Friedrich Fröbel on Google Doodle

Posted by Doodle on Apr 21, 2012 in Google Doodle | 0 comments

The Froebel kindergarten in Bad Blankenburg, Thuringia, is a small spot yet historic on its own. There, German pedagogue Friedrich Fröbel (Froebel) (1782-1852) established the world’s first Kindergarten in 1840.  He also coined the term which has been used untranslated in many languages. Kindergarten comes from the two words Kinder = kids, Garten = garden, a place full of kids which actually translates to playschool or daycare in today’s setting. It is Froebel’s goal to help kids socially develop and be “nourished” before going to school. In later years, kindergartens prove helpful too for parents who have to work…they can be sure that their kids are taken care of, taught good manners and basic home etiquette, have fun playing with other kids and are eating good food…There, kids learn to find themselves; their capabilities and uniqueness and they also learn about nature and Science.

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In my son’s Kindergarten, they also have sleeping hours for smaller kids, this also serves as idle hour for the bigger kids (I’m also reminded of my own Kindergarten years -24 years ago- where we bring our own sleeping mat and we would rest for a whole hour). ^_^ Although it varies around the world, kindergartens have adapted Fröbel’s ideas and most have been integral to the learning process.

So today Google honors Fröbel with a doodle depicting one of his most important contributions to education: the Fröbelgaben or Froebel Gifts. Here we see wooden blocks in different geometric shapes and were arranged to spell out the word Google albeit only derivatives. These blocks are regulars in school, kindergarten and children’s clinic in our area too. And yes, there are pedagogues of at least two in each kindergarten’s group. These wooden blocks somehow bring to life the phrase “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten…” or part of in the case of architect and interior designer Frank LLoyd Wright.  In his autobiography, he cited them indirectly in explaining that he learned the geometry of architecture in kindergarten play, writing “For several years I sat at the little Kindergarten table-top . . . and played . . . with the cube, the sphere and the triangle—these smooth wooden maple blocks . . . All are in my fingers to this day . . .”

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Although most Kindergartens in Vienna follow the Montessori education approach, most of the gifts are still in use and Froebel’s advocacy of free play in childhood is still in practice.

Here, you can see my older son (in 2008), then almost 5-years-old carrying a colored tire. If I remember correctly this was during the summer fest where we had games, barbecue, a lot of singing and playing. The kids had learned so much in their stay at the kindergarten, most particularly the German language. Everyday my kids would have a story to tell; what they baked, what they planted, if they watered the grown plants and if they drew this and that. There are also trips to the theater, museums, zoo and wherever else the kids can learn of history and art. I often tag along too. ^_^

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My youngest who still attends the kiga (short for kindergarten) would always tell stories of who he played with and what games they had. He would often burst to a song and tell me that’s the new song he learned in the kiga. I would often receive a piece of paper with drawing or writing from them. This is because there are a lot of room for creativity in the kindergarten and I’m thankful to Froebel for his advocacy, 230 years and it is still commendable.

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Der Fröbel Kindergarten in Bad Blankenburg, Thüringen ist ein kleiner Ort  mit seiner eigenen Geschichte zu erzählen. Dort gründete Friedrich Fröbel (1782-1852) den ersten Kindergarten im Jahr 1840. Er hat auch den Begriff Kindergarten geprägt, die jetzt unübersetzt verwendet in vielen Sprachen.

Heute Google ehrt deutsche Pädagoge Friedrich Fröbel mit einem doodle – seiner wichtigsten Erfindungen: die Fröbelgaben. Hier sehen wir Holzklötze in verschiedenen geometrischen Formen und das Wort Google wie buchstabiert.

Son 1 cutting potatoes at the kiga. (photo given by pedagogue)

Stacking up small wooden blocks at the kiga.

Wilhelm Busch on Google Doodle

Posted by Doodle on Apr 15, 2012 in Google Doodle | 0 comments

Google honors German caricaturist, painter, and poet Heinrich Christian Wilhelm Busch with a doodle depicting a  scene from the famous children’s story ”Max and Moritz,” the artist’s first picture stories. We can see Master Böck falling from a bridge (small piece of wood) into the water. Max and Moritz, who had apparently sawed the bridge can be seen hiding behind a bush. The Google logo (letters) can be seen flying all over to add humor.

Max and Moritz to this day is a famous literary piece that has been part of the culture of German-speaking countries. It is also considered as the forerunner to the comic strip. The terrible duo are synonymous to mischief and every kid around would know who they are…

(Naughty) Max and Moritz, 1865; forerunners to the comic strip.

Google ehrt deutsche Karikaturist, Maler und Dichter Heinrich Christian Wilhelm Busch mit einem Doodle Darstellung einer Szene aus der berühmten Kindergeschichte “Max und Moritz“ der Künstlers ersten Bildergeschichten. Wir können sehen wie Meister Böck fällt von einer Brücke (kleines Holz) ins Wasser. Max und Moritz, der anscheinend die Brücke hatte angesägt versteckt sich hinter einem Busch. Das Google-Logo (Buchstaben) fliegen überall.

Max und Moritz bis zum heutigen Tag ist ein berühmtes literarisches Stück,  und ist nun Teil der Kultur der deutschsprachigen Länder. Es wird auch als der Vorläufer des Comics betrachtet. Die schreckliche Duo sind ein Synonym für Unfug und jedes Kind die hier (Österreich) lebte, in Deutschland und in der Schweiz wissen wer sie sind …

Robert Doisneau on Google Doodle

Posted by Doodle on Apr 14, 2012 in Google Doodle, Photography | 0 comments

Google honors French photographer Robert Doisneau with a doodle depicting Paris en noir et blanc photo prints. Doisneau playful, and ironic images of amusing contrasts, mingling social classes, and eccentrics in contemporary Paris streets and cafes made him a name in the arts. Influenced by the work of André Kertész, Eugène Atget, and Henri Cartier-Bresson, his works gives prominence to street culture, most specifically kids.

That being said, his most recognizable work is Le baiser de l’hôtel de ville (Kiss by the Hôtel de Ville), a photo of a couple kissing in the busy streets of Paris which construes Paris’ nickname, the City of Love.

Le baiser de l'hôtel de ville (The Kiss)

The Living Camera, Savant Stephen Wiltshire

Posted by Doodle on Apr 4, 2012 in Eidetic Memory | 0 comments

Stephen Wiltshire is a British architectural artist known for his ability to draw from memory a landscape after seeing it just once. He would most of the time fly over a city in a helicopter and draw it the following days in a panoramic canvas.

He would also draw certain sceneries of places he’s been to. Like photography, taking a piece of reality and capturing it, Stephen would sketch what he remembers…a true prodigy deserving to be called The Living Camera. What’s more astonishing is, Wiltshire has been diagnosed with autism yet it didn’t hinder him to become a great artist in his own right (Savant).

Stephen Wiltshire's "Two Gondolas in Venice"

Juan Gris on Google Doodle

Posted by Doodle on Mar 23, 2012 in Google Doodle | 0 comments

Google honors Spanish painter and sculptor Juan Gris with a doodle representing his art as one of Cubism’s most distinctive work.

In actuality, the Spanish artist’s name was far from what he is known for. On 23 March 1887 he went to  Madrid as José Victoriano Carmelo Carlos González-Pérez and was known so. This name would be too long for a canvas signature so he decided to take on a pseudonym, thus, Juan Gris.

Gris was the son of a wealthy businessman, the 13th of 14 children and had an art-loving uncle who taught him at an early age the first techniques of painting. His passion for art led him to study at an art school in Madrid in 1902, which he graduated from two years later. He then went into training with his close friend José Moreno Cabonero, who later became the teacher of Salvador Dalí. During his studies, he earned a living by illustrating poems.

In 1906 Gris moved to Paris. He drew cartoons for satirical journals and made the acquaintance of Henri Matisse, Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso. Here he developed his own style that can be associated in its early days as analytical cubism. He painted mainly still lifes in which individual pixels were placed over each other like a collage. Later on, a friendship with a German art dealer brought his creativity even at an early period to some exhibitions.

The Spanish artist has developed his own style but was influenced by artist friends such as Picasso and Matisse. In 1914 he tried his hand in synthetic Cubism, working with elements such as newsprint, wallpaper, and broken pieces into a collage-like image. The year 1916 marks the beginning of Gris’ “architectural” phase.

Gris would not only be dealing with painters, but also made the acquaintance of the French sculptor Jacques Lipchitz. Shortly thereafter, he created his first sculptures. Besides, he also worked frequently for the theater, created costumes and decorations. In addition, he was also in demand as a book illustrator.

The Guitar (1918)