I saw this on Facebook this morning… and I was totally impressed.
Science is now understanding the swirls in the sky that van Gogh painted all those years ago. A very interesting article! Do give it a quick read. Then, for those of you who have seen any of van Gogh’s work or were lucky enough to have some art history in school… this is for you.
Don McLean - Vincent ( Starry, Starry Night) With Lyrics
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Don McLean's Vincent (Starry,Starry Night) Almost all images created by Vincent Van- Gogh. Song by Don McLean I in no way assume any credit for song or images.
A beautiful tribute to Van Gogh in words and his paintings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxHnRfhDmrk
I LOVED teaching the Unit on van Gogh. True, I had to make a few modifications... but the kids actually got into his story when they found out he was considered nuts and struggled so with life.
Best of all, every once in a while I hear from some "kid" from long ago who got dragged into a museum by a wife or girlfriend and suddenly, there was a van Gogh in front of them. Every one said the same thing - how the colors and shapes just jumped off the canvas and pulled them closer... how they LONGED to reach out and touch the canvas - and a few succeeded! Funny thing is, they did not remember anything else from that day. Most of them bought a print of van Gogh's to take home or to the office.
One of my boys told how they were driving to Florida... his wife was surfing the radio... it tuned in on McLean's Starry, Starry Night... as she started to move on, he said he asked her to go back to it... and how moved he was by hearing and UNDERSTANDING the words to the song. (I made them listen to it in school – both before and after the Unit on van Gogh.) When it was over, he told (what he remembered) of van Gogh's life and works. He said she was totally impressed. He said it was the only "thing" (as a unit) he remembered from elementary school. He then realized his kids were quiet. They had been listening to him. They asked to go to a museum (REALLY!) to see a van Gogh. Eventually they found one and again, the paintings drew them in. "It is like his actual life is still in that paint." he said. “You can FEEL him there! He was once this far away from the canvas as I was at that moment. It gave me chills.”
I hope he sees this on the internet.
I hope you had a teacher who brought his work to you, too. If you did... thank them. You might make their week!
Or, if it was another subject (for me it was my music teacher) who brought a new understand of something to you – find them and thank them. Go ahead, make their day.
4 comments:
What a great post. The link to TED ed was well worth listening to. I've certainly learned a good deal from it, so thanks again.
I love the song but can never hear it without crying. Thanks for a great blog entry.
I had to listen to it over and over for several hours to get to the place where it didn't make me cry. Couldn't do that in front of my kids, now, could I?
The shock came when a few of my kids each year would tear up when they truly listened and understood.
I saw a PBS program about his death. It is now considered possible if not likely that he was shot (accidentally, perhaps) by some boys who regularly bullied him, and who he simply couldn't defend himself against.
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