Exercises. 1. What is the essential difference between the description of a picture given in the first extract from Maugham's novel and the description in the rest of

1. What is the essential difference between the description of a picture given in the first extract from Maugham's novel and the description in the rest of the texts?

2. What is the difference between the still lifes of Chardin and Cezanne so far as can be judged: a) from the descripti­ons? b) from your own acquaintance with these painters' works?

3. What is the difference in the treatment of landscape by Con­stable and Van Gogh? Whose manner is more realistic?

4. How do you understand the words “a study of light” in the description of Monet’s “Picnic”? How did the impressionists treat the problem of light?

5. How do you understand the words “a study of human nature” in the description of Van Dyck’s portrait? Give examples of famous portraits which can be regarded as “a study of human nature”. Point out the differences in the descriptions of Van Dyck’s and Reynolds’s portraits.

6. What is the difference between a really well-painted portrait and a coloured photograph? Sometimes, while looking at a picture, people say, “It’s like a coloured photo.” What do they mean? Is it praise or criticism? Explain your point of view.

7. All great art is believed to be thought-provoking. How do you understand this statement? Give examples of pictures which you consider to be thought-provoking.

8. Do you side with the main character of W.S. Maugham’s novel “Christmas Holiday”, who said “…if you only have enough love, if you only have enough sympathy, out of pain and distress and unkindness, out of all the evil of the world, you can create beauty.”? What is beauty, after all?

9. Using your knowledge of the basic vocabulary, give a talk on one of the four major painting genres: still-life, landscape, portrait or genre painting. Your talk should cover the following aspects: 1) a brief history of the genre, 2) the ‘advantages’ and ‘disadvantages’ of the genre over the other three, 3) the description of a painting representing the genre. You can do it in the form of a PowerPoint presentation.

10. Using the table in Appendix 1 and the information of Appendix 3, give a 7-minute talk on an art trend (see Appendix 1, 3). Your talk should cover the following aspects:

1) historical background (time, origin);

2) differential features of the style (what makes it unique and recognizable);

3) the most famous representatives of the trend;

4) description of a painting which is a typical specimen of the chosen art period;

5) make a PowerPoint presentation for illustration.

11. Choose an artist and prepare a talk on his/her creative endeavour. Describe one of their works in more detail. Make up a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation for illustration, if necessary.

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