1. Landscape with the Fall of Icarus
by Pieter Bruegel the Elder
c. 1558
Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Brussels

3. Write the following: Activity I
the title of the painting
the artist’s name
one detail from the background
one detail from the foreground

4. Landscape with the Fall of Icarus
by Pieter Bruegel the Elder
c. 1558
Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Brussels

5. Pieter Bruegel
Pieter Bruegel the Elder, nicknamed ‘Peasant Bruegel’ was probably the most significant and exciting painter in the Northern Europe during the middle part of the sixteenth century. His nickname “Peasant Bruegel” indicates his subjects: peasant life, proverbs and genre scenes, the New Testament— topics set among common folks of contemporary Flanders. *

7. Remember
The learner can recall information and/or processes at will.

8. Write a brief description of the scene depicted in the painting.
Activity II
Write a brief description of the scene depicted in the painting.

9. Shepherd gazes at the sky
The ship sails right by
Shepherd gazes at the sky
Icarus’ legs
Farmer concentrates on plowing
The man on shore doesn’ t notice

10. Understand
Learners make connections between what they already know and the new ideas they are trying to assimilate.
The “understand” level of thinking usually involves conceptual knowledge, the comprehension of an idea.

11. Sensory Impressions and Mood—Activity IV
Animal sounds—horse, sheep, dog; wind blowing through trees; splash as Icarus hits the water
Warmth of the sun; soft, newly-plowed earth; movement of ship; coolness of water; breeze in sails; whip on horse; edge of plowed row;
Quiet; peaceful, mundane; apathetic; disinterested; idyllic; expectant, lonely; detached, etc.
Scents of animals; salty air; newly plowed earth; sweaty farmer; “fishy” seaside smells
Salty air; dust/dirt stirred by plow
Sun going down; delicate sailing ship; farmer plowing; Icarus’ legs thrashing the sea; shepherd gazing into sky; city in background

12. Apply
Learners use procedures and processes they have already learned to execute tasks and solve problems.

13. Activity IV.
What is a theme of the painting?
List three or more specific details that support this theme.

14. Analyze
Learners break material down into its constituent parts and determine how the parts are related to each other and to an overall structure.

15. Activity V:
Which detail in the painting most effectively conveys the theme?
Justify your answer.

16. Evaluate
Learners detect flaws or inconsistencies in a product or process and/or use pre-determined criteria to judge the quality of a product or text.

17. Landscape With The Fall of Icarus by William Carlos Williams
Activity VII
Landscape With The Fall of Icarus by William Carlos Williams
According to Brueghel when Icarus fell it was spring a farmer was ploughing his field the whole pageantry of the year was awake tingling
near
the edge of the sea
concerned with itself
sweating in the sun that melted the wings' wax unsignificantly off the coast there was a splash quite unnoticed this was Icarus drowning
From Collected Poems: , Volume II by William Carlos Williams, published by New Directions Publishing Corp. © 1962 by William Carlos Williams. Reprinted by permission of New Directions Publishing Corp.

18. Using the Williams poem as a model, create an original poem, taking the perspective of one of the following and beginning with the sentence “According to ______________, when Icarus fell….”
someone on the deck of the ship
the plowman
the fisherman on the bank
Icarus
Daedalus
the sheepherder

19. Create (Synthesize)
Learners combine elements into a different form or merge information from several sources into a unified whole. A new product comes into being from previously existing materials or texts.

20. Credits
Image of Brueghel available at:
Vulpine reading of “Landscape with the Fall of Icarus” available at: