Genres of Paintings Painting Genres    

Lesson 26: Space Art - Big Impact

by Donald Davis

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

Donald Davis' 'Big Impact' shows a planetoid smashing into Earth. Note the cratered surface of the planetoid and the ring of matter ejected from the surface of the earth.

Vocabulary

Impact: The action of one object coming forcibly into contact with another.
Planetoid: Another term for asteroid.
Asteroid: A small rocky body orbiting the sun. Large numbers of these, ranging in size from nearly 600 miles (1,000 km) across (Ceres) to dust particles, are found (as the asteroid belt) especially between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, though some have more eccentric orbits, and a few pass close to the earth or enter the atmosphere as meteors.
Crater: A large, bowl-shaped cavity in the ground or on the surface of a planet or the moon, typically one caused by an explosion or the impact of a meteorite or other celestial body.

Concepts

1. Space art paintings attempt to capture the majesty of the universe.
2. Space art paintings feature outer space, stars, planets, comets, asteroids, spaceships, probes, and astronauts.
3. Space art is one of the newest genres, although paintings containing elements of astronomy, such as views of the night sky from the earth, have existed for centuries.
4. History paintings may also be called 'astronomical art.'
5. Select types of space art paintings include, 1) Descriptive Realism (attempt to show a scientifically accurate view), 2) Cosmic Impressionism (does not attempt to be scientifically accurate), 3) Hardware Art (focuses on spaceships and probes), and 4) Cosmic Zoology (Portrays ideas about what extraterrestrial life might look like).
6. See below examples of four subgenres of space art paintings: 1) Lucien Rudaux's 'Lunar Eclipse' (Descriptive Realism), 2) 5arah's' 'Galaxy in a Nut' (Cosmic Impressionism), 3) Rick Guidice's 'Artist's depiction of a pair of O'Neill cylinders' (Hardware Art), and 4) 'Alien Light Atmosphere' by Kalhh (Cosmic Zoology).

Enrichment

Activity 1: Can You Find It?

Zoom in to find the following in the artwork:

• Planetoid
• Earth
• Land
• Oceans
• Clouds
• Stars
• Impact

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 53 of 'Third Grade Art History Coloring Book.'

Review

Question 1

What is the setting of the artwork?

1 / 4

Answer 1

The setting is the planet Earth.

1 / 4

Question 2

What is impacting the earth?

2 / 4

Answer 2

A planetoid is impacting the earth.

2 / 4

Question 3

Into which genre is this painting classified?

3 / 4

Answer 3

This painting falls into the space art genre.

3 / 4

Question 4

Is the portrait best described as a descriptive realism, cosmic impressionism, hardware art, and/or cosmic zoology space art painting?

4 / 4

Answer 4

This painting is best described as descriptive realism, as it aims to reproduce an accurate picture of what the event would look like in real life.

4 / 4

❮ ❯

1. What is the setting of the artwork? The setting is the planet Earth.
2. What is impacting the earth? A planetoid is impacting the earth.
3. Into which genre is this painting classified? This painting falls into the space art genre.
4. Is the portrait best described as a descriptive realism, cosmic impressionism, hardware art, and/or cosmic zoology space art painting? This painting is best described as descriptive realism, as it aims to reproduce an accurate picture of what the event would look like in real life.

References

'Space Art.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.