IELTS Cue Card 91: Describe A Sculpture Or Other Work Of Art That You Have Seen
IELTS Speaking Cue Card with Sample Answer. Describe A Sculpture Or Other Work Of Art That You Have Seen. IELTS Speaking Part 2 With Model Answer. Also Sample answer for Part 3 discussion.
Describe A Sculpture Or Other Work Of Art That You Have Seen
You should say:
- when you saw this work of art
- where you saw it
- what it looked like
and explain your impression of it.
Model Answer:
I saw a huge painting called “The Nightwatch” last year in August.
I was travelling around Europe and visited Amsterdam in the Netherlands as part of my trip. When I was there I visited the Rijks museum which is a very famous art museum that displays some of the greatest works of Dutch art.
The painting is gigantic. It takes up the whole wall in quite a large room. It shows a band of warriors (the night watch) of 17th century Amsterdam posing with their weapons and armor. Each man is bigger than life size; the painting is so massive. It’s an oil painting so it’s quite dark as a whole and you have to move around to see all of it.
This has got to be one of my favorite works of art simply because it is so detailed and presents its subject matter so vividly. You really feel as if you could step into the painting and be there with them yourself. The sunlight gleams on their weapons and although the men are still there is still a real sense of movement. The band of warriors still retains their fighting energy even in the oils the painter used to create the painting. The men in the painting are all real members of the night watch on the city, and they would’ve paid the artist to paint their picture. As such, when you look at their faces, you see real everyday people, which makes the artwork so much more compelling.
IELTS Speaking Part 3 Question and Sample Answer:
What are the most popular types of art in China?
In China, many people enjoy traditional Chinese painting and Chinese calligraphy. Sometimes in the street or parks you can see old people holding a bucket of water with a huge brush. they dip the pen into the water so they can practice writing on the floor. After the water dries out they can do it again. This type of art is very popular, often they won‘t go back home until they finish the whole bucket of water. Chinese people think writing is an art, and that your handwriting reveals much about your personality. Good handwriting reflects a good personality and an educated background. Chinese people always say to write a word is to live a life. you have to seriously treat every move you make. Chinese characters look like a square, and so does a person’s life. we just make ourselves live in this square with laws and moral principles so we won’t do anything bad to harm the society.
Do young people and older people have the same tastes in art?
Since China has become more developed in recent years, young people have begun to know a lot more about Western culture and as such they have different tastes about art. The older generation is still somewhat stuck in their ways and focus more on traditional arts such as painting and calligraphy. Young people are more interested in contemporary Western art, Western music and fashion design. Young people feel more individualistic: they don’t want to be held down by rules, but wish to create their own way of life. Now you can see many young artists gathering in an art district called Factory 798 talking about and exchanging ideas about art. Some of the art on display would be beyond the pale to older people; there is one exhibit that has girls laying in a cage naked to raise the issue of animal cruelty. Contrasts between old and modern like this demonstrate the extent to which young people are more open-minded about art these days, and have many different ways to express their way of thinking.
What is the value of art for society?
Art is a way to express ideas and provoke emotional response in those who experience it. People use different art works to pass their ideas to the people. Art is like a translator; it transfers the mundane physical materials into a beautiful work of art to show in front of everyone, allowing them to get an idea of What the artist is trying to say but in a much more nuanced way. Words may not stick in one‘s head forever, but an art work like a beautiful painting often can.
Do young people go to art exhibitions?
Nowadays many young people love to go to art exhibitions and they pay more attention to them than in the past. Art has become an important part of life in modern society, with many parents getting their children to take art courses because they believe that a child who learns to do art when they were young will grow up becoming more thoughtful and having a greater understanding of subtle ideas. It’s because of this that China is developing more and more art museums and art districts like in the 798 area in Beijing. There are many young people there who wish to take a look at places like these because they all think art has become an important part of their lives.
Do you think art plays an important role in society?
Yes, there is no doubt that art can influence someone’s thinking. A good art work could help a person to fulfill themselves. Art is a sign; it shows people‘s ideas; it‘s not like a word or a sentence that might be forgotten after a few years, but touches people’s hearts straight away and makes them remember it forever. and sometimes it can even change someone’s life. The arts also reflect someone’s personality: different people enjoy different types of art works and they use different ways to express their way of thinking. Art can be a powerful way of getting your point across and displaying what‘s in your head. Many people believe that art is something even stronger and more powerful than a famous quote or a passionate speech.
Do you think it‘s possible for everyone to become an artist?
Personally I think it’s perfectly possible for everyone to become an artist. People are born gifted; they just show it in different ways. Some people are good at painting, some people are good at designing, and some others might be good at something else. Everyone is an artist in some way, and I believe that everyone tries their best to make their lives more beautiful. It‘s true that not everyone can be famous and popular, but that doesn’t mean they are not a good artist. As long as they are given a chance to shine they can surprise everyone by how wonderful they can be.
Many artists make very little money from their work. Do you think the government should financially support these artists?
Not everyone gets lucky enough that everyone appreciates their art work. For an artist just starting off, it is difficult to attract investment and support, so it’s also hard to exhibit and create art. It’s a vicious circle. But art is a great idea, and if it’s good art. and peeplc really love it, then in my opinion, the government should give them support to allow them to share their art with society. The tricky thing is that nobody can really tell what is good art and what is bad art, so that makes the idea of choosing which artists to support very difficult. Some people believe that spending taxpayers’ money on art is like throwing money down the drain and a complete waste, because it doesn’t do anything concrete to improve people’s lives. I completely disagree and would argue that art can enrich society hugely in the long mm. Without culture and art our lives would be empty.
What are the differences between modern art in China and traditional Chinese art?
Traditional arts in China are more peaceful and calm, like a water ink painting of a mountain, or a river. It’s more likely to appreciate the beauty of nature, because in the old days, people don’t know as much about the world and could only focus on those things around them like nature. Modem artists in China care more about society, the relationship between people and nature, and between people. Also they put more of their own thinking into their work to express their own way of thinking. People nowadays don’t like to just follow rigid ideas but have their own creations. The ways and methods of creating art have also become more varied. Contemporary art can include sculptures made from rubbish, household objects or even actual people.