START WITH ART: Chez Tortoni

Good morning! We begin each day by examining a piece of art from history. Today’s artwork is pictured below. Take a look, then read the questions to the students/children in your life and watch how starting the day with art can ignite creativity and critical thinking!

On March 18, 1990, Guards at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston admitted two men posing as police officers responding to a disturbance call. The thieves bound the guards and looted the museum, taking 13 works of art. The theft remains unsolved.

Yesterday (the anniversary of the theft), we looked at one of the stolen paintings. This is another  of the stolen works:

Title: Chez Tortoni

Artist: Édouard Manet 

Date: 1875

Medium: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 26 x 34 cm

Start with Art Questions:

• The painting depicts a gentleman sitting at a table in the Café Tortoni de Paris. The man appears to be drawing on a sketchpad. What do you think he might be drawing or writing? 
  

• What do the man's clothing items tell us about him?

Add our START WITH ART calendar to yours by clicking here then click "add." Share how you're folding this into your daily routine by tagging us on Instagram @pageofarthistory and/or the tag #startwithart 🖼️