The Arts

Unit 7: Famous Painters

Before you read:

  • Do you know the artists in the pictures?
  • What are they famous for?
Louis Pasteur

Pablo Picasso was born in 1881 in Malaga, Spain. He was the most famous painter of the 20th century. In addition to his paintings, he produced sculptures, drawings, and ceramics. Picasso showed his technical skills in drawing and painting at the age of 15. One of his famous paintings is Guernica, a cubist piece showing the horror of the bombing of the Basque village of Guernica during the Spanish civil war. In 1904, Picasso moved to France, where he lived until his death in 1973.


Louis Pasteur

Vincent Van Gogh was born in 1853 near Breda, the Netherlands. He was one of the most famous painters in modern art. At the age of 16, he went to The Hague to work for his uncle, an art dealer. His brother, Theo, stayed in the family art business. In 1886, Van Gogh moved to Paris where he experimented with impressionism and other art styles and painted landscapes and city life. He spent the last 19 months of his life fighting a mental illness. When he realised that his illness was too serious, he committed suicide in 1890.

Comprehension

Louis Pasteur

Match the dates with the events.

1. 1886
2. 1973
3. 1853
4. 1904
5. 1881
6. 1890
  • a. Picasso's birth date
  • b. Van Gogh's death
  • c. Van Gogh moved to France
  • d. Picasso moved to France
  • e. Picasso's death
  • f. Van Gogh's birth date

These statements are false. Correct them.

Type your corrected version below each statement.

Suggested: Only Picasso represents cubism. Van Gogh experimented with impressionism.
Suggested: Picasso died in France.
Suggested: He had a brother named Theo.
Suggested: He also produced sculptures, drawings, and ceramics.
Suggested: He committed suicide.

Word Net: Past Tense "-ed"

Louis Pasteur

Write the past tense of these regular verbs and select their correct pronunciation ending [t], [d], or [id].

act
brush
clean
close
compose
cook
cry
dance
paint
play
(A selection of verbs from the list)