Classroom Activity

Art Starters: Diego Rivera

Part of Art Tales for Pre-K

When Diego Rivera was a young artist, he traveled to different countries and explored new ways of painting. After his travels, Rivera returned to his home country of Mexico, where he combined new techniques from the places he visited with the traditions of his homeland. This still life includes objects that reminded him of his home in Mexico.

An abstracted jug, bottles, shapes reminiscent of balled up paper or fabric, and a needle-like letter opener are gathered on a wood square in this horizontal still life painting. Rectangles in shades of corn yellow, violet purple, burgundy red-and-black checks, white, black, and spruce green splay out behind the objects like untidily stacked placemats. The brown jug is at the center, and an echo of its form in teal blue presumably represents a shadow. Portions of the jug, wooden board, and crumpled material shift color and pattern as they intersect or overlap with other areas. The artist’s initials, “DMR,” are stenciled in yellow in the lower left corner.
Diego Rivera, No. 9, Nature Morte Espagnole, 1915, oil on canvas, Gift of Katharine Graham, 2002.19.1

Grade Level

Subject

Language

Look

What shapes do you see? Look for circles, triangles, and rectangles.

Do you recognize any of these objects? Which ones?

Which objects can you see from above? Which can you see from the side? Which can you see through?

Pretend you can reach inside this painting and pick up one thing. Which would you choose? What might it feel like?

Read

Not a Box (Spanish language version: No es una caja)
by Antoinette Portis

A bunny explores how a box is not always just a box.

Diego Rivera: His World and Ours
by Duncan Tonatiuh

This book tells the story of Rivera as a young boy who loved art and dreamed of making his community proud.

MAKE: Create a still life collage

You Will Need

  • Heavyweight paper
  • Colored pencils
  • Assorted colored or patterned papers
  • Scissors
  • Glue stick

First, gather three to five objects from around your home. To make your still life more interesting, try to choose objects with different colors, patterns, shapes, and textures. Like Diego Rivera, you might want to include some objects that are special to you. Arrange the objects on a low table so you can see them from all sides.

One by one, draw each object. Focus on simple shapes such as circles, triangles, rectangles, and squares. Try standing in a different spot and drawing some of the items from different viewpoints—from above, below, or another side. You might draw one object on a colored piece of paper and another object on a patterned piece of paper.

Cut out all of your drawings and arrange them on a sheet of heavyweight paper. Once you’re happy with your arrangement, glue the drawings down to create a still life collage. 

Vocab Bank

  • homeland
  • object
  • pattern
  • still life
  • viewpoint

Download

Art Tales: Coloring and Cut-Outs booklet (PDF, 3.5 MB)

Art Tales for Pre-K (PDF, 7.2 MB)

Primeros Pasos En El Arte (PDF, 7.5 MB)

Primeros Pasos En El Arte: Colorear y Recortes (PDF, 3.7 MB)

An Eye for Art: Diego Rivera teaching resource (PDF, 9.4 MB)
 

Visit

Register for the Art Tales pre-K school tour

Submit Student Work

Send images of your students' projects that follow these activities - email [email protected]

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An abstracted jug, bottles, shapes reminiscent of balled up paper or fabric, and a needle-like letter opener are gathered on a wood square in this horizontal still life painting. Rectangles in shades of corn yellow, violet purple, burgundy red-and-black checks, white, black, and spruce green splay out behind the objects like untidily stacked placemats. The brown jug is at the center, and an echo of its form in teal blue presumably represents a shadow. Portions of the jug, wooden board, and crumpled material shift color and pattern as they intersect or overlap with other areas. The artist’s initials, “DMR,” are stenciled in yellow in the lower left corner.

Educational Resource:  Art Starters: Diego Rivera

A lesson for preschool to kindergarten students about artist Diego Rivera’s painting No. 9, Nature Morte Espagnole. Students learn how to look at this painting, what you can read to learn more, how to make a still life collage, and a list of vocabulary terms related to this activity.

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