Art Around the World World Art    

Lesson 30: Zapatista Landscape (The Guerrilla)

by Diego Rivera

Directions

Study the artwork for one week.

Over the week:

• Examine the artwork.
• Read the synopsis.
• Study the vocabulary words.
• Recite the artist and artwork names.
• Read about the art region or artist.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Discuss the review questions.

Synopsis

Diego Rivera's 'Zapatista Landscape (The Guerrilla),' painted in 1915, captures the mood of the Mexican revolution. Rivera uses a black sombrero (hat), rifle, brightly colored serape, and cartridge belt to suggest a Guerrilla figure. Grey mountains soar to points in the background. An unfolded piece of paper and nail are at the lower right. The geometric shapes and disjointed views reveal this work as an example of cubism.

Vocabulary

Zapatista: A member or supporter of a Mexican revolutionary force working for social and agrarian reforms.
Landscape: A picture representing an area of countryside.
Guerrilla: A member of a small independent group taking part in irregular fighting, typically against larger regular forces.
Sombrero: A broad-brimmed felt or straw hat, typically worn in Mexico and the southwestern US.
Rifle: A gun, especially one fired from shoulder level, having a long spirally grooved barrel intended to make a bullet spin and thereby have greater accuracy over a long distance.
Serape: A shawl or blanket worn as a cloak in Latin America.
Cartridge Belt: A belt with pockets or loops for cartridges of ammunition, typically worn over the shoulder.
Cubism: An early 20th-century style and movement in art in which multiple perspectives and simple geometric shapes were used.

Concepts

1. Mexican painter Robert Diego Rivera was born in 1886 in Guanajuato, Mexico. See his picture below.

2. Zoom in and find Mexico, Rivera's country of birth, on the map below.

3. Rivera was born to a wealthy family.
4. When his parents caught him drawing on the walls at age three, they encouraged him to keep drawing by covering the walls in canvas and chalkboard.
5. At age ten, Rivera studied art in Mexico City at the Academy of San Carlos. As an adult, he studied art in Europe.
6. Rivera was married five times, twice to fellow artist Frida Kahlo.
7. Rivera died in 1957 at the age of 70 in Mexico City, Mexico.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Can You Find It?

Find the following in the artwork:

• Zapatista
• Guerrilla
• Sombrero
• Rifle
• Cartridge Belt
• Mountains
• Serape
• Unfolded Paper
• Nail

Activity 2: Narrate the Artwork

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

Activity 3: Complete Vocabulary Activities

• While studying the new words, point out any you see in the painting.
• Define each of the vocabulary words in your own words.

Activity 4: Color the Artwork   

• Click the crayon above, and complete page 47 of 'Art History Coloring Pages for Second Grade.'

Review

Question 1

Who are the characters in the artwork?

1 / 3

Answer 1

The character is a Zapatista/Guerrilla.

1 / 3

Question 2

What is a Serape?

2 / 3

Answer 2

A serape is a shawl or a blanket.

2 / 3

Question 3

What is the setting of the artwork?

3 / 3

Answer 3

The setting is outdoors in a mountainous region of Mexico.

3 / 3

❮ ❯

1. Who are the characters in the artwork? The character is a Zapatista/Guerrilla.
2. What is a Serape? A serape is a shawl or a blanket.
3. What is the setting of the artwork? The setting is outdoors in a mountainous region of Mexico.

References

'Diego Rivera.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.

'Zapatista Landscape, 1915 by Diego Rivera.' Diego Rivera. diegorivera.org/zapatista-landscape.jsp. n.p.