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Visual Arts and Art History, year 2, first semester:
English language course


Main topic : The foundation of the Royal Academy of Arts (1768-1836)
Aim : Develop your understanding, speaking and writing skills in English language, while learning about four major painters in the history of British art.

Method : Reading and listening, translation into English, translation into French, and written expression.

Self-service to English grammar: the grammar yellow pages

Follow English courses at the Maison des Langues.



INTRODUCTION
The foundation of the Royal Academy of Arts (1768) Going further...
  • Read about the foundation of the Royal academy from the official website of the Royal Academy.

  • Watch a historical presentation of the R.A. :


    		•
  • Read about King George 3rd's life.

  • Watch a video about King George 3rd.

  • Read Reynolds's fourteen speeches.


    • PART ONE : Sir Joshua Reynolds, the first President of the Royal Academy.
    Learn about Reynolds Language skills and practise Going further...
  • Read DOCUMENT ONE from the white pages, and do the comprehension exercises.

  • Read my commentary on DOCUMENT ONE : part 1, part 2.

  • Read DOCUMENT TWO from the white pages, watch the video below and do the comprehension exercises.

    		•  SYNTAX :
  • The subject precedes the verb : exercise.
  • Nothing between the verb and the object : exercise

    AGREEMENTS : singular or plural ? Past or present ? : Read from the grammar yellow pages. Read page one + do the exercises

    ARTICLES : "I like pictures" or "I like the pictures" ? Read from the grammar yellow pages. Scroll down to paragraph 4c + do the exercises.



    PRONUNCIATION : open the Pink Pages, paragraphs 1 to 3.
    For paragraph 2, click here. Listen, note the word stresses and repeat.
    For paragraph 3, click here. Listen, note the word stresses and repeat.
  • Watch a video about the portrait of Captain Foote by Reynolds.

  • Watch a video about x-ray researches on several paintings by Reynolds.

  • Read about The Age of Innocence by Reynolds.

    • self-portrait (1780)
    Commodore Augustus Keppel (1753),
    in the pose of the Apollo of the Belvedere.
    Mrs Musters as Hebe (1785)
    John Musters (1777)

    Infant Hercules
    Strangling the Serpents
    Richard Peer Symons,
    M.P., (Later Baronet)
    video commentary
    St John the Baptist in the Wilderness (1776)
    St John Baptist Preaching in the Desert by Raphael (1517)


    PART TWO : Thomas GAINSBOROUGH, the landscape specialist.
    Learn about Gainsborough Language skills and practise Going further...
  • Read DOCUMENT THREE from the white pages, and do the comprehension exercises.

  • Read my commentary on DOCUMENT THREE : part 1, part 2.

  • Watch the video below about The Blue Boy.

    		•
  • QUANTIFIERS (revision from year one): learn how to express quantity here

  • Learn more about QUANTIFIERS from the grammar yellow pages. Scroll down to paragraph 4d.

  • An exercise about QUANTIFIERS



  • PRONUNCIATION : open the Pink Pages, at paragraph 4b.
    Click here. Listen, note the word stresses and repeat.

    Open the pink pages at paragraph 4c and watch the video below.
    		•
  • Watch a full documentary about Gainsborough.


  • Read more about Gainsborough

  • Find out more about Gainsborough's house in Sudbury.

    • Abel Moysey MP
    Sir Robert Andrews and his Wife
    Video commentary (12mn)
    The Blue Boy (1770)
    audio commentary
    Mrs Graham
    audio commentary

    Peasants and Colliers Going to Market
    The Watering Place




    PART THREE : John CONSTABLE, the romantic painter
    Learn about Constable Language skills and practise Going further...
  • Read DOCUMENT FOUR from the white pages, and do the comprehension exercises.

  • Read my commentary on DOCUMENT FOUR : here.

  • Read DOCUMENT FIVE, and do the comprehension exercise.

  • Watch the video below about Constable.

    		•
  • Learn more about AGREEMENTS from the grammar yellow pages. Read section 1 and do the exercises.

  • Learn more about the PAST TENSE from the grammar yellow pages. Read sections 3A - 3B - 3C - 3D and do the exercises.

  • PRONUNCIATION : open the Pink Pages.

    Go to paragraph 4d and click here. Listen, note the word stresses and repeat.

    For more practise, visit the pageWord stress on suffixes 2

    Go to paragraphs 4e and 4f and click here. Listen, note the word stresses and repeat.

    For more practise, visit the page Word stress on suffixes 3 and Word stress on suffixes 4
  • Watch a conference talk about Constable by Mark Evans, curator at the Victorian and Albert Museum, London, 2012.


  • Read more about Constable


    • Constable : Glebe Farm
    Constable : sketch for Glebe Farm
    Constable : The Leaping Horse
    Constable : Sketch for The Leaping Horse

    Constable : The White Horse
    Audioguide with script
    Audioguide without script
    Constable : Sketch for The White Horse
    Constable : Hadleigh Castle
    Hadleigh Castle today
    Constable : a sketch of Hadleigh Castle

    Constable : Cloud Study (1822)
    at Hampstead Heath
    Constable : Cloud Study, Hampstead, Tree at Right
    Constable :
    Salisbury Cathedral
    from the Bishop's Garden     (1825)
    video commentary
    Constable : Rainstorm over the sea
    (Brighton, 1824-28)


    PART FOUR : William TURNER, the vanguard visionary
    Learn about Turner Language skills and practise Going further...
  • Read DOCUMENT SIX from the white pages, and do the comprehension exercises.

  • Turner : self portrait


  • Read DOCUMENT SEVEN, and do the comprehension exercise.
    		•
  • AGREEMENTS : singular or plural ? Past or present ? Read from the grammar yellow pages. Read page one + do the exercises

  • PINK PAGES : open the Pink Pages.
    Go to paragraph 4h on page 5 and click here. Listen, note the word stresses and repeat.

  • PRONUNCIATION PAIR WORK ACTIVITY 1/2: click here

  • PRONUNCIATION PAIR WORK ACTIVITY 2/2: click here for part A and here for part B

  • Words with two pronunciations

  • Revisions about Reynolds - Gainsborough - Constable - Turner
  • Watch a video commentary about William Turner

  • Watch the trailer of Mr Turner by Mike Leigh (2014)


  • Watch a comparative analysis between
    Turner's late style and Constable's style.
  • Take the Turner QUIZ.


    • Fishermen at Sea (1796)
    See map / See pix 1 - 2
    See questions
    Dido Building Carthage (1815)
    See map / See Claude's Seaport
    See questions
    Rain, Steam and Speed (1844)
    Turner : The Fighting Temeraire (1838)
    commentary by T. Kempf
    Video commentary

    San Giorgio Maggiore, Early Morning (1819)
    See map / See photo / See questions
    Staffa, Fingall's Cave (1831)
    See Staffa on map / See questions
    Turner : Snowstorm (exhibited in 1842)
    The Houses of Parliament on Fire (1834)

    Shade and Darkness,
    the Evening of the Deluge     (1843)
    Grand Canal (1835)
    Video commentary
    Turner : Peace - Burial at Sea
    (exhibited in 1842, in memory of David Wilkie)
    Video commentary
    Turner : Slavers Throwing Overboard the Dead and the Dying (1840)
    Video commentary