Math at the Museum: Middle School Students Explore New Perspectives
Mondrian, Kandinsky, Picasso, and many others are known for their use of geometry, while Hooper and Caillebotte impress with the visual perspective of their paintings.
At the end of September, LFC's mathematics teaching team used a trip to Chicago's amazing Art Institute to inspire students to view renowned works of art with new eyes. The 91 students in Grades 6 and 7 visited the art museum with their teachers and a professional guide. They studied the links between art, both classical and contemporary, and math!
Edward Hopper (1942). Nighthawks. Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
Perspective is one important element in the structure of works of art. For example, in this famous painting, Nighthawks, by Edward Hopper, the students discovered that the different vanishing points allowed the artist to give even more depth to his piece.
Students also learned that in many classical and impressionist works, the use of triangles helps to emphasize the subject of the work, giving it a foundation and stability. A pioneer of this technique is Rembrandt, as in this very famous painting that the students went to see:
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1631). Old Man with a Gold Chain, 1631. Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
Finally, students explored the museum’s modern art galleries, complete with activities and riddles along the way. For example, they studied the use and organization of lines, shapes and intersections in major works such as those of Mondrian or Moholy-Nagy.
(Left) Piet Mondrian (1921). Lozenge composition with Yellow, Black, Blue, Red and Gray. Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA. (Right) László Moholy-Nagy (1927). A-19. Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
The geometric and numerical concepts introduced during the field trip will be revisited throughout the school year. Want to learn more, too? Explore the teaching guide for the field trip, made by the LFC math team.
What a captivating way to learn math!