Key Stage 1’s end of term project showcase

This term, Year 1 and 2 have been studying the life and artwork of Vincent van Gogh – a project incorporating history, literacy and art.

Key Stage 1 commenced their project by meeting Vincent van Gogh in his room. Surrounded by paintings, they met a sad man who felt his art was not good enough. Who was this man and why did he not think his paintings were good enough? Next they met Johanna van Gogh-Bonger, the sister-in-law of Vincent. The pupils found her weeping with a baby, surrounded by Vincent's artwork. They found out that six months earlier Vincent Van Gogh had died and her husband, Theo, consumed with the sadness over his brother’s death, had passed away too. Now Johanna was left with a house filled with Vincent's art and her husband Theo's dying wish which was for his work be showed to the world. Johanna couldn't put on an exhibition on her own. She needed a team of expert art curators to help. Enter Year 1 and 2, the expert art curators with a proven track record of launching new artists to the world.

Throughout the term, Year 1 and 2 researched the life of Vincent Van Gogh, producing a book which included an in-depth biography and narrative. Pupils looked closely at art and became art critics, writing about art. They learnt how Vincent's art changed throughout his life and they recreated his artwork from significant periods of time, learning about colour, art techniques, and art history. Pupils learnt how to paint landscape, still life and portraiture. They also made videos to explain their artwork. The pupils learnt how to order events on a timeline and compared the past to the present. They took part in role play to explore significant moments in Vincent's life, with the project culminating in an exhibition about Vincent van Gogh. 

View a photo gallery of the exhibition, here.