Adventures in Art History Art Adventures    

Lesson 19: Beach at Scheveningen in Stormy Weather

by Vincent van Gogh

Directions

Study the painting for one week.

Over the week:

• Look at the painting.
• Read the synopsis.
• Study the vocabulary words.
• Read about the artist.
• Practice reciting the names of the artist and the painting.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Study the review questions.

Synopsis

Vincent van Gogh painted 'Beach at Scheveningen in Stormy Weather 1882' outside on a windy day at the beach. Real grains of sand from that day are stuck in the paint. It depicts the sea outside a beach resort near The Hague, a city on the North Sea coast of the western Netherlands. In 2002, the painting was stolen from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Using a ladder, the thieves snuck past the security guards through the roof. Although the museum alarm went off, the thieves escaped. Two suspects were soon arrested and convicted, but the painting remained missing. In 2016, the painting was found in a house affiliated with organized crime near Naples, Italy.

Vocabulary

Grains (sand): Small particles or pieces.
Resort: A place that is a popular destination for vacations or recreation.
Coast: The edge where the land meets the sea.
Beach: A pebbly or sandy shore.
Sea: The expanse of salt water that covers most of the earth's surface and surrounds its landmasses.

Concepts

Vincent van Gogh painted 'Beach at Scheveningen in Stormy Weather.'

1. Vincent van Gogh was born on March 30, 1853 in Groot-Zundert, Netherlands. See his picture below.

2. Find Van Gogh's country of birth on the map of Europe below.

3. Van Gogh mostly taught himself how to paint. Van Gogh stated, 'Painters understand nature and love it, and teach us to see.'
4. Although he is famous now and his works are worth millions of dollars, he was poor and unknown while alive. Van Gogh had a tough time in life. He suffered from mental illness and spent time in an asylum.
5. Van Gogh is reputed to have cut off his own ear, although some historians now believe he might have lied to protect his friend and fellow artist, Paul Gauguin, who may have cut Van Gogh's ear off with a sword during an argument.
6. Van Gogh died in 1890 at the age of 37 in Auvers-sur-Oise, France.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Can You Find It?

During the week, study the painting and find the following:

• Boat
• Red Flag
• Beach
• Water
• People
• Horse and Carriage
• Clouds
• Beach Vegetation

Activity 2: Narrate the Painting

• After studying the painting, narrate the scene shown in the painting aloud using your own words.

Activity 3: Complete Vocabulary Activities

• While studying the vocabulary words, point them out in the painting.
• Define each of the vocabulary words in your own words.

Activity 4: Color the Artist   

• Click the crayon above, and complete page 25 of 'Kindergarten Art History Coloring Book.'

Activity 5: Color the Painting   

• Click the crayon above, and complete page 26 of 'Kindergarten Art History Coloring Book.'

Review

Question 1

Who are the characters in the painting?

1 / 3

Answer 1

People on the beach and in the sailboat. From their attire, they are most likely fishermen and laborers.

1 / 3

Question 2

What is the setting of the painting?

2 / 3

Answer 2

Outside on a beach next to a sea.

2 / 3

Question 3

What are the people doing?

3 / 3

Answer 3

From their attire, they look more like laborers than beachgoers relaxing and enjoying the water.

3 / 3

❮ ❯

1. Who are the characters in the painting? People on the beach and in the sailboat. From their attire, they are most likely fishermen and laborers.
2. What is the setting of the painting? Outside on a beach next to a sea.
3. What are the people doing? From their attire, they look more like laborers than beachgoers relaxing and enjoying the water.

References

'Vincent van Gogh.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.