Read and translate the text About painting

Art is creation of pictures with the help of paint applied to a solid surface. In painting it is colour and line which are of primary importance. Besides, to make a picture expressive, artist uses light and shade (chiaroscuro), the stroke and the composition. All these expressive means enable an artist to present colour, shape and volume of the material world, to portray an endless variety of objects and living beings, light and air, sky and water, space and movement.

A long history of art shows that it pictures a broad panorama of social life, historical events, and the inner world of man. Due to the varied expressive means, art is an important means of reflecting reality; it has an important social and ideological message to convey. According to the particular sphere of reality reflected in art, there are many genres of it: portrait painting, landscape and seascape, still life, genre scenes, historical painting, painting of battle scenes. They all belong to the so-called easel painting. Monumental painting includes fresco, panel. They are widely employed to decorate buildings both outside and inside. Decorative painting deals with sketches of scenery and costumes in theatrical productions and filmmaking.

In easel painting the most common techniques are oil painting, water colours, tempera, gouache, pastel, coal, pencil and ink. Graphic art is somewhat different from painting. First of all, genres and techniques are different. Graphic art includes drawing, engraving, etching, poster, (book) illustration and cartoon. In graphic art colour is not commonly used, it is the line and the contrast of black and white that are of primary importance. Graphic art is more laconic and austere, less sculpturescue. But it is also very expressive, democratic, reflecting burning issues of present day life. Today new form and techniques have been evolved: lithography, lonography, designing stamps, trade marks and ex-librises.

Match the words from the both columns

   

1. line a. графика

2. light and shade b. жанровая живопись

3. stroke c. станковая живопись

4. composition d. линия, рисунок

5. volume e. светотень

6. landscape f. мазок

7. seascape g. портретная живопись

8. still life h. монументальная живопись

9. genre scenes i. декоративная живопись

10. historical pointing j. пейзаж

11. battle scenes k. пастель

12. easel painting l. эскиз

13. monumental painting m. морской вид

14. decorative painting n. батальная живопись

15. sketch o. акварель    

16. oil painting p. историческая живопись

17. pastel q. живопись масляными красками

18. coal r. уголь

19. ink s. композиция

20. graphic art t. тушь

21. portrait painting u. объем

22. water color v. натюрморт

Read and translate the text Artistic and cultural life in Britain

Artistic and cultural life in Britain is rather rich. It passed through several stages in its development. The Saxon King Alfred encouraged the arts and culture. The chief debt owned to him by English literature is for translations and commentaries on Latin works in Old English.

Art, culture and literature flowered during the Elizabethan Age, during the reign of Elizabeth Ι; it was the period of English domination of the oceans. It was at this time that William Shakespeare lived. The empire, which was very powerful under Queen Victoria, saw another cultural and artistic heyday as a result of industrialization and the expansion of international trade. But German Air raids caused much damage in the First World War and then during the Second World War. The madness of the wars briefly interrupted the development of culture.

Immigrants who have arrived in Britain from all parts of the Commonwealth since 1945 have not only created a mixture of nations, but have also brought their cultures and habits with them. Monuments and traces of past greatness are everywhere. There are buildings of all styles and periods. A great number of museums and galleries display precious and interesting finds from all parts of the world and from all stages in the development of nature, man and art.

London is one of the leading world centres for music, drama, opera and dance. Festivals held in towns and cities throughout the country attract much interest. Many British playwrights, composers, sculptors, painters, writers, actors, singers and dancers are known all over the world.

The British Council promotes knowledge of British culture and literature overseas. It organizes British participation in international exhibitions and encourages professional interchange in all cultural fields between Britain and other countries.

The development o British painting was very interesting. Until the 18th century there were no famous national artists in Great Britain for two reasons:

The formation of the national art traditions was interrupted during the Reformation (the 16^th century) when the Protestants prohibited all kinds of art decoration in the churches. Later, during the revolution of the 17^th century, the works of painting and sculpture were denounced as objects of luxury. And the Puritans – the radical group of British Protestants – considered luxury to be a sin. So the development of painting was slower than in the other countries of Europe.

Because of the absence of strong national tradition, the British kings invited some famous artists from the continent – first of all, masters of portrait painting.

     Finally, two great European portrait-painters became the founders of the British school. In the 16^th century – Hans Holbein, the Younger, and later, in the 17^th century – the great Flemish master Anthony Van Dyck.  

     In the early 18^th century, although, influenced by Continental movements, particularly by Flemish Rococo, British art began to develop independently. The first outstanding English painter was William Hogarth. Later, in 1768 The Royal Academy was headed by a gifted painter, Joshua Reynolds. It was he, who insisted that English artists should be brought into line with European art and that they should develop the Grand Style of painting. 1750–1850 years witnessed the development of the art forms. The most vivid representatives of that period were Constable, Gainsborough and Turner.

Describe a picture by an English artist (speak about its subject, composition, colour, the rendering of space, perspective, motion, light, technique, the message conveyed in the picture. Discuss a picture by an English artist in group.