Using the Teaching Posters

Click on the image you’d like to know more about

1. Write an art riddle: Who am I? Here’s what you do:

• Students work in small groups. Each student selects one image from the poster to write about, not telling the others in the group which work he/she has selected.
• Students write a riddle about the work they have chosen, including at least three clues about the image. Encourage students to make their clues creative and challenging, not too easy or obvious. Students may use the prompts below but are not limited to them.
  • I am wearing. . . .
  • I am feeling. . .
  • My dominant color is . . . .
  • I am from . . . .
  • I like to. . . .
• Student take turns reading their riddles aloud, and the others in the group try to guess the answer.

  SAMPLE RIDDLE:

  I’m wearing a patterned cap.
  I am a very “rounded” character.
  I’m not carved in stone.
  Knock on me for good luck.
  Who am I?
  Answer: The Commemorative Head from the Edo people of Benin.

For older or more advanced students:

• Ask students to write riddles that refer to at least three of the Elements of Art and Principles of Design as they appear in the chosen image.
• Elements of Art include: Color, Shape, Line, Value, Texture, Form, and Space
• Principles of Design include: Balance, Pattern, Variety, Contrast, Emphasis, Transition, and Unity.

  
  SAMPLE RIDDLE:

  My form is asymmetrical.
  My surface is carved with patterns.
  My colors are low in contrast.
  Who am I?
  Answer: The Commemorative Head from the Edo people of Benin.

2. “Clothes make the man (or woman).” How does clothing give us clues about the people in the portraits of Priscilla Johnson, Abraham Lincoln, the Commemorative Head of Benin, and the Countess of Southampton?

First, talk about how we use clothing to tell people about ourselves. Use these questions to guide a classroom discussion:

• What can you tell about someone from looking at their clothing?
• Why do you choose to wear the clothes that you wear? What image do your clothes present?
• What kinds of clothing do leaders in our society wear?
  

Next, divide the class into four groups and assign each group one image from the poster to examine together. Ask each group to record their answers to the following questions and to choose one person to report back to the entire class. Reassure students that they do not need to find additional information about each artwork. Students already have the main tools they need: the ability to carefully observe the image, and their common-sense knowledge about the social symbolism of clothing.

Do you think the person in this image is wearing clothing they might really have worn in everyday life? Or is their clothing more like a symbolic costume?

Priscilla Johnson and the Countess of Southampton are wearing clothing they might really have worn in their daily lives. Abraham Lincoln is draped in a toga-like garment, and the Commemorative Head wears rings around his neck and at the bottom of his headdress that symbolize his high status and his service to the king.

If the person is wearing his or her own clothing, what clues does the clothing give you about the person’s social status? About when and where they lived?

It is clear from Priscilla Johnson’s hairstyle and dress that she lived in the 1960s; her appearance is in line with the fashions of that time. We can assume from this that she is wealthy enough to afford fashionable clothing and haircuts. On the other hand, the Countess’s clothing, jewelry, and the flower in her hair show that she lived well before modern times. In fact, her portrait was painted in the first half of the 17th century, probably in the 1630s. The size of her pearl earrings and the delicate fabric of her gown suggest that she too was wealthy and fashionable.

If the person in the portrait is wearing a symbolic costume, why? Why are they not shown wearing everyday clothing appropriate to their time and place?

Lincoln’s toga suggests that his greatness and fame are equal to those of ancient Roman and Greek leaders. The Commemorative Head is shown wearing symbols of his high status and long, loyal service to his king: the rings, the fish eagle feather, and the brass strip on his nose that represents a tattoo. The appearance of both leaders in these commemorative sculptures says little about the fashions of their time and culture and more about their high official status and lasting fame among their people.

Then, have one person from each group report their answers back to the entire class.

Last, discuss as a class: If an artist were to paint or sculpt your portrait, what would you wear? Why?

3. Stage a “meeting of the minds,” an improvisational skit, between two or more of the figures depicted on the posters.

First, assign students (or ask for volunteers) to portray, in a short, ad-lib dialogue, a figure from one of the artworks on the posters. Students not playing a role will form the audience for the improvisation.

Second, students should research their character, first by reading about the artwork on the Speed’s website, then by searching on the Web, if necessary, for further information about the character, the artist, or the culture of the artwork. To limit their research, students should focus on the topic suggested for their group below. Students should try to gain a general understanding of their character’s views that reflects his or her time and place.

Suggested Groupings and Topics for Research and Improvised Dialogue:

Abraham Lincoln and Hamilton’s “Old Soldier”:
Discuss your experiences of the Civil War.

Priscilla Johnson, the Countess of Southampton, and Herodias:
Discuss the proper role of women in society.

The woman in Marc Chagall’s Waiting, the figure on the Calyx Krater, and the Commemorative Head:

These three figures spring from very different cultures and time periods. Explain to each other who you are, where you are from, and why you have been depicted in the artwork as you have. Can you find any common ground to use as a basis for communication and understanding?

Third, students preparing a role should make notes to refer to during the improvised performance. In their presentation, they should speak in the first person, explaining who they are (“I am the 16th President of the United States”), and conveying their opinion on the topic. They might even prepare one or two questions for their character to ask the other character(s) in their group. Students should NOT read word for word from a prepared statement.

Fourth, each pair or group stands before the class, in character, improvising their dialogue. Each pair or group should attempt to ad lib their conversation “in character” for a total of 5-10 minutes.

Finally, students in the audience should take notes during each performance. Afterwards, these students will use their notes to write a review of the performances. Reviewers should try to answer these questions: Did the performers stay “in character”? Did they give a convincing portrayal of their characters and the ideas and attitudes typical of their cultures? Reviewers should give two or three examples of ways in which each character was, or was not, convincingly portrayed.

4. Create a self-portrait in the style of one of the artworks on the poster(s).

First, lead a discussion with the class of how the different media and style in each artwork on the poster(s) creates a distinct impression.

For each work, discuss the impact of the following choices the artist made:

In her portrait Priscilla Johnson, artist Alice Neel used unblended colors, obvious brushstrokes, and exaggerated shadows. How do these contribute to the impression of intense feeling?

The unknown maker of the Commemorative Head of Benin simplified the human form, exaggerated the eyes, and carved patterns over almost the whole surface. What does this suggest to us about the person portrayed and the function of this sculpture?

Sculptor Albert P. Henry chose to idealize Lincoln’s homely features, drape him in a toga, and carve his likeness from white marble. What image of the President do these choices create?

Both Anthony Van Dyck and Lucas Cranach used carefully blended colors and brushstrokes to portray in realistic detail the Countess of Southampton, and the Biblical figure Herodias. Both painters also paid close attention to the women’s rich clothing. What impression do you get of these women from their portraits?

In Marc Chagall’s painting Waiting, he drew his wife Bella with simplified outlines and used colors that blend her into the night sky in the background. What does this tell you about her?

Python, the ancient Greek sculptor who made the Calyx Krater (a container for mixing wine with water) also used simple outlines and shapes, and just three colors, to depict the man wearing a wreath on his head. Why do you think Python made these choices? What do they tell us about the man?

Ed Hamilton used ordinary clay and found materials to make the “Old Soldier,” a model for a larger sculpture. He carefully detailed the realistic facial features of this anonymous Civil War soldier. What impact do Hamilton’s choices have on our impression of this man?

Ask students to think about these questions as they plan their portrait:

• What do they want their portraits to say about themselves?
• What clothing will they wear in their self-portraits?
• Which of the styles of portraiture will best convey the students’ intended image?
  

Decide whether students will do a painting (2-Dimensional piece) or a sculpture (3-Dimensional piece). Assemble supplies. Rather than oil paint on canvas, students can use good-quality drawing paper and pastels or tempera paints. For a sculpture, students will need clay, either brown modeling clay or white air-dry clay.

When students’ self-portraits are complete, display them in the classroom. Give each student the opportunity to explain to the class why he or she chose to work in that style and to evaluate the success of their artwork in conveying their intended meaning.

5. Hold a mock art auction.

Divide the class into four groups (if using one poster) or eight groups (if using two).

Distribute $2million in play money to each group. To make play money, you can cut strips of different-colored construction paper and label them $50,000, $100,000, $500,000 and $1,000,000.

Allow groups to get together before the auction begins to decide which work(s) they want to buy, and for how much. Each group should pick one person to act as official bidder.

With the teacher acting as auctioneer, auction each artwork on the poster(s) off to the highest bidder. Students bid by raising their hand and calling out a price. Bids should be made in increments of $50,000. Winning bidders use their group’s play money to pay the teacher/auctioneer after each work is “sold.” As the auction progresses, record on the chalkboard how much each work sells for.

After the auction, discuss the results.

• Were there any bidding wars?
• Why did some works sell for more than others?
• What factors influenced your group’s decision to bid on an artwork?
• Students will likely discover that a variety of motives informed their decision to bid on one work or another. Discuss the role that these factors played in the bidding:
  • Students’ like or dislike of the artwork itself
  • Perceived value or reputation of the artist
  • Rarity or antiquity of the artwork
  • Quality of materials used in the artwork
  • Amount of money available to spend
  • Competition with another group—desire to win
  • Other factors?
• Is the value of an artwork fixed or does it change over time?

Additional Ideas:

The “Best” Work in the Speed Museum: If cost were not an issue, which work in the Speed collection would you take home with you, and why? Be sure to include the work’s title, artist, and a detailed description. Use your art vocabulary and what you know about the Elements of Art and Principles of Design to explain why you chose this work over all others. What exactly do you like about it? An effective piece will go beyond simply saying, “I really liked it” to explain and justify your preference by referring to objective qualities in the piece itself (for example, its colors, textures, lines or materials; the story it tells; its subject). You can discuss how the piece makes you feel if you explain what specifically in the piece creates that feeling.

The Eyes are the Window on the Soul. Look at the eyes in each of the figures on the poster: Priscilla Johnson, the Commemorative Head of the Edo People of Benin, the Bust of Abraham Lincoln, and the portrait of the Countess of Southampton. Write an explanatory talk you could give to Museum visitors in which you compare and contrast the artists’ different ways of portraying their subjects’ eyes. How do the eyes contribute to the portrait of each figure? Why does each artist portray the person’s eyes in this way? How does this portrayal relate to the overall purpose of the work of art?

It’s All about Color. Look at the color schemes, or palettes, of each of the works on the poster: the paintings Herodias and Waiting, the detail from the Calyx Krater, and the model of the “Old Soldier.” Write an explanatory talk you could give to Museum visitors about the use of color in these four works. What effect does each artist’s choice of color have on the overall impact of the work?

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