Lesson 59 - Painting Like Michelangelo

As part of our study of the great masters, this week we focused on Michelangelo. We talked about his life, born in 1475-1574 in Caprese, Tuscany, one of five children. We also learned that he was alive during the famous Renaissance period, and thus spent most of his life in Florence, learning the techniques that would culminate in his great works. The children saw pictures of his many drawings, as well as his sculptures of David, the Pieta, and of course the enormous painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome.

We learned that it took Michelangelo four years to complete the Sistine Chapel masterpiece, and that he worked while standing up on incredibly tall scaffolding and also lying on his back while painting.

To get the maximum effect as to how this was accomplished, the children also learned what it’s like to paint laying on their backs.

We began our experience by taping two pieces of newsprint paper underneath a table. The children were then instructed to choose multiple paint colors and think about a picture they would like to paint. Next they lay on the floor under the table with paintbrush in hand and began to paint their ‘masterpiece’. It was a bit awkward at first, and some of the very young children had a bit more difficulty understanding the concept of painting ‘upside-down’. It is a new sensation, and it allows the children to use different muscles while painting, giving them a totally unique sensorial experience. For example, we learned that if you put too much paint on your brush it will land on your face or on your clothing (all children wore smocks to protect their clothes). We also learned that painting while on your back gives you a different perspective on where to place paint on the paper. Overall the children enjoyed the experience. It was totally new to them, and even with a few awkward moments at the beginning of the task, they successfully completed their beautiful masterpieces.