How does the color scheme affect the mood or tone of the work?
Students should discuss Matisse’s use of bright, warm tones in his composition, which create a cozy and safe atmosphere, despite the riot of overlapping patterns. Matisse uses complimentary colors to structure the room- the red carpets and the left hand wall next to the greens of the back wall-seem to divide the space. However, according to the National Gallery of Art’s description of the painting: “Despite the wealth of pictorial elements, a curious, calm order of structured harmony prevails. Pianist and Checker Players is suffused with a warm glow made up of complementary tones of yellow and red.” 2. Red as a Rose Note that although some colors seem to suggest a distinct mood or meaning such as the blue in Picasso’s painting above- those same colors will not always convey the same mood or message. Note: If you have time you can have the entire class complete investigations of both of the paintings in this activity. If, however, you are pressed for time, you can assign half of the cla
In this activity, students will investigate how artists often use color to set the tone or the mood of an image. Remind students of the definition of color scheme in the “Preparing to Teach this Lesson” section in the curriculum overview before introducing this activity. Note: If you have time you can have the entire class complete investigations of both of the paintings in this activity. If, however, you are pressed for time, you can assign half of the class to work on the Picasso while the other half works on the Matisse, bringing the class together at the close of the assignment to compare and contrast their findings. Have students view the following image before telling them the name of the painter or the painting’s title.
