Hans Heysen is an australian artist. Many of his paintings were landscapes, but like his still life paintings as well. I fell in love with this "Still life with Onions and Pumpkins"! Notice all the reflected light in this painting (see the white spots on pumpkins and onions and the lights and darks and reflected colors in the brass pot). One of my favorite parts of Fall is the evening our family heads out to our garden to gather in the squashes and pumpkins - usually right before the first frost. We take a wagon and wheel barrow and all head out to the garden together. It's usually dark by the time we're done but it's a fun frolic and has become a tradition. I've tried to choose a variety of his paintings to study this term. Hope you enjoy them with us. If you want to view the paintings chosen for this term or copy them here is the link to my Picasa Web Album of Hans Heysen Paintings.
You can watch a slide show of Hans Heysen's paintings as well as view a gallery of his paintings here.
Our composer this term is Engelbert Humperdinck who was a German composer (not to be confused with the performer of the same name...). We are going to be studying his best known work, an opera titled Hansel and Gretel. I'd like to take this in small pieces rather than study many different works this term, So just listen to the first 22 minutes this week. We haven't done much with opera to this point, so this is an introduction to that musical form. Here is Wikipedia's entry for Opera. The Opera starts out with a lovely instrumental piece by the orchestra. The singing parts are not in English but this version has English subtitles you can read aloud for your children or they can read themselves if they are capable readers. I'm looking into a couple of English versions that I may be able to recommend later.
Wikipedia has an entry for Engelbert Humperdinck.
Here is an article explaining John Donne and his poetry. John Donne and his poetry.
And a list of quotes by John Donne
As well as a short biographical synopsis of the life and poetry of John Donne.
My children and I plan to memorize the following three poems by John Donne this term:
No Man is an Island, Break of Day, and Death-Be not Proud.
This week's featured poem follows:
No Man is an Island
No man is an island,
Entire of itself,
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thy friend's
Or of thine own were:
Any man's death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind,
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.
So glad you are back and I love both the painting and the poem! :) Amy
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