February Masterpiece - Unconditional Love

Warm.  Welcoming.  Unconditional.

What leaps to mind when you think of warm, welcoming, unconditional love?

The love of Christ?        No doubt!

The love of parents?      Of course!

The love of our pets, namely, mans' best friend?        Naturally!

The Dog
Artist: Edouard Manet

Conversational Prompts

1.  Do you like dogs?
Let your child engage and make it personal.

2.  What kind of dog do you think this is? 
A Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, most likely.  Please comment if you have any input.  This breed of spaniel was popular in the 16-19th century as a lapdog for ladies to generate heat for them. King Charles II could not travel anywhere without his spaniels, so he made a decree which supposedly is still in effect that the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel would be allowed in public places.

3.  What do you like about Manet's painting and what do you dislike?
Expand the discussion involving colors and textures.

4.  Where are the areas of emphasis?  Where do your eyes go when you look at this painting?  
The dogs eyes, due to the black/white contrast.

For older children

5.  What do you know about Edouard Manet?
He was an Impressionist painter?  Can they recognize the style of the Impressionists?  

On our next post, little ones will have fun learning how to draw
a cute little puppy with oil pastels or crayons.  

Until then, live, love, paint!

God bless,

Laura

Laura Bird Miller

What is another question you would ask your child while discussing "The Dog" by Edouard Manet?  Please share in a comment below to be eligible for a free give-away and help us add to our list of 
 Fireflies Conversational Prompts.

The MASTERS: Art Appreciation - Each month Laura Bird Miller introduces an art masterpiece to share with PK - 2nd grade children.  No worksheets, no tests - just exploration, discussion, awareness and fun.  We promise you, her love of God and art is infectious.  She assists in conversation by providing parents age appropriate questions and prompts to use when exploring the featured masterpiece.   Laura also provides a visual art project to go along with each Masterpiece chosen.   

Please visit Laura's website for more information.