to find, not paintings on the wall, but over 160 light projections of Impressionism art that was over three storeys high on the walls and even on the floors. 

They were delighted to take photos of themselves on a full size recreation of Monet’s bridge from his gardens in Giverny, especially as they had painted their own recreation of this bridge in art class. There was a water lily room with lighting and mirrors so it appeared as if the lilies were infinite. The students had a chance to read about the early life of Monet and some of his friends such as Degas and Renoir, how they were influenced by light and colour, liked to paint ‘en plein air’ and were initially rejected by the Salon de Paris as they thought their art looked unfinished. 

Next to the education area the students could sit at an easel and follow a guided drawing video of a few different examples of Monet’s work. They had to draw quickly though, to keep up with the video, just as the Impressionists had to paint fast in changing light. 

The main attraction was of course the giant room with its many projections, including examples of Degas’ famous ballerina series and Renoir’s paintings of Paris high society. The students could sit down on the floor and take it all in, or there was a balcony upstairs where they could see the view from up high. Classical music played throughout the whole giant hall with the music matching the art that was ever-changing. 

If you head to the Student Voice section of the newsletter, you will find some reports from the Grade 6 students recounting their exciting trip to the Lume. 

Cendrine Rodriguez

Art Teacher