At the time they (create), the Impressionist paintings were controversial, today they are accepted as the (begin) of what we call "Modern Art". This is because the Impressionists encouraged artists (look) at their environment in new ways. There (be) a lot of modern art styles, but the Impressionists, many of these painting styles might not exist. On the one hand, some Modern Art is abstract; that is, the (paint) does not attempt to paint objects as we see them with our eyes, but instead concentrates on certain qualities of the objects, (use) colour, lines and shape to represent them. On the other hand, some paintings of Modern Art are so (reality) that they look like photos. These styles are so different. Who can predict
painting styles there will be in the future?
No artist has affected Modern Art more than Pablo Ruiz Picasso. Thousands of masterpieces he had created changed the way people thought about art. Picasso was perhaps the most talented and successful artist who ever lived.
Picasso was born in 1881 in a small town on the southern coast of Spain. His father was a painter who taught art. Picasso showed exceptional talent at an early age and, by the time he was in his teens, painted better than his father or any of the local art teachers. At sixteen, Picasso was sent to the Royal Academy of Madrid, where students drew from plaster casts and copied works of the old masters. Picasso felt these assignments were pointless and began to work on his own. Picasso's father soon became angry with his son's rebellious behaviour, long hair, and strange clothes. He believed that Picasso was wasting his talent and scolded him, "Why don't you cut your hair and paint sensibly?"
In 1900, Picasso left for Paris—then the centre of the art world. He lived in a cold, run-down building, painting constantly, sometimes surviving for days on only a piece of bread. During these years, his art reflected his dismal(凄凉的) surroundings. Homeless outcasts were the subject of many of his fairly realistic early paintings. After seeing African masks and sculptures, his works became more simplified and angular(有棱角的) leading up to the revolutionary new style known as Cubism.
Picasso didn't sell many of his works during these early years. But he worked continuously, always experimenting with different styles of painting. Though Picasso lived to be ninety-two and became the most famous artist in the world, he spoke of his youthful days in Paris as "the happiest time of my life".
As a music teacher, I have always known that music touches the soul. It can 1 all kinds of barriers to reach students in a very special way. It can be the 2 for each child to find their light. I would like to
3 a story about it.
For a few years I was 4 with the opportunity to teach disabled students. One of my most 5 students was a five-year-old girl called Vanessa, who had difficulty in walking, and could not speak. We 6 sat on the floor for our music lessons and Vanessa liked to sit on my lap(大腿). One of her favourite songs was "John the Rabbit". It was a call-and-response song where I sang the call and the students 7 twice while singing the repeating phrase "Oh, yes!" Vanessa liked to8 her hands together with mine and clap with me. We probably performed that song during every class, Vanessa and I clapping together. But she 9 said or sang a word.
One day, when the song was finished, Vanessa turned around, looked me in the eye, clapped her tiny hands twice and said the words "Oh, yes!" I opened my mouth in 10 and for that moment I was the one who could not speak. When my heart finally started beating again, I looked over at the assistant teacher to find her also 11 . Through music, we had made an awesome connection.
Several years later, I met Vanessa in the street in town. She waved with a big smile on her face and then clapped her hands twice, imitating the song we had 12 so many times in our music class. The little girl,13 her connection with music, left an impression on me that will last forever. Every child has the 14 to learn and grow. It is up to us to 15 the way to reach every one of our students. We all must find each child's light.
