Genres of Paintings Painting Genres    

Lesson 2: Landscape - The Harvesters

by Pieter Brueghel the Elder

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 artwork's genre.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Discuss the review questions.

Synopsis

In 'The Harvesters,' Pieter Brueghel the Elder captures the laborious work of peasants during harvest time. A few peasants wield sharp scythes to reap golden grains of wheat from the field. Other peasants tie bundles of wheat into sheaves, then prop the sheaves upright into stooks, which allow the wheat to dry. Other peasants sit on sheaves and rest in the shade of a tree, eating bread, pears, and perhaps milk or porridge from bowls. Take a closer look to see a steeple peeping from between trees in the background. Also in the distance, birds fly over fields, a hay wagon rolls over a road, children play, and people bathe in a pond, travel over a hill, and sail on the water.

Vocabulary

Reap: Cut or gather a crop or harvest.
Wheat: A cereal plant that is the most important kind grown in temperate countries, the grain of which is ground to make flour for bread, pasta, pastry, etc.
Scythe: A tool used for cutting crops such as grass or wheat, with a long curved blade at the end of a long pole attached to which are one or two short handles.
Sheaf: A bundle of grain stalks laid lengthwise and tied together after reaping.
Stook: A group of sheaves of grain stood on end in a field.

Concepts

1. Landscape paintings focus on panoramic views of beautiful scenery such as sweeping plains, majestic mountains, green valleys, towering forests, and rushing rivers.
2. People may or may not appear in landscape paintings.
3. Landscape paintings may be based on real places or dreamed up in the imagination of the artist.
4. The first known landscape paintings originated in Minoan Greece around 1500 BCE.
5. There are two major traditions of landscape paintings. One originated in China and the other centered around Europe.
6. In China, landscape paintings were among the most prized and celebrated, while in Europe, landscape paintings were often viewed as inferior to paintings of other genres.
7. See below examples of western (Europe - Italy) and eastern (China) landscapes. To the left, is the landscape, 'The Madonna of the Rabbit,' by Italian painter Titian. To the right, is the landscape, 'A Fisher in Autumn,' by Chinese painter Tang Yin.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Can You Find It?

Zoom in to find the following in the artwork:

• Scythe
• Red Jug
• Sheaves
• Stooks
• Pears and Bread
• Bowls and Spoons
• Pitchfork
• Basket
• Steeple
• Pond
• Hay Wagon
• Boats
• Houses
• Children Playing

Activity 2: Narrate the Artwork

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

Activity 3: Color the Artwork   

• Click the crayon above and complete page 6 of 'Third Grade Art History Coloring Book.'

Review

Question 1

What is the setting of the artwork?

1 / 6

Answer 1

The setting is field of wheat.

1 / 6

Question 2

Who are the characters in the artwork?

2 / 6

Answer 2

The main characters are the working peasants. Minor characters include those walking, driving the hay wagon, bathing in the pond and playing.

2 / 6

Question 3

Looking at the painting, describe how wheat is harvested by hand.

3 / 6

Answer 3

First, the wheat is cut, then it is grouped into bundles and tied into sheaves, next it is stacked upright into stooks to dry.

3 / 6

Question 4

What types of foods do the peasants eat in the painting?

4 / 6

Answer 4

The peasants eat bread, pears, and something white from a bowl.

4 / 6

Question 5

Into which genre is this painting classified?

5 / 6

Answer 5

This painting falls into the landscape genre.

5 / 6

Question 6

What types of landforms are often featured in landscape paintings?

6 / 6

Answer 6

Typical landforms include plains, fields, forests, mountains, valleys, and rivers.

6 / 6

❮ ❯

1. What is the setting of the artwork? The setting is field of wheat.
2. Who are the characters in the artwork? The main characters are the working peasants. Minor characters include those walking, driving the hay wagon, bathing in the pond and playing.
3. Looking at the painting, describe how wheat is harvested by hand. First, the wheat is cut, then it is grouped into bundles and tied into sheaves, next it is stacked upright into stooks to dry.
4. What types of foods do the peasants eat in the painting? The peasants eat bread, pears, and something white from a bowl.
5. Into which genre is this painting classified? This painting falls into the landscape genre.
6. What types of landforms are often featured in landscape paintings? Typical landforms include plains, fields, forests, mountains, valleys, and rivers.

References

'Landscape Painting.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.

'The Harvesters (painting).' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.