Painters Born in the 1800s 1800s Painters    

Lesson 27: Woodland Stream

by Robert Scott Duncanson

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

Robert Scott Duncanson's 'Woodland Stream' shows a peaceful sylvan landscape showcasing calm waters flowing under a greenery-draped bridge. Small white flowers adorn a cluster of vegetation on the right bank. A person in red, perhaps a young boy, sits on a rock and enjoys the renewing solitude the scene offers.

Vocabulary

Vegetation: A grouping of plants.
Solitude: The state of being alone.
Sylvan: Wooded, or covered in forest.
Riverbank: The land alongside a river.

Concepts

1. American landscape painter Robert Scott Duncanson was born in 1821 in Fayette, New York.

2. Zoom in and find Duncanson's birth state on the map of the United States.

3. His father was an emancipated Virginia slave.
4. As a young man, he painted houses, but longed to become an artist.
5. At that time, there were few, if any, opportunities for black people in America to formally study art, so Duncanson taught himself to paint.
6. Through determination, he overcame many obstacles. Consequently, he became a successful artist and traveled the world, capturing some of his adventures in paint.
7. Duncanson died in 1872 at the age of 51 in Detroit, Michigan.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Can You Find It?

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

• Boy
• River
• Bridge
• Rocks
• Sky
• Trees

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 Painting   

• Click the crayon above, and complete page 36 of 'First Grade Art History Coloring Book.'

Review

Question 1

Who are the characters in the painting?

1 / 4

Answer 1

The sole character is a boy.

1 / 4

Question 2

What are the characters doing?

2 / 4

Answer 2

The boy sits on a rock next to a river.

2 / 4

Question 3

What is the setting of the painting?

3 / 4

Answer 3

The setting is outdoors, near a river.

3 / 4

Question 4

What is the shape of the opening under the bridge?

4 / 4

Answer 4

The shape of the opening under the bridge is a half-circle or semicircle.

4 / 4

❮ ❯

1. Who are the characters in the painting? The sole character is a boy.
2. What are the characters doing? The boy sits on a rock next to a river.
3. What is the setting of the painting? The setting is outdoors, near a river.
4. What is the shape of the opening under the bridge? The shape of the opening under the bridge is a half-circle or semicircle.

References

'Robert Scott Duncanson.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.

'Woodland Stream, an Idyll by Robert S. Duncanson, c. 1865, High Museum of Art.' Wikimedia Commons. Commons.wikimedia.org. n.p.