Meet me at the museum...The unifying effect of art

Dear donor,

Thank you so much for your generosity! We are very touched that you have chosen to sponsor our cause.

In this report, you'll find four testimonials that illustrate the importance of our work for people with Alzheimer's disease and their loved ones. We also share an example of a commentary on a work of art that enables persons living with Alzheimer's to stimulate their memory and exchange with others.

 Caregivers express gratitude for the respite offered:

"My husband is happy to participate, and it gives me a sense of freedom."

"It was great; it allowed me to do something else."

"It provides moments of freedom where I can engage in activities that would otherwise be impossible with him."

Other caregivers emphasize the importance of stimulation and socialization in their feedback:

"In-person sessions allow him to meet other people, and his attention is awakened... It changes their daily routine, makes them feel part of society, and, most importantly, helps exercise their memory."

"This program is very useful; it provides essential socialization moments where she is personally engaged, with your immense kindness and care."

Participants shared the added value they experience with the visits offered by ARTZ:

"The setup is pleasant thanks to the availability of seating, and the limited number of participants makes it enjoyable."

"It’s better than a traditional visit because we spend time in front of each artwork and view the pieces with a new perspective."

"The stimulation comes from the interactivity, the constant exchange—not just with the mediator, but also between the participants."

Below you will find an example of our approach to the discovery of a work of art. This content is available on our online tour application: This is a commentary on a famous work by Gustav Klint entitled "Roses under the trees" and painted in 1905:

What are some words you would choose to describe this work?

Text to help you: Look at the different elements: tree trunks, foliage, roses, bits of sky. Scan the tree foliage to emphasize the filling of the canvas. Using the zoom.

In this painting, the eye is immediately caught by the multitude of colorful touches that cover the canvas. A yellow, lavender and orange flowering foliage fills almost the entire painting and overflows the frame. At the bottom of the painting, we notice the presence of three small tree trunks, an expanse of greenery and two white and pale pink rose bushes. A third rosebush adorns the corner on the right of the painting. At the top of the painting, in the distance, we can see two corners of blue sky.

Space is almost absent in this landscape. How do we notice it ?

Text to help you: Notice the particular framing of the work and the size of the surface covered by the foliage of the trees. The sky is reduced to very small pieces of the canvas located at the edges.

The framing of the work challenges us. The foliage of the trees make up almost the entire work. This is characteristic of Klimt's style. The canvas is as if invaded by vegetation and space is flattened, almost absent. The lower part of the canvas suggests a green expanse without really introducing a feeling of depth. Everything seems almost on the same plane. Two distinct pieces of blue sky introduce the idea of a larger space without really creating a perspective. Far from being wild, Klimt's nature evokes an enclosed garden or a park that is conducive to walking, in calm contemplation of its vegetation.

Notice Klimt’s technique of creating tightly packed strokes of color that form the foliage. What effect might this technique create ?

To help you: The touches of color bring light and make us feel the vitality and abundance of nature. We have the sensation of contemplating the tree from very close.

Klimt loves nature and likes to settle in the open air to paint. He uses a very particular technique, carrying around an ivory tablet with a viewfinder to get intimate, up close views of the space. This allows him to capture shapes and patterns that he reproduces on his canvas. This technique creates a strong sense of unity and explains a near absence of depth perspective. The viewer discovers the foliage of the trees in close vision and at a distance. Klimt invented a new aesthetic, while also drawing inspiration from other artists, other eras, and other currents. His colorful, scattered, rapid brushstrokes evoke the vitality of nature inspired by the French painters and Van Gogh’s neo-impressionism.

This extract gives you an insight into our method of cognitive stimulation for people with Alzheimer's disease.

If you wish, we would be pleased to invite you to take part in oneline visits planned throughout the year. You can join us in these groups if you have a loved one with Alzheimer's disease.

Warmly

Cindy Barotte

Dear donor,

Thank you so much for your generosity! We are very touched that you have chosen to sponsor our cause.

 In this report, you'll find three caregiver testimonials that illustrate the importance of our work for people with Alzheimer's disease and their loved ones. We also share an example of a commentary on a work of art that enables persons living with Alzheimer's to stimulate their memory and exchange with others.

 “I think this program is a great way of meeting people and opening up exchanges. The speaker's very judicious, precise and targeted questions, as well as her kindness and attention, enabled my husband to express his emotions and arouse his interest”.

"These presentations of paintings are stimulating, because as I've gone along, I've registered what you can grasp by looking at an unfamiliar painting: the light, who's in the right light, the attitude, the characters, etc. The language of painting seems less hermetic to me, and with a little knowledge (which I lack) you can make a whole story out of it, a bit like reading a novel: you have the author's vision and interpretation".

 “Not only does it make the art more readable, but it also teaches you to better apprehend the paintings. It was different for me to look at these works with your method than to remain on a general impression as I used to do in exhibitions or museums. “I found the method playful. It's a bit like an investigation: you look for clues, the character traits of the characters, you study the colors...”.

Below you will find an example of our approach to the discovery of a work of art. This content is available on our online tour application. This is a commentary on a famous work by Claude Monet entitled the London Parliament and painted in 1904 :

What do you see?

Text to help you: This work depicts London's Houses of Parliament on the River Thames. The way Monet has painted this building is astonishing. There seems to be a continuity between the sky and the water. The painter's touch creates movement and vitality in the work.

This painting depicts the Palace of Westminster on the banks of the River Thames in London. This building is the seat of the British Parliament. The architectural details of the building are not visible, but only suggested through an abrupt, blurred silhouette formed by a few elements of Gothic architecture. The shape of the building is also visible in the reflections of the water.

The building stands out against a sky colored yellow, pink, blue and gray. There is no clear separation between sky and water. This impression of continuity between the two elements is created by the way Monet has painted the reflections of the sky on the surface of the water. Brushstrokes and strokes of color form clouds and small waves.

The landscape seems invaded by a thick fog. How can we tell?

Color variations in mauve and blue, and the building's blurred contours, create an impression of dense, pervasive fog. They give the building a ghostly appearance.

In the sky, contrasts between darker and brighter areas suggest the presence of lightning. The weather seems to change rapidly before our eyes, and the wind, heralding the storm, stirs the clouds and the river. Monet's brushstrokes are vivid and expressive. They bring movement to the sky and suggest the agitation of the waves.

During his first stay in London in 1870-1871, Claude Monet admired Turner's work and drew inspiration from it. This is particularly true of the painting “The Thames above Waterloo Bridge”, painted in 1856.

Monet was fascinated by the effects of light. How do we see this in this work?

To help you: Notice the diffused light. The fog seems to give the sky soft, pastel colors. Admire the shimmering reflections of light on the river.

The building is seen from a window of St. Thomas Hospital on the opposite bank of the river. Particularly inspired by fog and the atmospheric effects it produces, Monet painted a series of 11 pictures of Parliament between 1900 and 1905. Each painting is new, and attempts to capture the intangible, the impression in the face of the reality of time and place. In a letter dated February 9, 1901, Claude Monet wrote: “I'm working hard, I'm full of ardor, but it's so difficult, so variable above all, that it's the devil to manage to do what I'd like.

Here, the diffused light softens and attenuates the forms, giving the impression that the stone building is enveloped in a blurred, evanescent veil. Parliament appears to have no thickness and seems to stretch skyward. It merges with its reflection in the water. The fog gives the sky soft, pastel tones, and creates shimmering reflections on the Thames. Monet's painting is thick and grainy, suggesting the density of the fog.

This extract gives you an insight into our method of cognitive stimulation for people with Alzheimer's disease. If you wish, we would be pleased to invite you to take part in oneline visits planned throughout the year. You can join us in these groups if you have a loved one with Alzheimer's disease.

Warmly

Cindy Barotte