START WITH ART: The Football Players

Good morning, friends! Each day, we embark on a delightful journey through the world of art, uncovering the stories and emotions behind masterpieces from history. Today, we have a beautiful artwork for you to explore—just take a peek below!

Once you’ve had a moment to appreciate it, we invite you to engage the young minds in your life with some thought-provoking questions (listed below in this post). You’ll be amazed at how starting the day with art can spark creativity and inspire critical thinking. Let’s dive in together and see where our imaginations take us!

Title: The Football Players

Artist: Henri Rousseau

Date: 1908

Medium: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 100.3 x 81.1 cm

Start with Art Questions:

• What do you think makes Rousseau’s painting of the rugby players look different or unique compared to other sports paintings? How do the colors and shapes make the scene feel playful or a bit unusual?

• How do you think the artist’s choice to make the players look like pajama-clad twins adds to the mood or story of the painting? What could he be trying to show with this style?

• If you were painting a scene of your favorite sport, what fun or unexpected details would you add to make it stand out like Rousseau’s painting does?

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