Looking to Write, Writing to Look

Looking to Write,

Writing to Look

a teaching resource

Education

Looking to Write,

Writing to Look

A TEACHING RESOURCE

CONTENTS

4 Acknowledgments

6 Introduction

9 Getting Started: Talking About Art with Students

IMAGES AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION

10 Tomb Figures: Bactrian Camel and Central Asian Groom,

China

11 Horse and Man Armors, Germany

12 Tapestry showing the Triumph of Constantine over Maxentius

at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, Peter Paul Rubens

13 Still Life with a Ham and a Roemer, Willem Claesz. Heda

14 Celebration of the Wedding of Manohar and Madhumalati,

India

15 White-Headed Eagle with Yellow Catﬁsh,

John James Audubon

16 The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons,

October 16, 1834, Joseph Mallord William Turner

17 Yabu Lane below Atago, Utagawa Hiroshige I

18 Railroad Bridge, Argenteuil, Claude Monet

19 The Thinker, Auguste Rodin

20 The Life Line, Winslow Homer

21 Breaking Home Ties, Thomas Hovenden

22 Portrait of the Artist’s Mother, Henry Ossawa Tanner

23 The City, Fernand Léger

24 Reeds and Geese, Kim Jin-Woo

2 CONTENTS

25 Dog Barking at the Moon, Joan Miró

26 Woman of Tehuantepec, Tina Modotti

27 Bicycle Race, Antonio Ruiz

28 Three Brillo Boxes, Andy Warhol

29 Exit, George Segal

30 Hydrangeas Spring Song, Alma Thomas

31 Woman’s Hat, Hubert de Givenchy

32 “Tar Beach 2” Quilt, Faith Ringgold

33 Portage, William Kentridge

34 South Philly (Mattress Flip Front), Zoe Strauss

SUGGESTED LOOKING/WRITING ACTIVITIES

35 Narrative Writing

39 Descriptive Writing

43 Poetry

48 Expository Writing

53 Persuasive Writing

55 Prompts for Free Writing

57 Worksheets

62 Glossary

67 Bibliography

CONTENTS 3

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Looking to Write, Writing to Look was developed by the Education

department at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It is generously

supported by the Sherman Fairchild Foundation, Inc. Thanks to this

grant, the Museum is able to provide one free teaching resource to

every public and parochial school in Philadelphia.

We are grateful to the many colleagues within and outside the

Museum whose expertise beneﬁted this project immensely. Marla

Shoemaker, The Kathleen C. Sherrerd Senior Curator of Education,

and Barbara Bassett, The Constance Williams Curator of Education,

School and Teacher Programs, provided thoughtful guidance and

valuable feedback throughout the development and production of

this teaching resource. Museum educators Jean Woodley and James

Stein read the text and gave helpful editorial suggestions. Lesley

Wellman, Curator of Education at the Hood Museum of Art in

Hanover, New Hampshire, shared helpful resources on looking

at art. Intern Stephanie Sherman provided a student’s perspective

on the project and brainstormed writing activities.

A number of curators at the Museum supported the project by

recommending possible objects to include, reviewing the text, and

clarifying details about the selected works of art. These curators

include Peter Barberie, The Brodsky Curator of Photographs, Alfred

Stieglitz Center; Carlos Basualdo, The Keith L. and Katherine Sachs

Curator of Contemporary Art; Dilys Blum, The Jack M. and Annette Y.

Friedland Senior Curator of Costume and Textiles; Lloyd DeWitt,

Associate Curator of the Johnson Collection; Felice Fischer, The Luther

W. Brady Curator of Japanese Art and Curator of East Asian Art;

Kathleen Foster, The Robert L. McNeil, Jr., Senior Curator of American

Art, and Director of the Center for American Art; Kristina Haugland,

The Le Vine Associate Curator of Costume and Textiles and Super-

vising Curator for the Study Room; Jack Hinton, Assistant Curator of

European Decorative Arts and Sculpture; John Ittmann, The Kathy

and Ted Fernberger Curator of Prints; Darielle Mason, The Stella

Kramrisch Curator of Indian and Himalayan Art; Michael Taylor, The

Muriel and Philip Berman Curator of Modern Art; Yael Rice, Assistant

Curator of Indian and Himalayan Art; Joseph Rishel, The Gisela and

Dennis Alter Senior Curator of European Painting before 1900, and

4 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Senior Curator of the John G. Johnson Collection and the Rodin

Museum; Pierre Terjanian, The J. J. Medveckis Associate Curator of

Arms and Armor; and Hyunsoo Woo, The Maxine and Howard Lewis

Associate Curator of Korean Art.

We are grateful to Graydon Wood, Senior Museum Photographer,

who expertly photographed several objects especially for this resource.

Members of the Editorial and Graphic Design department, including

Ruth Abrahams, Director; Amy Hewitt, Associate Editor; Barb Metzger,

Graphic Designer; and Janette Krauss, Production Manager, worked

diligently to edit, design, and produce a high-quality teaching resource.

Finally, members of our Advisory Committee, composed of classroom

teachers, school administrators, and Museum educators, provided

helpful insight and feedback. They met throughout the project’s

development to brainstorm possible objects to include, share ideas

and experiences about teaching writing, develop writing activities

based on the selected works of art, review the text, and recommend

other resources. The success of this teaching resource is in large

measure a product of their participation and dedication to the project.

Advisory Committee

Emma Burkhart,

Springside School, Philadelphia

Susan Caplan,

William M. Meredith Elementary

School, Philadelphia

Briana Conboy,

Central Bucks School District,

Doylestown, Pennsylvania

Tom Conboy,

Central Bucks High School West,

Doylestown, Pennsylvania

Ellen Flocco,

Upper Darby High School,

Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania

Spencer Gates,

Westtown School, West Chester,

Pennsylvania

Jon Gluckman,

Haddon Township High School,

New Jersey

Nimisha Ladva, writer

Trish Maunder, Stories Through Art

Lois McGee,

The School District of Philadelphia

Erin Medea,

First Philadelphia Charter School

for Literacy

Mindy Nguyen-Balli,

Chester Upland School of the Arts,

Chester, Pennsylvania

Toni O’Karma,

George Washington Elementary

School, Philadelphia

Valerie Oswald-Love,

Moorestown High School,

New Jersey

Tessie Varthas,

The School District of Philadelphia

Anita Voluntad-DePace,

Friends Select School, Philadelphia

Jean Woodley,

Philadelphia Museum of Art

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 5

INTRODUCTION

Great writers are great observers. They consider the world around

them, notice overlooked details, and make connections. Looking

carefully at art helps us to develop these observation skills. Art en-

courages us to slow down, look closely, and reﬂect on what we see.

When we accept this invitation, we are rewarded with new thoughts

and perspectives. These ideas and insights provide rich material for

writing.

In this spirit, Looking to Write, Writing to Look brings together twen-

ty-ﬁve remarkable works of art from the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s

collections and uses them as inspiration for an array of writing activi-

ties for K–12 students. We hope that you and your students enjoy dis-

covering the limitless potential of art to inspire writing in every form.

The goal of this teaching resource is two-fold:

To help students develop observation skills

by responding to art through writing

To help students develop writing skills

by using art as an inspiration

Works of art were chosen for their capacity to inspire writing in

several genres and to appeal to students of diverse ages and back-

grounds. The writing activities were designed to encourage focused

looking and offer opportunities for student collaboration as well as

personal reﬂection. They emphasize different stages of the writing

process and include a wide range of purposes and audiences. The

images and activities may also stimulate your own ideas for the class-

room and can be adapted and used in countless ways.

Alignment with Writing, Speaking, Listening, and Visual Arts

Standards

Both national and Pennsylvania educational standards served as

guidelines throughout the development of this teaching resource and

helped determine the forms and concepts explored in the suggested

looking/writing activities. In addition, the National Council of Teachers

THIS TEACHING RESOURCE

INCLUDES:

Twenty-ﬁve image cards

with a picture on the front and

information on the reverse

This printed resource guide with:

An introduction to talking

about art with students

Information from the reverse of

each image card

Suggested classroom activities,

divided by writing genre and

grade level

Worksheets

Glossary

Bibliography

A CD-ROM with:

Digital versions of the twenty-

ﬁve images on the cards

A PowerPoint slideshow with

looking questions and details

of each work of art

A digital version of this

resource guide

Examples of poems written in

response to art

These resources are available

at www.philamuseum.org/

education.

6 INTRODUCTION

of English position statement, “Beliefs about the Teaching of Writing,”

provided a foundational understanding of the nature of writing and

the skills students need to develop for the twenty-ﬁrst century (see

Bibliography).

In particular, the looking/writing activities align with the following

Common Core State Standards (College and Career Readiness

Anchor Standards), which were adopted in 2010 by Delaware,

New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and many other states:

Anchor Standard for Writing 1: Write arguments to support claims in an analy-

sis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufﬁ-

cient evidence.

Anchor Standard for Writing 2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine

and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the

effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

Anchor Standard for Writing 3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined

experiences or events using effective techniques, well-chosen details, and well-

structured event sequences.

Anchor Standard for Writing 5: Develop and strengthen writing as needed by

planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.

Anchor Standard for Writing 10: Write routinely over extended time frames

(time for research, reﬂection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sit-

ting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Anchor Standard for Speaking and Listening 1: Prepare for and participate

effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners,

building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

Anchor Standard for Speaking and Listening 2: Integrate and evaluate infor-

mation presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantita-

tively, and orally.

Anchor Standard for Speaking and Listening 4: Present information, ﬁndings,

and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and

the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and

audience.

The looking/writing activities also align with the following National

Standards for Arts Education:

Content Standard 2: Using knowledge of structures and functions. (Students

know the differences among visual characteristics and purposes of art in order to

convey ideas, and describe how different expressive features and organizational

principles cause different responses.)

Content Standard 4: Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures.

Content Standard 6: Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines.

INTRODUCTION 7

Rubric for Assessment

A useful assessment model for students’ writing is the 6+1 Trait®

scoring guide. It provides guidelines for evaluating ideas, organization,

voice, sentence ﬂuency, word choice, conventions, and presentation.

Several versions of this rubric can be found online at

www.educationnorthwest.org/resource/464.

Teaching Resources at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Visit www.philamuseum.org/education (click on “Teachers,” then

“Resources”), where you can browse the Museum’s teaching resources

including poster sets, teaching kits, and exhibition materials. Teacher

resources are also available for purchase at the Museum Store or

online at www.philamuseumstore.org.

8 INTRODUCTION

GETTING STARTED

TALKING ABOUT ART WITH STUDENTS

Why should students discuss a work of art before writing about it?

Discussing a work of art as a group generates interest in and ideas about the image. Given the

integral relationship between speaking, listening, and writing, these discussions also prepare students

for successful writing by allowing them to rehearse the language they will use in their written work.

Must all of the suggested looking/writing activities begin with group discussion?

No. Most of the activities will beneﬁt from group discussions prior to writing, but you can decide

what will work best for your class.

What questions should I ask to facilitate the discussion?

Look. Begin by asking everyone to look at the image quietly for a few moments. This gives them an opportunity to

digest the visual information.

Describe. Next, have students describe what they notice about the work of art. What do we see? What more can we

ﬁnd? Perhaps write the observations on the blackboard.

Think. Next, ask more analytical questions. What do we think about what we see? What do our observations tell us

about the story, idea, mood, or feeling of the work of art? Select looking questions from those provided on the reverse

of the image cards and in the PowerPoint slideshow (see enclosed CD-ROM) to guide your discussion, or ask questions

of your own.

Discover. If factual questions arise, read the text on the reverse of the image card for more information. Then ask the

group to consider what new thoughts they have.

Respond. Last, invite personal responses. How does the artwork relate to your own life experiences and prior

knowledge? The suggested writing activities can build on these responses.

What if I don’t know all of the information about a work of art or artist?

Don’t worry! Having a discussion about art is about sharing ideas, not giving a lecture. You do not have to

be an art expert to facilitate a discussion with your students. The idea is to observe and respond together.

The primary objective of this teaching resource is to use art as an inspiration for writing, not to learn art

historical facts. If you want information about a work of art, read the reverse of the image card.

If looking at a work of art inspires further investigation or research, that’s terriﬁc!

What if everyone has a different opinion or understands the artwork differently?

Art is multilayered in its meaning and everyone comes to it with their own life experiences.

Therefore, everyone will respond a little differently. It is important to validate all ideas equally

and without judgment. If visual details are misunderstood, it is ﬁne to clarify for clarity’s sake.

GETTING STARTED 9

TOMB FIGURES: BACTRIAN CAMEL AND

CENTRAL ASIAN GROOM

These ceramic ﬁgures of a Bactrian camel and groom were made

over one thousand years ago in China for the tombs of wealthy

aristocrats or merchants. Objects such as these, along with ﬁgures

of guardians, soldiers, and entertainers, were placed in tombs so

that the spirit of the deceased person might have a rich and full

afterlife similar to the life he or she had lived on earth.

China was the eastern end of the Silk Route (also called the Silk

Road), some ﬁve thousand miles of roads linking Asia, the Middle

East, and Europe, along which traders exchanged not only goods

and services but also customs and languages. Two-humped Bactrian

camels were ideal for carrying the trade goods. Standing seven feet

tall at the hump, they can carry great weight, walk on varied terrain

with their large feet, and store fat in their humps, converting it to

energy or water on long journeys.

The unknown artists who made these sculptures ﬁlled them with a

lively spirit. The camel twists its neck and opens its mouth to bray

loudly. The groom raises his arm as if to control a stubborn camel

with invisible reins. Attached to the camel’s saddle you can see a

water ﬂask, a slab of smoked meat, and a saddlebag with a fanged

guardian face.

The ﬁgures were coated with cream, amber, and green glazes,

which still shine brightly after a thousand years. The groom’s face

and legs were not glazed, but instead were originally painted with

watercolors, which have faded away over time.

Camel: Philadelphia Museum of Art: Gift of Mrs. John Wintersteen, 1964-9-1

Groom: Philadelphia Museum of Art: Gift of Charles H. Ludington from the George Crofts Collection,

1923-21-12

BACTRIAN CAMEL

618–907 (Tang Dynasty, 618–907)

Earthenware with sancai

(tricolor) glaze

Height: 32 inches (81.3 cm)

CENTRAL ASIAN GROOM

618–907 (Tang Dynasty, 618–907)

Earthenware with sancai (tricolor)

glaze and traces of painted

decoration on head

Height: 17 inches (43.2 cm)

CHINA

LET’S LOOK

Describe the poses and

expressions of the

camel and the man.

What do they tell you

about each?

How would you describe the

camel’s behavior?

What textures and colors do you

see on each ﬁgure?

LET’S LOOK AGAIN

What material was used to

make these sculptures?

How can you tell?

These ﬁgures were found in

ancient tombs in China.

Why might tombs have been

ﬁlled with such things?

HORSE AND MAN ARMORS

These armors, one for a horse and one for a man, were made

over ﬁve hundred years ago in Germany. Constructed of steel plates

that ﬁt tightly together, they were designed to provide protection

in battle.

The horse armor was made for Duke Ulrich (OOL-reesh) of

Württemberg, Germany, when he was just twenty years old. It was

made for a special journey he planned to take with Maximilian I of

Austria to Rome, where Maximilian was to be crowned Holy Roman

Emperor. The armor protected the horse and showed the duke’s

wealth and status, since only high-ranking noblemen could afford

armors as ﬁne as this one. Its decoration conveys important ideas as

well: a golden-winged dragon on the chanfron (horse’s headpiece)

shows ﬁerceness, and elegantly dressed women hold banners with

the duke’s personal motto (see CD-ROM for additional images).

A literal translation of the motto is, “I have it in mind.” Duke

Ulrich’s contemporaries would have understood this phrase to

mean, “I can accomplish what I set out to do.”

This horse armor is extremely rare because it is one of the earliest

complete examples in the world and its pieces have remained

together for centuries. Its gold decoration also adds to its uniqueness.

It was made by a famous master armorer, a person who specialized

in making armor. The man armor was not made for Duke Ulrich, but

it is from the same region and time period. Made by another master

armorer, it was beautifully decorated with designs in gold.

Philadelphia Museum of Art: Gift of Athena and Nicholas Karabots and The Karabots Foundation, 2009-117-1,2

HORSE ARMOR OF DUKE

ULRICH OF WÜRTTEMBERG

1507

[Armor] embossed, etched, and

partially blued and gilded steel;

brass; leather [saddle] birch bark;

steel; leather and textiles

Weight (with saddle): 89 lb. (40.37 kg);

weight (without saddle): 63.2 lb. (28.67 kg)

WILHELM VON WORMS

THE ELDER

German (active Nuremberg),

master in 1499, died 1538

MAN ARMOR

c. 1505

Etched and partially blued and

gilded steel; leather; textiles

Weight: 58.5 lb. (26.53 kg)

MATTHES DEUTSCH

German (active Landshut),

ﬁrst recorded 1485,

last documented c. 1505

LET’S LOOK

How would these armors protect

a horse’s or man’s body?

Describe the designs

on the armors.

LET’S LOOK AGAIN

Imagine wearing the man armor.

What would it feel like?

How would you breathe?

See? Move?

What do these armors tell us

about the men who owned

and used them?

TAPESTRY SHOWING THE TRIUMPH OF

CONSTANTINE OVER MAXENTIUS AT THE BATTLE

OF THE MILVIAN BRIDGE

FROM THE SERIES KNOWN AS THE “HISTORY OF CONSTANTINE THE GREAT”

This tapestry shows the dramatic conclusion of the Battle of the

Milvian Bridge fought between two leaders of ancient Rome,

Constantine and Maxentius, in 312 CE. As part of their strategy,

Maxentius’s army knocked down a stone bridge and replaced it with

a temporary wooden one, which could be pulled down easily if they

needed to retreat. When Maxentius and his troops were forced back

by Constantine’s army, the bridge unexpectedly collapsed beneath

them, sending horses and soldiers tumbling into the Tiber River

below. After this victory, Constantine became the sole ruler of the

Western Roman Empire.

The defeated Maxentius is pictured upside down at the bottom center

of the composition. Around him, horses and men fall in a tangled

mass of arms, legs, bodies, and heads. At the edge of the bridge,

a terriﬁed soldier desperately attempts to prevent his horse from

falling. Two soldiers cling to the bridge with their ﬁngertips, anxiously

trying to hang on. Constantine’s army relentlessly charges forward

in the upper right.

This monumental tapestry was designed by the Flemish artist Peter

Paul Rubens (ROO-bens) and woven by a team of weavers in France.

It is almost sixteen feet high and over twenty-four feet long, and

contains gold- and silver-wrapped threads. It is one of seven tapestries

possibly commissioned by King Louis XIII of France and presented to

Cardinal Francesco Barberini, a leader of the Catholic Church and

nephew of Pope Urban VIII. Since Constantine was the ﬁrst Roman

emperor to convert to Christianity, tapestries illustrating his life

story were an appropriate choice for this important gift.

Philadelphia Museum of Art: Gift of the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, 1959-78-3

1623–25

Wool and silk with gold and

silver threads

15 feet, 11 inches x 24 feet, 5 inches

(485.1 x 744.2 cm)

FIGURAL COMPOSITION

DESIGNED IN 1622 BY

PETER PAUL RUBENS

Flemish (active Italy, Antwerp, and

England), 1577–1640

Woven at the Comans–La Planche

tapestry factory (Paris)

LET’S LOOK

Describe the action in this scene.

What is happening?

Who is winning? Who is losing?

How can you tell?

What details tell you about

the time period when this

event took place?

LET’S LOOK AGAIN

What do you think will

happen next?

This tapestry is almost sixteen

feet high and over twenty-four

feet long. Measure this out in

your classroom. Why might some-

one want a work of art this large?

STILL LIFE WITH A HAM AND A ROEMER

This scene shows the remnants of an interrupted feast. Part of the

large ham on the table has been eaten, and its bare bone hangs

over the edge of the plate. A smaller plate with slices of ham sits on

the table’s edge. A lemon has also been carefully cut, with its top

removed and its curly peel draping down. A knife, still in its holder,

lies nearby, and an empty silver dish has tipped over. Several drinking

glasses remain half full, and a small spoon sticks out of the brown

mustard pot. At the right, shiny brown hazelnuts have been scattered

on the table.

In this still-life painting, Dutch artist Willem Claesz. Heda (hay-DAH)

carefully arranged the objects to capture our attention. Notice the

variety of textures: the bumpy lemon rind, the smooth glass, and the

gentle folds of the tablecloth. Heda excelled in painting reﬂections

of light on shiny surfaces. Look closely and you’ll even notice window

panes reﬂected in the drinking glass, called a roemer, near the center.

Neutral gray and brown hues dominate the picture so that the

bright yellow lemon, dark pink ham, and white highlights stand out.

People who lived in seventeenth-century Holland (also called the

Netherlands) would have recognized this as a luxurious feast. They

also would have known that mustard and lemons were expensive

imported items made possible by recent global trade. Finally,

contemporary viewers would have understood the special meaning

of the bleached tablecloth, which was a famous product from

Heda’s hometown of Haarlem.

Philadelphia Museum of Art: John G. Johnson Collection, 1917, cat. 644

c. 1631–34

Oil on panel

23 x 32 inches (59 x 82.5 cm)

WILLEM CLAESZ. HEDA

Dutch (active Haarlem),

1594–1680/82

LET’S LOOK

Describe the objects you see.

Describe the different

colors and textures.

How did the artist make the

objects look so real?

Which objects appear closest

to you? Farthest away?

How did the artist show us that?

Where is light reﬂected?

Where are the shadows?

LET’S LOOK AGAIN

If this painting shows one scene

in a story, what do you think

happened before and after?

Why do you think the artist

chose to show the meal

half-eaten?

What could the message(s) be?

CELEBRATION OF THE WEDDING OF

MANOHAR AND MADHUMALATI

PAGE FROM AN ILLUSTRATED MANUSCRIPT OF THE GULSHAN-I ‘ISHQ

(ROSE GARDEN OF LOVE)

This painting comes from a manuscript of the Gulshan-i ‘Ishq

(GOOL-shan-ee-ayshq) (Rose Garden of Love), a romantic tale

composed by the poet Nusrati in 1657–58. Although written for a

Muslim ruler, the Gulshan-i ‘Ishq was actually inspired by a Hindu

folk story. The manuscript, which boasts ninety-seven exquisite

illustrations, was made in 1743 for a royal patron.

The main story of this long poem is the meeting, separation, longing,

and marriage of Prince Manohar and Princess Madhumalati (mad-

who-MAL-ah-tee). This section of the poem describes the couple’s

wedding celebration, an event that traditionally lasts several days in

India. The illustration shows some of the festivities leading up to the

wedding ceremony. In the lower left, several men play horns and

drums. Women dance to the music, their hands and feet painted

with henna. Facing them, a group of people carry a colorful silk

canopy and balance gifts on their heads. Many people wear bright,

festive clothing for the occasion. In the background, men on elephants

and horses march in procession, playing musical instruments and

carrying red banners. Fireworks explode around them, lighting up

the night sky.

The lines of text at the top are written in Deccani Urdu, the language

of the Muslim elite in this part of India, and are read from right to

left. Here, the poet uses the imagery of light, in particular the sun

and moon, to refer to Manohar and Madhumalati. Just as the light of

the day meets the light of the night, the bride and groom will soon

meet on their wedding day to join as husband and wife.

Philadelphia Museum of Art: The Philip S. Collins Collection, gift of Mrs. Philip S. Collins in memory of her

husband, 1945-65-22 (page 410)

1743

Opaque watercolor, gold,

and ink on paper

14 x 10 inches (35.6 x 25.4 cm)

INDIA (ANDHRA PRADESH,

PROBABLY HYDERABAD)

LET’S LOOK

Describe the people and animals

you see in the picture.

What activities are taking place?

LET’S LOOK AGAIN

What colors, shapes, and

patterns do you see?

Where are they repeated?

Describe the mood of the picture.

How did the artist create

this feeling?

WHITE-HEADED EAGLE WITH YELLOW CATFISH

PLATE 31 FROM BIRDS OF AMERICA, NO. 7

With his sharp talons, piercing eye, pointed beak, and imposing

size, this white-headed eagle appears strong and ﬁerce. Also

known as the bald eagle, this bird is easily recognizable because

of its white head and tail, which stand out against its dark brown

body. As the ofﬁcial emblem of the United States of America,

it represents majesty and courage.

As a young man, John James Audubon, a budding scientist and

artist, enjoyed studying birds on his father’s farm near Philadelphia.

In 1820, he took a three-month expedition down the Ohio and

Mississippi Rivers, carefully observing a variety of birds and recording

information about them through drawing, painting, and writing.

His original watercolor paintings were later etched and printed

in a seven-volume set of books called Birds of America, which

included 435 large prints. This print is one page from volume 7.

Audubon presented the birds in their natural habitats, engaging in

typical activities such as hunting, feeding, courting, and caring for

their young. Each image was accompanied by a written description.

In his text, Audubon described the bald eagle’s “strength, daring,

and cool courage,” and noted its “ferocious, overbearing, and

tyrannical temper.”

He admired its majesty in ﬂight, soaring high

with its impressive wingspan of seven to eight feet. Audubon

witnessed bald eagles catching their prey and stealing recent kill

of other birds, a notorious tactic of the eagle. Perhaps such scenes

inspired Audubon’s image, in which the bald eagle grasps a catﬁsh

with his razor-sharp talons.

Philadelphia Museum of Art: Gift of Caleb W. Hornor and Peter T. Hornor, 1968-120-1

John James Audubon, Birds of America, Volumes 1–7, First Octavio Edition, 1840, accessed July 12, 2010,

http://web4.audubon.org/bird/BoA/BOA_index.html.

1828

Plate: 25 x 38 inches (64.8 x 97.8 cm)

Original watercolor by

JOHN JAMES AUDUBON

American, 1785–1851

Hand-colored etching

and aquatint by

ROBERT HAVELL, JR.

British (active United States),

1793–1878

Printed and colored by

ROBERT HAVELL, SR.

British, 1769–1832

Published by

JOHN JAMES AUDUBON

LET’S LOOK

The artist who created this image

was a scientist and an artist.

Which parts of the picture seem

to focus on scientiﬁc accuracy?

What did the artist show us

about what the eagle eats

and where it lives?

LET’S LOOK AGAIN

What artistic choices were made

to create a captivating image?

Where do you see interesting lines,

shapes, colors, and textures?

Where do you see areas of

contrast—between light

and dark, rough and smooth?

What adjectives best describe

this eagle? Fierce or peaceful?

Powerful or weak? How does

the artist communicate

those qualities?

THE BURNING OF THE HOUSES OF LORDS AND

COMMONS, OCTOBER 16, 1834

On the evening of October 16, 1834, ﬁre accidentally broke out in

England’s Houses of Parliament, the seat of the country’s government.

Tens of thousands of Londoners, including the landscape painter

Joseph Mallord William Turner, watched as the buildings burned.

Using both pencil and watercolor, Turner quickly sketched what he

saw, capturing the scene from different vantage points, including

from a rented boat. Back in his studio, he made this oil painting.

Turner created a captivating visual record of the event. Golden

ﬂames engulf the buildings and dominate the sky. The ﬁre casts

a reddish-orange reﬂection on the Thames River below and on the

white stones of Westminster Bridge. As the bridge reaches across

the river, it seems to melt from the ﬁre’s heat. Strong winds carry

the blue-gray smoke across the night sky. People crowd together

and watch the destruction from boats, the bridge, and the near

riverbank. The spectacular yet terrifying event unfolds before their

eyes—and ours.

Turner captured the drama of this event and also conveyed several

messages. First, the painting speaks to nature’s power over man.

While the ﬁre rages, the people seem helpless as they watch in

amazement. Additionally, the small dots of light from the man-made

gas lamps seem weak compared to the uncontrollable ﬂames. The

painting also hints at political unrest. The Houses of Parliament

were built in the eleventh century and represented governmental

stability. The ﬁre occurred during a time of political change, and

some regarded the event as a symbol of the need for further reform.

Philadelphia Museum of Art: The John Howard McFadden Collection, M1928-1-41

1834 or 1835

Oil on canvas

36 x 48 inches (92.1 x 123.2 cm)

JOSEPH MALLORD

WILLIAM TURNER

English, 1775–1851

LET’S LOOK

What is going on in this picture?

Look at the foreground, middle

ground, and background.

Describe the setting.

Where is this happening?

What time of day is it?

What parts of the painting seem

hot? Cool? How can you tell?

LET’S LOOK AGAIN

Where do you see people?

What might they be thinking

and feeling?

Imagine you are on one of the

boats in the river. What would

you see, hear, smell, and feel?

YABU LANE BELOW ATAGO

NO. 112 FROM THE SERIES ONE HUNDRED VIEWS OF EDO (MEISHO EDO HYAKKEI)

In this winter scene, people walk along a snow-covered street beside

a bright blue stream. Three sparrows ﬂutter about, looking for food.

People shelter themselves from the falling snow with hats and

umbrellas and leave trails of gray footprints as they hurry on their

way. The snow dots the sky and water and weighs down the green

bamboo on the right side of the picture, bending its branches.

This print is part of a series of images called One Hundred Views of

Edo by the Japanese artist Utagawa Hiroshige I (ooh-tah-gah-wah

he-roe-she-gay). Edo (EH-doh), now called Tokyo, was a large and

prosperous city in Japan that is the country’s capital today. This

scene depicts the area at the foot of Mount Atago. This place

would have been easily recognizable to Edo residents because of

the bamboo thicket on the right, which was at the edge of a well-

known mansion. The bamboo was thought to protect the mansion’s

inhabitants from danger.

Hiroshige, who was born and raised in Edo, was known for capturing

the mood and feeling of each place and season. His prints celebrated

the beauty of the city and people’s enjoyment of it. Many people

collected these works of art because they were beautiful, colorful,

and inexpensive—about the cost of a bowl of noodles. You can see

the artist’s signature in the red vertical box on the left side of the

picture. The two red boxes in the upper right contain the name of

the print series (right) and the title of the print (left).

Philadelphia Museum of Art: Gift of Mrs. John D. Rockefeller, Jr., 1946-51-34

1857 (Edo Period, 1615–1868)

Color woodcut

Sheet: 14 x 10 inches (37.1 x 25.7 cm)

UTAGAWA HIROSHIGE I

Japanese, 1797–1858

LET’S LOOK

Describe the plants, trees,

animals, and people you see

in this picture.

Where might this scene

take place? What clues

tell you so?

LET’S LOOK AGAIN

Describe the mood or feeling

of this place. How does the

artist get that feeling across?

How would it feel to walk

along this street?

What stories do you think

are taking place?

RAILROAD BRIDGE, ARGENTEUIL

A small sailboat drifts along the water in this tranquil scene. Warm,

golden light brightens the bridge’s white pillars and the boat’s sail.

Their reﬂections in the water add pink, yellow, and orange hues

to the blue of the river. Along the top of the bridge, a train chugs

along, letting out puffs of smoke that drift across the sky. A gentle

wind pushes the boat across the calm river below.

Claude Monet (clahd MOE-nay), the French artist who created this

work of art, enjoyed painting the outdoors directly from observation.

He appreciated the variety of colors in the sky, water, plants, and

trees, especially those seen at sunrise and sunset. Notice the deep

greens, blues, and purples in the grassy riverbank, and the blues

and yellows in the train’s smoke. Monet had to work quickly to

capture the color and light as he saw it, since both frequently change

as time passes. Look closely and you’ll see the many short, quick

brushstrokes that make up the grass, trees, water, and clouds. This

style of painting is known as Impressionism.

This painting shows the Seine River in the town of Argenteuil (ar-jen-

TOY), located just outside Paris. Monet lived there when he painted

this picture, so he didn’t have to travel far to observe this scenic spot.

At that time, the railroad service was expanding, and it became easier

for city dwellers to take weekend trips to the nearby countryside.

Perhaps the tiny ﬁgures in the boat are enjoying time away from

the faster pace of urban life.

Philadelphia Museum of Art: John G. Johnson Collection, 1917, cat. 1050

1874

Oil on canvas

21 x 28 inches (54.3 x 73.3 inches)

CLAUDE MONET

French, 1840–1926

LET’S LOOK

What time of day do you think

it is? What do you see that

makes you think so?

Describe the weather.

What might it feel like if

you were there?

What colors are the shadows?

What about the reﬂections

in the water?

LET’S LOOK AGAIN

Compare the two modes of

transportation depicted.

How are they different?

If you could enter this picture,

where would you go and

what would you do?

Jacques de Caso and Patricia B. Sanders, Rodin’s Sculpture: A Critical Study of the Spreckels Collection, California Palace

of the Legion of Honor (The Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco. Rutland, Vermont, and Tokyo, Japan: Charles E. Tuttle Co.,

Inc., 1977), 133.

THE THINKER

A man sits alone on a rock, absorbed in thought. He leans forward,

with his elbow on his knee and hand supporting his chin. Clearly

focused, he intently casts his eyes downward. Known as The Thinker,

this bronze sculpture represents the creative mind at work. Although

the ﬁgure is seated, he is not at rest. As Auguste Rodin (ah-GOOST

roe-DEN), the French artist who created this sculpture, stated,

“What makes my Thinker think is that he thinks not only with his

brain, with his knitted brow, his distended nostrils, and compressed

lips, but with every muscle of his arms, back, and legs, with his

clenched ﬁst and gripping toes.”

By choosing to depict The Thinker

as a strong, athletic ﬁgure, Rodin conveyed that the act of thinking

is a powerful exercise.

The Thinker was originally conceived as part of Rodin’s design for a

set of bronze doors for a museum in Paris. This ﬁgure represented

Dante Alighieri, an early Italian Renaissance poet. Rodin depicted

Dante reﬂecting on The Divine Comedy, his epic poem about

heaven, hell, and the fate of all humankind. However, the sculpture

ultimately came to symbolize everyone who utilizes their imagination

to create: artists, writers, scientists, and many others. Rodin himself

identiﬁed with The Thinker, and a version of the sculpture still

overlooks his tomb today.

There are several versions of this sculpture in different sizes. This

one is just over two feet tall and is the size of Rodin’s handmade

clay model, from which many bronze casts were made. Well-known

around the world, The Thinker continues to celebrate humankind’s

creative accomplishments.

Rodin Museum, Philadelphia: Bequest of Jules E. Mastbaum, F1929-7-15

Conceived 1880; cast by 1926

Bronze

Height: 27 inches

(68.9 cm)

AUGUSTE RODIN

French, 1840–1917

LET’S LOOK

What does this man’s pose

tell us about what he’s

thinking and feeling?

Is this man weak or strong?

What do you see that

tells you so?

Try to sit in this same position.

What is difﬁcult about it?

LET’S LOOK AGAIN

What does the artist convey

about the act of thinking?

Is it easy or difﬁcult?

Why do you think he chose

to make this sculpture a

solitary ﬁgure?

THE LIFE LINE

This painting depicts a suspenseful moment during a heroic rescue.

Crashing waves, dark threatening skies, and ﬁerce winds surround

the two ﬁgures in the center. Remnants of a sinking ship are barely

visible in the upper left. Only a thin rope supports the weight of the

man and woman, who are suspended above the turbulent sea. The

woman’s clothing and hair are soaking wet, her head hangs back,

and her right arm dangles above the water. She holds onto the rope

with her left hand, indicating that she is conscious. Perhaps the ﬁgures

on the distant cliff on the right wait to help the man and woman as

soon as they reach the shore.

One year before he painted The Life Line, American artist Winslow

Homer witnessed a demonstration of a lifesaving device like the one

shown in this picture. He included details that show how it worked.

For example, the slack of rope in the water on the left indicates that

the people are being pulled to safety by the lower rope on the right.

In addition, notice how only the right half of the upper rope has

water droplets along its bottom edge. The left half was wrung dry as

the pulley moved from left to right.

Homer left some details of this story a mystery. A red scarf ﬂaps in

the wind and hides the man’s face. Why could this be? Homer also

left the conclusion of the story unclear. It is up to us to imagine how

this adventure ends.

Philadelphia Museum of Art: The George W. Elkins Collection, E1924-4-15

1884

Oil on canvas

28 x 44 inches (72.7 x 113.7 cm)

WINSLOW HOMER

American, 1836–1910

LET’S LOOK

What do you think is happening

in this painting?

What is the weather like?

How can you tell?

What do you think the ropes

connect to on either end?

LET’S LOOK AGAIN

If you could step into this

painting, what would you

hear, smell, see, touch,

and taste?

Why do you think the artist

chose this moment of the

story to depict?

How do you think the

story will end?

BREAKING HOME TIES

With a look of love and concern on her face, a mother rests her

hands on her son’s shoulders, bidding him farewell as he leaves

home to seek his fortune. The young man stares ahead, uncertain

of what the future holds. Family members of all ages have gathered

together in this tender moment, from the boy’s forlorn younger sister

in the background to his grandmother at the table. Even the family

dog, his eyes begging the young man to stay, senses the sorrow that

ﬁlls the air. The boy’s father carries a suitcase toward the driver who

stands in the doorway, indicating that the departure is imminent.

The ﬁgures’ plain clothing and the mismatched, well-worn chairs

communicate the family’s modest means.

Thomas Hovenden, an Irish-born artist who immigrated to the

United States in 1863, painted Breaking Home Ties in 1890. It was

a time of great change in the nation, with growing industry and

expanding cities. As young men left rural areas to seek jobs in urban

centers, many Americans saw their way of life shifting. The public

related to the story in Breaking Home Ties and appreciated its

depiction of the hopes and fears of everyday Americans. To achieve

a sense of honesty and realism in his pictures, Hovenden used family

and friends as models and included familiar objects from his home in

Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania. Additionally, Hovenden may have

personally identiﬁed with the subject matter in this image, as he was

orphaned at age six and left his homeland as a young man.

Philadelphia Museum of Art: Gift of Ellen Harrison McMichael in memory of C. Emory McMichael, 1942-60-1

1890

Oil on canvas

52 x 72 inches (132.4 x 183.5 cm)

THOMAS HOVENDEN

American (born Ireland),

1840–1895

LET’S LOOK

What is happening in

this painting?

What is each person doing?

How do you think each is feeling?

How can you tell?

What do the clothing, furniture,

and other objects tell you

about when and where this

story takes place?

LET’S LOOK AGAIN

What could the relationships

between the people be?

Choose a person or animal

in the painting and imagine

their thoughts.

What are they thinking?

PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST’S MOTHER

A woman sits on a wooden rocking chair and gazes ahead, deep in

thought. A golden light brightens her face and left hand as well as

the shawl that drapes onto the ﬂoor. She wears a long navy dress,

and her black leather shoes are just visible beneath it. She appears

relaxed, holding a palm leaf fan in one hand and gently resting the

other against her cheek. Her pose and facial expression suggest that

she is a strong and thoughtful woman.

African American artist Henry Ossawa Tanner painted this portrait

of his mother, Sarah Elizabeth Miller Tanner, in 1897. When Sarah

was a child, her mother put her and her siblings on an oxcart bound

for Pennsylvania to escape slavery in Virginia via the Underground

Railroad. Later, she married Benjamin Tucker Tanner, a highly educated

minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and they had nine

children. Their son Henry showed an early interest in art and studied

painting at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia.

In 1891 he moved to Paris to pursue a successful artistic career and

escape the racial discrimination he experienced in America.

Tanner created this portrait on a visit home after a long time abroad.

He based the composition on James Abbott McNeill Whistler’s

famous 1871 painting known as “Whistler’s Mother.” However, while

Whistler’s portrait is cold and austere, Tanner’s is warm and affectionate.

In the bottom right corner, Tanner wrote, “To my dear mother, H. O.

Tanner.” This sensitive portrayal and endearing inscription capture

the love and admiration the artist felt for his mother, the center of

his large and distinguished family.

Philadelphia Museum of Art: Partial gift of Dr. Rae Alexander-Minter and purchased with the W. P. Wilstach

Fund, the George W. Elkins Fund, the Edward and Althea Budd Fund, and with funds contributed by

The Dietrich Foundation, EW1993-61-1

1897

Oil on canvas

29 x 39 inches (74.3 x 100.3 cm)

HENRY OSSAWA TANNER

American, 1859–1937

LET’S LOOK

Describe this woman’s pose

and facial expression.

What might she be feeling?

What might her clothing and the

setting tell us about her?

Where are the brightest parts

of the picture? The darkest?

Why might that be?

LET’S LOOK AGAIN

How would you describe the

mood of the painting?

If you could read this woman’s

thoughts, what do you think

they would be?

Jodi Hauptman. “Imagining Cities,” in Fernand Léger, by Carolyn Lanchner (New York: The Museum of Modern Art Department

of Publications, 1998), 73.

1919

Oil on canvas

91 x 117 inches (231.1 x 298.4 cm)

FERNAND LÉGER

French, 1881–1955

LET’S LOOK

Describe the shapes, patterns,

and colors you see in this

painting. What do they

remind you of?

What letters can you ﬁnd?

Why might they be here?

LET’S LOOK AGAIN

Look at the title of the painting.

How does it relate to

what you see?

What do you think the artist

is saying about the experience

of being in a city?

THE CITY

The French artist Fernand Léger (fair-NAHND LE-zhey) was inspired

by the modern city and celebrated its vitality in his art. In The City,

he ﬁlled the painting with geometric shapes and patterns that remind

us of lights, shopwindows, signs, buildings, and other objects. Unlike

a traditional landscape in which space recedes into the background,

many shapes and colors push toward the foreground.

Léger described modern urban life as “more fragmented and

faster moving than life in previous eras.”

He captured this exciting,

fast-paced movement with striking colors, eye-catching patterns,

and overlapping shapes that crowd together and compete for our

attention. Our eyes jump from one place to the next, creating a

sensation similar to what it feels like to move through busy city

streets. With so many interesting things to see, we seem to only

catch glimpses of each.

Living in the vibrant city of Paris, Léger admired the bold text and

graphics on billboards and posters, and was fascinated by the power

of train engines and airplane propellers. He also enjoyed movies, a

relatively new form of popular entertainment in the early twentieth

century, and appreciated the way scenes quickly moved from one

to the next. All of these sources of inspiration are reﬂected in The

City, such as in the white letters (including Léger’s initials), ﬂat colors,

mechanical people, and its collage-like quality. The painting’s size—

over seven feet tall and almost ten feet wide—is also similar to a

billboard or movie screen, encouraging viewers to feel as though

they can easily enter this lively and colorful city.

New York/ADAGP, Paris

REEDS AND GEESE

Seven lively geese animate this Korean screen painting. The four

in ﬂight spread their wings in various ways and angle their necks

in different directions. Their orange webbed feet poke out from

underneath their gray feathered bodies. Below them lies a grassy

shore, a body of water, and long, thin reeds at the water’s edge.

One goose dives for food, his feet and tail humorously sticking up

out of the water.

These six vertical panels represent half of a twelve-panel screen

painting, which was painted on silk and mounted on a wooden

frame so that it would stand upright on the ﬂoor (see CD-ROM for

additional images). The theme of reeds and geese has a special

meaning in Korean culture. The Korean pronunciation of the Chinese

characters for “reed” and “old man” are the same (no), as are the

words for “geese” and “comfort” (ahn). Therefore, traditional Korean

paintings of reeds and geese represent a wish for a peaceful life in a

person’s later years. Appropriately, the artist who painted this screen,

Kim Jin-Woo, included an inscription on the upper left that states

that he gave it to an elderly friend as a gift.

Kim also inscribed a poem and interspersed its verses throughout

the painting. The poem, which is read from right to left, refers to

changing seasons and ﬂying geese. For example, one couplet reads,

“The sand is bright, the water is blue, the moss and reeds grow

long; This is the time when autumn geese get ready to depart.”

Philadelphia Museum of Art: Purchased with the Hollis Family Foundation Fund and the Henry B. Keep

Fund, 2001-86-1

(detail)

c. 1925

Ink and color on silk; mounted as a

twelve-fold screen

Six panels of a twelve-fold screen:

6 feet, 4 inches x 6 feet, 4 inches

(193 x 193 cm)

Each end panel: 6 feet, 4 inches x 16

inches

(193 x 41 cm)

Each inner panel: 6 feet, 4 inches x 12 inches

(193 x 30.5 cm)

KIM JIN-WOO

Korean, 1883–1950

LET’S LOOK

What is unique about

each goose?

What landscape details did

the artist include?

What details did he leave out?

What mood or feeling do you

sense in this painting?

LET’S LOOK AGAIN

Describe the colors and lines that

you see. How do they relate

to the mood or feeling?

Where did the artist write

the lines of poetry?

Why might that be?

Margit Rowell and Ann Temkin, “Miró,” in Philadelphia Museum of Art Bulletin, vol. 83, no. 356/357 (Autumn, 1987)

(Philadelphia: Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1987), 6.

1926

Oil on canvas

28 x 36 inches (73 x 92.1 cm)

JOAN MIRÓ

Spanish, 1893–1983

LET’S LOOK

Describe what you think is

happening in the picture.

When and where do you think

this is taking place? What do you

see that tells you so?

LET’S LOOK AGAIN

What is the mood or feeling of

the painting? What do you see

that creates that feeling?

What do you think the dog

will do next? What about

the moon and bird?

If you could write a conversation

between the dog, moon, bird,

and ladder, what would they say?

DOG BARKING AT THE MOON

In this sparse landscape, a ladder reaches up toward the black night

sky. Nearby, a colorful dog stands on the brown earth, looking up to

the half moon and bird above him. The bright colors and humorous

subject matter create a fun, playful mood. The title of the painting,

Dog Barking at the Moon, adds to this lighthearted feeling. However,

the dark background and the vast empty spaces between the dog,

ladder, and moon also produce a sense of loneliness and mystery.

Although he spent each winter in Paris, Joan Miró (j’wahn mee-ROE)

found inspiration for his art in his home in Catalonia (cat-ah-LONE-

ee-ah), Spain, where he made sketches on his family farm. He based

many of his paintings on these drawings and his memories of the farm,

including this one. In Paris, he was inﬂuenced by Surrealist artists

and poets, who were inspired by dreams and the unconscious.

While his art was always based on actual places and objects, Miró

thought of reality as “a point of departure, never as a stopping place.”

In Dog Barking at the Moon, he provided a recognizable landscape,

but the exact setting remains unclear. The dog, moon, and bird are

also identiﬁable, but they are distorted. The ladder reaches toward

empty space, resting on nothing. The original sketch for the painting

included words, with the moon telling the dog that he does not care

about his barking. Miró omitted these words in the ﬁnal painting,

leaving it up to the viewer to imagine the story taking place.

New York/ADAGP, Paris

WOMAN OF TEHUANTEPEC

This black-and-white photograph shows a woman balancing a large

painted gourd on her head. Tina Modotti (moe-DOT-tee), the

photographer, took the picture in 1929 when she traveled to the

town of Tehuantepec (tay-WAHN-tay-peck) in southern Mexico.

The women in the town, known as “Tehuanas” (tay-WAHN-ahs),

have long been admired for their strength, independence, and

colorful clothing. Traditionally, they controlled the economic and

political life in the region. Modotti took a series of photographs of

Tehuana women engaged in everyday activities such as caring for

their children and walking to market.

Modotti carefully composed this picture to draw attention to the

woman’s strength and beauty. Her stable posture, powerful gesture,

and calm facial expression show her self-conﬁdence. Modotti cropped

the photograph so that the woman dominates the composition.

She also took the picture from a low vantage point so that we look

up at the woman, emphasizing her importance. Striking shapes and

patterns frame her face—from the repeating triangles, squares, and

diamonds in her dress, to her shiny circular pendant and earring,

and the delicate ﬂowers, fruits, and leaves painted on the gourd

she carries.

Modotti was born in Italy and immigrated to California when she

was sixteen years old. She moved to Mexico in 1923 and learned

photography from the renowned American photographer Edward

Weston. She became best known for her pictures of Mexican

women, children, workers, and artisans. Both art and politics were

equally important to Modotti, and she abandoned photography

in 1932 to dedicate herself to political activism.

Philadelphia Museum of Art: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Zigrosser, 1968-162-40

c. 1929

Gelatin silver print

Image and sheet: 8 x 7 inches

(21.3 x 18.7 cm)

TINA MODOTTI

Italian, 1896–1942

LET’S LOOK

What shapes and patterns do you

see in this photograph?

From what angle was this

photograph taken?

How does that affect

the picture?

LET’S LOOK AGAIN

What might this woman be

thinking and feeling?

What makes you say that?

Imagine the rest of the scene

around the woman.

What is her story?

BICYCLE RACE

Four athletes speed toward the ﬁnish line in this colorful painting of

a bicycle race. With determined looks on their faces, the two leaders

hunch forward and tightly grasp the handlebars, pedaling as fast as

they can. It is a bright, sunny day, and many spectators have come

to watch the exciting event. On either side of the cyclists, children

raise their arms and cheer. Other people sit and watch from atop

a high wall on the right, their legs dangling off the edge. On the

left, special guests and judges observe the race from a grandstand,

decorated with colorful banners that blow in the breeze. Visible in

the upper left, several people have even climbed up into tall tree

branches to get a better view.

Mexican artist Antonio Ruiz (Roo-EEZ) painted this scene of a country

fair in his hometown of Texcoco (Tes-KO-ko), located in central

Mexico. He included many details to capture the look and feel of

the town. For example, the red, white, and green striped banners

are the colors of the Mexican ﬂag. Jacaranda trees, which are found

throughout Mexico and Central America, loom over the street with

their long branches. Ruiz also carefully depicted the different people’s

clothing, such as the judges’ suits, the young boys’ shorts and caps,

and the sombreros, or wide-brimmed hats, worn by many of the

spectators. Ruiz often added humorous details into his paintings,

such as the goat bending down to eat something in the lower right,

and the sleeping dog in the lower left corner.

Philadelphia Museum of Art: Purchased with the Nebinger Fund, 1949-24-1

1938

Oil on canvas

13 x 17 inches (33.3 x 43.2 cm)

ANTONIO RUIZ

Mexican, 1897–1964

LET’S LOOK

What is everyone doing in this

picture?

How would you describe the

setting—the place,

season, and weather?

How does the artist show

that the road goes far back

into the distance?

LET’S LOOK AGAIN

What moment in the race is this?

Why do you think so?

If you could enter this picture,

what sounds would you hear?

If you could trade places with

someone in the painting,

who would it be and why?

THREE BRILLO BOXES

At ﬁrst glance, these three boxes of Brillo soap pads look like items

found in a grocery store. In fact, they are painted wooden sculptures

by the artist Andy Warhol. Why might an artist make a work of art

like this?

Warhol, who was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, ﬁrst worked as an

illustrator, commercial artist, and store window designer in New York

City. In the 1960s he began creating works of art that took inspiration

from everyday objects, such as Campbell’s tomato soup cans, and

boxes of Brillo soap pads and Heinz ketchup. This style of art became

known as Pop Art because of its connection to popular culture.

During this time, Americans were increasingly bombarded with

advertisements for commercial products, a trend that continues today.

Much of Warhol’s art seems to play with this culture of consumerism.

For example, the bold blue and red words on the Brillo boxes call

out to us, proclaiming the product’s beneﬁts. Because the boxes are

identical, the designs create repeating, mesmerizing patterns, such

as the two l’s in Brillo, the word “New!,” and the curvy lines that

surround the logos. The lively design suggests that the soap pads

may even be fun to use.

Warhol’s sculpture raises questions. What happens when we see the

same image over and over again? What effect do advertisements

have on us? Do they make us want to buy products? Or do we stop

paying attention? Can objects from everyday life also be art? Where

do you ﬁnd art in the world around you?

Philadelphia Museum of Art: Acquired with funds contributed by the Committee on Twentieth-Century Art

Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

1964

Screenprint and ink on wood

Each: 17 x 17 x 14 inches

(43.2 x 43.2 x 35.6 cm)

ANDY WARHOL

American, 1928–1987

LET’S LOOK

What do you notice about this

sculpture?

What colors, patterns, and

designs do you see?

What do the words tell you about

these objects?

LET’S LOOK AGAIN

How is this sculpture similar

to and different from

actual Brillo boxes?

What do you think the artist’s

message(s) might be?

Jan van Der March, Segal (New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1975), 32.

1975

Plaster, wood, plastic, metal,

electric light

8 feet x 8 feet, 5 inches x 5 feet

(243.8 x 256.5 x 152.4 cm)

GEORGE SEGAL

American, 1924–2000

LET’S LOOK

Describe the setting of this

work of art. What kind of

place might this be?

Look at the woman’s pose,

clothing, and facial expression—

what do they tell us about her?

Is she walking quickly or slowly?

What does the sign say? How

does that add to the story?

LET’S LOOK AGAIN

Why do you think the artist

used objects from everyday

life in this sculpture?

Why do you think he left the

ﬁgure white?

EXIT

This life-size sculpture seems to capture a moment frozen in time.

With one foot in front of the other, a young woman looks ahead and

rests her arm on a large bag that she carries over her shoulder. She

stands in between a metal gate and a rectangular black-and-orange

sign that reads “exit.” The orange glow from the sign illuminates the

wall, ground, and the woman’s back. Where is she going? Where has

she been? What is her story?

The artist George Segal created many sculptures of ordinary people

engaged in everyday activities. Although he often left his ﬁgures

unpainted, their poses reveal information about their identities and

emotions. As Segal stated, “people have attitudes locked up in their

bodies. . . . A person may reveal nothing of himself and then, suddenly,

make a movement that contains a whole autobiography.”

As in

Exit, he often placed a ﬁgure or group of ﬁgures in an environment

with objects from everyday life. In doing so, Segal provided the

characters and setting of a narrative and left it up to viewers to

ﬁll in the details.

Segal grew up in the Bronx, New York City, and studied art at the

Pratt Institute and New York University. In 1961 he invented a method

of producing casts by directly applying medical bandages dipped

in water and plaster to a model’s body. By combining a plaster cast

made from an actual person with real objects, Segal not only invited

viewers to complete the stories in his sculptures, but also to question

what is real and what is not—both in life and in art.

The George and Helen Segal Foundation/Licensed by VAGA, New York

Lowery Stokes Sims, Ph.D., “Alma Thomas: Regional Force, American Great,” in Alma Thomas: Phantasmagoria, Major Paintings

from the 1970s exhibition catalogue (New York: Michael Rosenfeld Gallery Publications, 2001), 8.

1976

Acrylic on canvas

78 x 48 inches (198.1 x 121.9 cm)

ALMA THOMAS

American, 1891–1978

LET’S LOOK

Describe the shapes and lines you

see in this painting. How are they

different from each other?

What do they remind you of?

Where are the shapes and

lines closer together?

Where are they farther apart?

LET’S LOOK AGAIN

In what direction do the blue

marks seem to be moving?

How can you tell?

Read the title of the painting.

How is this painting similar

to ﬂower petals and leaves?

How is it different?

HYDRANGEAS SPRING SONG

In this painting, lively blue lines and shapes seem to ﬂoat, twist,

and turn. Each one points in a different direction and encourages

our eyes to explore the entire picture. Look closely and you’ll notice

that the lines intersect to form letters, punctuation marks, and other

symbols. Together, these separate marks evoke ﬂowering hydrangeas.

Instead of painting the plant exactly as it looks in real life, the artist

Alma Thomas used abstract lines and shapes to capture the feeling

and movement of the hydrangeas’ leaves and ﬂower petals.

Thomas found beauty in nature—from the ﬁelds she explored as a

child in Georgia to the plants in her backyard and the public gardens

in her adopted home of Washington, D.C. Later in life, she said that

she was always “inspired by watching the leaves and ﬂowers tossing

in the wind as though they were dancing and singing.”

This painting’s

title, Hydrangeas Spring Song, reﬂects that inspiration and gives us

a sense of a crisp spring day, ﬁlled with the sounds of birds chirping

and winds blowing plants and trees to and fro.

Although Thomas painted for much of her life, she didn’t become a

full-time artist until she was sixty-nine years old. For thirty-ﬁve years,

she taught art at Shaw Junior High School in Washington, D.C. After

her retirement in 1960, she became well-known for her paintings. In

1972, Thomas was the ﬁrst African American woman to have a solo

exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City.

Philadelphia Museum of Art: 125th Anniversary Acquisition. Purchased with funds contributed by Mr. and

Mrs. Julius Rosenwald II in honor of René and Sarah Carr d’Harnoncourt, The Judith Rothschild Foundation,

and with other funds being raised in honor of the 125th Anniversary of the Museum and in celebration of

African American art, 2002-20-1

WOMAN’S HAT

Imagine seeing someone wearing this hat. What do you think your

reaction would be? Hats often call attention to themselves and their

wearers, turning the heads of passersby who want a second look.

Although they can serve practical purposes, hats allow for great

freedom in their design and can become wearable works of art.

This dramatic hat, which was probably worn in a fashion show,

is about twenty inches wide, bright pink, and in the shape of an

undulating wave. The pink satin covers a stiffer material that was

molded into this fabulous shape. At the sides of the hat, the wave

tapers into expressive, pointed ends. The hat seems to magically

hover above the person’s head, but it is actually secured by small

combs inside the black skullcap that attach to the wearer’s hair

to keep it in place.

The French fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy (GEE-vohn-she)

designed this hat in 1988. As a boy, Givenchy discovered a love

of fashion by looking through his mother’s style magazines and

admiring his grandmother’s collections of old costumes. After

working for several designers in Paris, Givenchy opened his own

fashion house in 1952. His designs became well-known when the

famous actress Audrey Hepburn wore them in movies such as

Funny Face (1957) and Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961). Givenchy gained

recognition for his simple, elegant clothing designs that featured

beautiful lines rather than elaborate decoration. He is also admired

for his sense of fantasy and whimsy, especially seen in his headwear.

Philadelphia Museum of Art: Purchased with funds contributed by an anonymous donor, 1993-52-3

1988

Pink synthetic satin and

black synthetic velvet

Maximum width: 23 inches (58.4 cm)

HUBERT DE GIVENCHY

French, born 1927

LET’S LOOK

Describe the color and shape

of this hat. What do they

remind you of?

How is this hat similar to and

different from hats you have

seen or worn?

LET’S LOOK AGAIN

Imagine an occasion when you

would wear this hat. Where would

it be and what would you do?

How do you think others would

respond if you wore this hat?

How would you feel if you

wore it? Serious? Playful?

Glamorous?

“TAR BEACH 2” QUILT

Faith Ringgold, who created this “story quilt,” is both an artist

and author. This quilt tells the story of Cassie Louise Lightfoot,

the protagonist in Ringgold’s children’s book, Tar Beach.

Several parts of the story are included in the picture. In the

foreground, Cassie’s parents play cards with their friends on the

tar roof (“tar beach”) of their apartment building in New York City.

Cassie and her brother Bebe lie on a mattress nearby, looking up at

the stars. A picnic dinner awaits them. Wet clothes and sheets hang

to dry, ﬂapping in the night wind. The George Washington Bridge

stands tall behind the colorful buildings in the background.

In the book, Cassie dreams that she can ﬂy and overcome any

obstacle she faces. In the quilt, she appears twice in the sky, claiming

the bridge for herself and giving her father the Union Building so

that he won’t have to worry about employment. Ringgold included

parts of the story in white writing in the purple sky.

To create Cassie’s story, Ringgold took inspiration from her own

childhood in Harlem, a neighborhood in New York City. Much of

her art explores social and political themes and features powerful

women, especially African American women. For example, Cassie’s

ability to ﬂy gives her freedom and power to achieve anything she

sets her mind to. At the end of the book, Cassie proclaims that

anyone can ﬂy, stating, “All you need is somewhere to go you

can’t get to any other way. The next thing you know, you’re ﬂying

among the stars.”

Faith Ringgold

1990

Silk

66 x 67 inches (167.6 x 170.2 cm)

FAITH RINGGOLD

American, born 1930

LET’S LOOK

What are the different people

doing in this picture?

Which characters appear

more than once? Where?

Where does this story take

place? What do you see

that tells you that?

LET’S LOOK AGAIN

Why do you think the artist

made this picture into a quilt?

What might ﬂying symbolize?

Some characters are ﬂying.

Where would you go if

you could ﬂy?

PORTAGE

This image is a detail from a larger work of art—an accordion-fold

book that is almost fourteen feet long (see CD-ROM for additional

images). To create it, the artist William Kentridge arranged small

pieces of torn black paper into ﬁgures. He then glued the ﬁgures

onto pages that he removed from a French dictionary.

While the dictionary deﬁnitions in the background represent precise,

factual information, the procession of shadowy ﬁgures presents a

narrative that is more open to interpretation. Where are the people

going, and why? Perhaps they are travelers on a road. Perhaps they

are moving from one place to another. Maybe they are participating

in a parade or celebration. The people carry various items such as

chairs, tools, musical instruments, and other objects. What might

these objects tell us about their stories?

The poses of the four ﬁgures pictured here give us clues about their

feelings. The woman on the left seems to stride forward conﬁdently,

while the person in front of her looks down, perhaps tired or lost in

thought. The next person holds something above her head. What

could it be? The ﬁgure on the far right seems especially burdened

with a heavy load. Whoever they may be, they move forward together.

Kentridge was born and raised in South Africa. His parents, who had

Lithuanian and German-Jewish ancestry, were lawyers who worked

against apartheid, a system of racial segregation. Kentridge’s work,

which includes ﬁlms, drawings, sculptures, and theatrical productions,

often addresses political and social issues.

Philadelphia Museum of Art: Purchased with funds contributed by the Young Friends of the Philadelphia

William Kentridge

(detail)

2000

Book with chine collé ﬁgures cut

from black Canson paper, afﬁxed

to pages from Le Petit Larousse

Illustré (Paris, c. 1906), mounted on

Velin Arches Crème paper, folded

as a leperello

Image and sheet (unfolded):

x 166 inches

(27.5 x 422.9 cm)

Portfolio: 11

x 9 x inches

(28.6 x 24.8 x 2.1 cm)

WILLIAM KENTRIDGE

South African, born 1955

LET’S LOOK

Where could these people

be going? Where might they

be coming from?

What sorts of items

do they carry?

Could this be a parade?

A journey? A migration?

A celebration?

LET’S LOOK AGAIN

Look closely at the ﬁgures’ poses.

What could each person’s

story be?

Why do you think the artist

used torn paper and pages

from an old book in this

work of art?

“Interview with Zoe Strauss, photographer in the Whitney Biennial 2006: Day for Night,” Clare Hurley, June 2, 2006, accessed

March 19, 2010, http://www.wsws.org/articles/2006/jun2006/stra-j02.shtml.

2001 (negative); 2003 (print)

Chromogenic print

Image: 6 x 10 inches (17.5 x 25.7 cm)

Sheet: 8 x 10

inches (20.3 x 26.4 cm)

ZOE STRAUSS

American, born 1970

LET’S LOOK

What is going on in this picture?

Describe the setting of this

photograph—time of day,

season, and location.

LET’S LOOK AGAIN

How do you think each boy

is feeling?

Where do you think the boy

in the air will land?

Then what will happen?

SOUTH PHILLY (MATTRESS FLIP FRONT)

This young boy is in the middle of a daring ﬂip over a pile of worn

mattresses. His arms swing out to his sides, helping him to complete

his rotation. The boy’s perfectly vertical body and round face create

the shape of an exclamation point that hovers over the blue horizontal

line of the top mattress. How did he jump so high and where will he

land? Will the mattresses cushion his landing, or will he soar right

over them?

In the background, another boy in a white T-shirt looks on. He holds

his hand up to his mouth, perhaps reacting to his friend’s acrobatic

moves. The pavement, sidewalk, and red brick building with grafﬁti

tell us that this scene takes place outside on the street or perhaps

in an empty lot. The mattresses are missing some of their stufﬁng

and the pile has shifted to the right, suggesting this game may have

been going on for a while.

Zoe Strauss, the artist who took this picture, believes that “an

important role of art is to mirror what is happening in the world.”

She often photographs what is most familiar to her: the people and

places in her neighborhood in South Philadelphia. This particular

photograph is part of her larger project to document life in the city.

During the ten years that she worked on the project, Strauss held

annual outdoor public exhibitions of over two hundred of the

photographs. Each of these pictures tells a story, and together

they present an intimate narrative of Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Museum of Art: Purchased with funds contributed by Theodore T. Newbold and

Helen Cunningham, 2003-104-8. Reproduced by permission of the artist

SUGGESTED LOOKING/WRITING ACTIVITIES

NARRATIVE WRITING

Narrative writing tells a story or part of a story.

It can be ﬁctional or nonﬁctional.

ACTIVITIES ADAPTABLE TO MULTIPLE GRADE LEVELS

Character, setting, and plot in art

Select a work of art and discuss and/or write about the following:

Character

Choose a person, animal, or inanimate object in a work of art to

explore as a character. What traits does this character possess? In

what time and place do they exist? Where have they been? Where are

they going? How do they feel? What are their thoughts and dreams?

What do you see that tells you about them? What remains a mystery?

Setting

Is the setting in this work of art indoors or outdoors? If it’s outdoors,

what can you tell about the season, weather, location, and time of

day? If it’s indoors, what can you tell about the time and place it

depicts? What visual clues tell you this information?

Plot

What happened before the moment depicted in this work of art?

What will happen next? If there is a conﬂict or problem in the story,

how will it be resolved? What do you see that informs your ideas?

Why do you think the artist chose to depict this moment in the story?

SUGGESTED WORKS

Bactrian Camel and Groom

Dog Barking at the Moon

Exit

Horse and Man Armors

Portage

Portrait of the Artist’s Mother

The Thinker

White-Headed Eagle

Woman of Tehuantepec

Celebration of the Wedding of

Manohar and Madhumalati

The City

Dog Barking at the Moon

Railroad Bridge, Argenteuil

Reeds and Geese

South Philly

“Tar Beach 2” Quilt

Yabu Lane

Battle of the Milvian Bridge

Bicycle Race

Breaking Home Ties

The Life Line

Still Life with a Ham and

a Roemer

NARRATIVE WRITING 35

ACTIVITIES FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

Jump into a work of art

Imagine you can “jump” into a work of art and write a story about

your adventure. How did you get there? What happened to you as

you explored the work of art from the inside? How will you get back

out? Illustrate your story with a picture of yourself inside the work of

art.

Mixed-up pictures!

Select a person, animal, or object from one work of art and imagine

he/she/it has entered another (very different) work. What problems

would arise? How would they be solved? What else might happen?

Write a short story about the adventure that takes place.

Exploring dialogue: What would they say?

Write a dialogue between two ﬁgures in the same work. What is each

one thinking? What would they want to ask or tell one another? What

would they say in a conversation?

Alternative: Select a person or animal from two different works of art

and imagine the conversation they would have with each other. Write

out their imagined dialogue.

Extension: Using the dialogue, write a play based on the work(s) of art.

SUGGESTED WORKS

Battle of the Milvian Bridge

Bicycle Race

Burning of the Houses of Lords

and Commons

The City

The Life Line

SUGGESTED WORKS

Bactrian Camel and Groom and

Portage

Horse and Man Armors and

The City

The Thinker and

Dog Barking at the Moon

Woman’s Hat and

Still Life with a Ham and

a Roemer

SUGGESTED WORKS

Bactrian Camel and Groom

Battle of the Milvian Bridge

Bicycle Race

Breaking Home Ties

The Life Line

Portage

Reeds and Geese

South Philly

Yabu Lane

36 NARRATIVE WRITING

Letters

Write a letter from a person or animal in an artwork to you, the viewer.

What do they want you to know? What is their daily life like? How do

they feel about their surroundings? What are they thinking about?

Alternative: Write a letter to someone in a work of art. What would

you like to tell them? What would you like to ask them?

ACTIVITIES FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Biography

Write an imagined biography for a person or animal in a work of art.

What has happened in their life that has led them to this moment?

Where are they in their life now? What are some important events in

their life so far? What are their hopes for the future?

Journal

Write a journal entry from the perspective of someone or something

in a work of art. Write about the events of your day, your current

thoughts and feelings, as well as ideas, reﬂections, and what you

wonder about.

SUGGESTED WORKS

Bactrian Camel and Groom

Bicycle Race

Breaking Home Ties

Dog Barking at the Moon

Exit

Horse and Man Armors

Portage

Portrait of the Artist’s Mother

The Thinker

Woman of Tehuantepec

SUGGESTED WORKS

Bactrian Camel and Groom

Exit

Portage

The Thinker

Woman of Tehuantepec

SUGGESTED WORKS

Breaking Home Ties

Celebration of the Wedding of

Manohar and Madhumalati

Portage

Still Life with a Ham and

a Roemer

“Tar Beach 2” Quilt

The Thinker

White-Headed Eagle

NARRATIVE WRITING 37

Interior monologue

Imagine you can hear the thoughts of a person, animal, or object in

a work of art. Using a stream-of-consciousness writing style, write a

monologue of these thoughts. Read them aloud and see if your

fellow students can guess whose thoughts you have recorded.

Multiple points of view

In a work of art with several ﬁgures, each one has a different point of

view. Select two people or animals in the same work and write about

how they each see the scene or story. What is different about what

they see, think, and feel? What is similar?

The artist’s point of view

Select a work of art and put yourself in the place of the artist who

created it. Writing in the ﬁrst person, describe what was happening

as you made this work, what you wanted to capture, why you made

the choices you did (such as subject matter, composition, materials,

or color), and what it means to you.

Alternative: Everyone can begin with the same prompt—for

example, “I was out walking when . . . “ or “Today I saw something

incredible . . . “—and write about the artist’s experience of creating

the work.

SUGGESTED WORKS

Breaking Home Ties

Dog Barking at the Moon

Exit

Horse and Man Armors

The Life Line

Portrait of the Artist’s Mother

South Philly

Still Life with a Ham and

a Roemer

The Thinker

Woman of Tehuantepec

Woman’s Hat

SUGGESTED WORKS

Battle of the Milvian Bridge

Bicycle Race

Breaking Home Ties

Celebration of the Wedding of

Manohar and Madhumalati

The Life Line

South Philly

“Tar Beach 2” Quilt

SUGGESTED WORKS

Any

38 NARRATIVE WRITING

SUGGESTED LOOKING/WRITING ACTIVITIES

DESCRIPTIVE WRITING

Descriptive writing vividly portrays a person, place,

or thing in such a way that the reader can visualize

the topic and enter into the writer’s experience.

ACTIVITIES ADAPTABLE TO MULTIPLE GRADE LEVELS

Five senses descriptions

Art engages our ﬁve senses, telling us about how something looks,

feels, tastes, smells, and sounds. Choose a work of art that enlivens

your senses. While looking at the work in small groups or individually,

write about how your senses would respond to this work of art if it

came to life. These descriptions can be used as a brainstorming

activity for further writing.

Alternative: Write a detailed description about a work of art for

someone who cannot see/hear/smell, relaying as many details as

possible to make the object come alive for them.

Back-to-back describe and draw

For this activity, two students sit back-to-back. One person (the

describer) looks at a work of art and describes it to the other person

(the listener), who cannot see it. While listening to the describer, the

listener draws what they imagine the image to look like. The describer

cannot look at the listener’s drawing until it is ﬁnished. Afterward, dis-

cuss the experience. What words were most helpful? What was chal-

lenging? Switch roles and repeat the exercise with a new work of art.

Alternative: One student describes the pose of a person in a work of

art and the other student must get into this pose.

SUGGESTED WORKS

Battle of the Milvian Bridge

Bicycle Race

The Life Line

Railroad Bridge, Argenteuil

Still Life with a Ham and

a Roemer

“Tar Beach 2” Quilt

Yabu Lane

SUGGESTED WORKS

Any

Exit

Portage

Portrait of the Artist’s Mother

The Thinker

DESCRIPTIVE WRITING 39

ACTIVITIES FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

Which is . . . ?

Select two works of art that have contrasting settings or moods.

Describe the visual clues that give each one its unique feeling.

Use collaborative brainstorming as the basis for a written piece.

Possible contrasts include:

Which is quiet, and which is noisy? What sounds would you hear?

Which is warm, and which is cold?

Postcard writing (see worksheet on page 57)

Select a work of art to “enter” and write a postcard to someone

who is not there. Tell them about what it feels like to be there and

describe the sights and sounds of the place.

SUGGESTED WORKS

Battle of the Milvian Bridge

Burning of the Houses of Lords

and Commons

Celebration of the Wedding of

Manohar and Madhumalati

The City

Dog Barking at the Moon

Hydrangeas Spring Song

Railroad Bridge, Argenteuil

Bicycle Race

Burning of the Houses of Lords

and Commons

Hydrangeas Spring Song

Railroad Bridge, Argenteuil

Reeds and Geese

South Philly

Yabu Lane

SUGGESTED WORKS

Bicycle Race

Celebration of the Wedding of

Manohar and Madhumalati

The City

Dog Barking at the Moon

Hydrangeas Spring Song

The Life Line

Yabu Lane

40 DESCRIPTIVE WRITING

“Seeing” and “feeling” words

Select a work of art and look at it closely for several minutes. Brainstorm

nouns to describe what you see (“seeing” words) and adjectives to

describe the mood of the work (“feeling” words). Use these words

to begin a discussion about the work of art or to develop a more

ﬁnished written piece.

Texture

Bring in real objects with different textures. Pass them around one at

a time and brainstorm descriptive words about how each object feels.

(The object can also be placed in a bag so that it remains a mystery.)

As the class passes around each item and describes its texture, work

together to ﬁnd a work of art that contains a similar texture. Use your

descriptive words for further writing about the work(s) of art.

ACTIVITIES FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Center of gravity writing

Select a work of art and look at it closely for several quiet minutes.

Write whatever comes to mind for two minutes. Take a one-minute

break, look back at what you wrote, and circle the most important

idea. Taking that idea as your starting point, look back at the work of

art and write freely for two minutes. Again, take a one-minute break,

circle the most important idea, and repeat the two-minute exercise

one last time. Use this writing as a draft for a more ﬁnished piece or

as a jumping-off point for a class discussion about how each person

experienced the work of art and the mental journey they took as they

looked and wrote. This exercise was adapted from one developed by

the writer and educator Wendy Bishop (see Bibliography).

SUGGESTED WORKS

Any

SUGGESTED WORKS

Any

SUGGESTED WORKS

Breaking Home Ties

Horse and Man Armors

Still Life with a Ham and

a Roemer

Woman of Tehuantepec

Woman’s Hat

DESCRIPTIVE WRITING 41

Color description

Select a color in a work of art. Begin with the basic name of the color

(for example, yellow, red, blue), then work to reﬁne its description.

To further describe the color you have chosen, discuss the following:

What does it remind you of? Where does it occur in nature? What

other objects are that color? What mood or feeling does the color

create? Use these words to create a unique phrase describing this

color. Several phrases can be used together to create a collaborative

poem.

The elaboration game

Select a work of art and look at it carefully for several minutes as a

group. One person begins by identifying a speciﬁc section of the

work and describes what he or she sees. A second person contributes

to these observations by adding more detail. A third person elaborates

further, and a fourth person adds even more. Each person describes

what he or she sees, leaving their interpretations for later. After four

people have described the section in detail, someone else identiﬁes

a new section to be explored and the process begins again. Repeat

until everyone has had a chance to make detailed observations or

until all sections of the work of art have been explored. Continue

the discussion with interpretive thoughts. During the observations,

a recorder (teacher or student) writes down some of the key details

and observations. Use these words and phrases as brainstorming for

further writing. This exercise was adapted from the “Artful Thinking”

approach to responding to works of art, developed by Project Zero

(see Bibliography).

SUGGESTED WORKS

Burning of the Houses of Lords

and Commons

The City

The Life Line

Railroad Bridge, Argenteuil

Reeds and Geese

Woman’s Hat

Yabu Lane

SUGGESTED WORKS

Battle of the Milvian Bridge

Burning of the Houses of Lords

and Commons

The City

Dog Barking at the Moon

Portrait of the Artist’s Mother

Reeds and Geese

Still Life with a Ham and

a Roemer

42 DESCRIPTIVE WRITING

SUGGESTED LOOKING/WRITING ACTIVITIES

POETRY

Poetry uses evocative language and form to

communicate an idea or an experience. There are

a wide variety of structures and forms of poetry.

For examples of poetic forms, please see The Teachers & Writers

Handbook of Poetic Forms (see Bibliography). In addition, examples

of poems written in response to works of art in this teaching resource

can be found on the enclosed CD-ROM.

ACTIVITIES ADAPTABLE TO MULTIPLE GRADE LEVELS

List poem

A list poem is an itemization of things or events, can be any length,

and can rhyme or not. To create a list poem inspired by art, ﬁrst select

a theme. Themes could include colors, shapes, feelings (loneliness,

happiness, excitement), ideas (ﬂying, beauty, family, adventure),

seasons, memories, or anything else. Working in pairs or as a group,

select a work or several works of art that relate to the theme. Looking

at the work(s), brainstorm words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs)

or short phrases that are inspired by what you see and relate to your

theme. Remember to emphasize details. Using this list, arrange the

words and phrases into a list poem.

An example of a list poem written in response to several works of art

from this teaching resource is included on the enclosed CD-ROM.

Word pile poem

Select a work of art and look at it carefully for several minutes.

On ﬁve separate index cards, write a word or short phrase (no

more than three words per card) that describe your thoughts and

observations about the work of art. Working individually or in

small groups, arrange the cards into poems of any length. Create

each line with either a single card or several cards together.

SUGGESTED WORKS

Any

SUGGESTED WORKS

Any

POETRY 43

Ode

Odes typically celebrate a person or thing. They can follow a particular

pattern or can be irregular. Select a person or thing from a work of art

and write an ode to him/her/it. Describe what makes the subject of

your poem unique, special, and worthy of admiration.

An example of an ode written in response to a work of art from this

teaching resource is included on the enclosed CD-ROM.

Haiku

Haiku poets traditionally write about everyday experiences, especially

those related to nature. A haiku is usually written in three short lines,

with the ﬁrst and last a bit shorter than the middle line. It should

have no more than seventeen syllables (typically arranged into 5/7/5

in lines 1, 2, and 3, but can vary). Select a work of art that depicts

a place and brainstorm words and phrases that describe what you

might see, smell, taste, or touch if you could be there. Use these

words to create a haiku.

An example of a haiku written in response to a work of art from this

teaching resource is included on the enclosed CD-ROM.

Metaphor poem

Select a work of art and identify a detail that catches your eye.

Brainstorm what it reminds you of, such as something that has a

similar shape, color, or texture. Use these ideas to create a metaphor

describing the detail (for example, “Her peach fuzz cheek”). Repeat

the exercise with other details in the work such as people, animals,

objects, colors, lines, textures, or shapes. Select your favorite

metaphors to create a poem.

SUGGESTED WORKS

Bactrian Camel and Groom

Horse and Man Armors

Portrait of the Artist’s Mother

Still Life with a Ham and

a Roemer

Three Brillo Boxes

White-Headed Eagle

Woman of Tehuantepec

Woman’s Hat

SUGGESTED WORKS

Burning of the Houses of Lords

and Commons

Hydrangeas Spring Song

Portage

Railroad Bridge Argenteuil

Reeds and Geese

Yabu Lane

SUGGESTED WORKS

Battle of the Milvian Bridge

Bicycle Race

Dog Barking at the Moon

Exit

Horse and Man Armors

Portage

Reeds and Geese

South Philly

The Thinker

44 POETRY

ACTIVITIES FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

Simile poem

Brainstorm adjectives to describe details in a work of art (such as

the colors, action, or mood). Use these words as the beginning of a

simile, adding either the word “like” or “as” after each. (For example,

“Brave like

,” “Fast as ,” or “Red like .”) Looking at

the work of art, ﬁll in your phrases. Select your favorite similes and

arrange them into a simile poem.

Poems and images together

Artists sometimes combine poetry and images in a work of art. In

Celebration of the Wedding of Manohar and Madhumalati, the artist

chose a well-known poem and illustrated it with images. In Reeds and

Geese, a poem and painting share the theme of a wish for comfort

in old age. Taking inspiration from one of these works of art, either

choose a theme to illustrate with a poem that you write, or select an

existing poem that you like and illustrate it. Look at the works of art

to take inspiration from how these artists incorporated the words and

images together.

Limerick (see worksheet on page 58)

A limerick is a ﬁve-line poem in which lines 1, 2, and 5 contain three

beats and rhyme, and lines 3 and 4 contain at least two beats and

rhyme. Typically, limericks are humorous, have a ﬁrst line that begins

“There was . . . ,” and a last line that brings a twist or punch line.

(Suggestion: Clapping while reciting a line can help determine the

number of beats.)

SUGGESTED WORKS

Bicycle Race

Breaking Home Ties

Celebration of the Wedding of

Manohar and Madhumalati

Horse and Man Armors

Railroad Bridge, Argenteuil

South Philly

Woman’s Hat

Yabu Lane

SUGGESTED WORKS

Celebration of the Wedding of

Manohar and Madhumalati

Reeds and Geese

SUGGESTED WORKS

Bactrian Camel and Groom

Battle of the Milvian Bridge

Dog Barking at the Moon

Exit

Horse and Man Armors

South Philly

The Thinker

Three Brillo Boxes

White-Headed Eagle

POETRY 45

Onomatopoeia poem

What sounds would you hear if a work of art came to life? Onomatopoeia

poems celebrate sounds. Select a work of art that includes many

people or things that would make noise. Brainstorm what these noises

would be and how the words should be spelled (examples include

“buzz,” “hiss,” and “ka-boom”). Discuss the visual clues that tell you

about these sounds. Using these words, create poems that capture

the noises of the work of art and bring it to life when you read the

poems aloud.

ACTIVITIES FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Metaphor/simile poem (see worksheet on page 59)

This four-line poem structure—taken from the book Image to Word:

Art and Creative Writing (see Bibliography)—can be used with any

work of art. After selecting an image and looking closely at it together,

work collaboratively in small groups to create these four lines:

Line 1: Your own creative name for the work of art

Line 2: An action phrase based on what you see

Line 3: A simile that describes a character or the setting of the work

of art using “like”

Line 4: Another short name for the work of art

An example of a metaphor/simile written in response to a work of art

from this teaching resource is included on the enclosed CD-ROM.

SUGGESTED WORKS

Battle of the Milvian Bridge

Burning of the Houses of Lords

and Commons

Celebration of the Wedding of

Manohar and Madhumalati

The City

“Tar Beach 2” Quilt

Yabu Lane

SUGGESTED WORKS

Any

46 POETRY

Lune poem (see worksheet on page 60)

One popular structure for a lune poem is a three-line poem with three

words in line 1, ﬁve in line 2, and three in line 3. Because there are so

few words in the poem, it is important to choose wisely. While looking

at a work of art, brainstorm several facts about what you see and the

feelings that the work inspires. Look back at your words and select

three from your “facts” brainstorming for line 1. On line 3, write three

words from the “feelings” brainstorming. On line 2, write ﬁve words

that connect the ideas expressed on lines 1 and 3.

An example of a lune poem written in response to a work of art from

this teaching resource is included on the enclosed CD-ROM.

Walk poem

Take an imaginary walk through a work of art (or as someone pictured

in one) and write about your journey. As described in the The Teachers

& Writers Handbook of Poetic Forms (see Bibliography), walk poems

typically fall into one of four types: a poem about what the poet

sees on the walk; a poem about a walk that produces some kind

of revelation; a poem whose length, style, and shape mirror the

length, style, and shape of the walk; and a poem that reﬂects the

way the mind works during the walk.

Calligram (shaped poem)

Calligrams have words that are not arranged in horizontal lines like

typical text. Instead, they take on interesting shapes and forms that

relate to their content. During a discussion about a work of art, write

down words and phrases that are shared. Taking from these ideas and

adding some of your own, arrange the words and phrases into a form

taken directly from the work of art or one inspired by it.

Alternative: After a discussion about a work of art, draw a shape that

is found in the work. Fill it in with words and phrases brainstormed

during the discussion.

SUGGESTED WORKS

Bactrian Camel and Groom

Burning of the Houses of Lords

and Commons

Celebration of the Wedding of

Manohar and Madhumalati

The City

Horse and Man Armors

Portage

Railroad Bridge, Argenteuil

“Tar Beach 2” Quilt

Yabu Lane

SUGGESTED WORKS

Any

SUGGESTED WORKS

Any

POETRY 47

SUGGESTED LOOKING/WRITING ACTIVITIES

EXPOSITORY WRITING

Expository writing seeks to inform, explain, clarify,

deﬁne, or instruct.

ACTIVITIES ADAPTABLE TO MULTIPLE GRADE LEVELS

Compare and contrast

Select two works of art that share something (they both depict a

place, for example) but have signiﬁcant differences. Brainstorm how

the two objects compare and contrast in terms of subject matter,

mood, feeling, colors, shapes, point of view, and/or materials. Use

your notes to write about why these two works were chosen, what

they share, and what makes each one unique.

ACTIVITIES FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

How does the artist . . . ?

Explore how artists visually convey information to us. How does an

artist show us what season or time of day it is? How do they show if

the setting is inside or outside? How do they convey a mood or tell

a story? How does an artist show that a person or animal is happy,

sad, strong, worried, angry, or curious? Select a work of art, explore

one of these questions (or one of your own), and write about the

visual evidence you ﬁnd to support your observations.

SUGGESTED WORKS

Battle of the Milvian Bridge and

Railroad Bridge, Argenteuil

Hydrangeas Spring Song and

The City

Horse and Man Armors and

Woman’s Hat

Yabu Lane and Celebration of

the Wedding of Manohar and

Madhumalati

SUGGESTED WORKS

Battle of the Milvian Bridge

Bicycle Race

Dog Barking at the Moon

Exit

Portrait of the Artist’s Mother

Railroad Bridge, Argenteuil

Reeds and Geese

South Philly

“Tar Beach 2” Quilt

Yabu Lane

48 EXPOSITORY WRITING

SUGGESTED WORKS

Battle of the Milvian Bridge

Bicycle Race

Burning of the Houses of Lords

and Commons

The Life Line

South Philly

Be a reporter

Imagine you are a newspaper or television reporter on the scene

in one of the works of art. What will you record about the event?

Take notes about what is taking place and interview some of the

people who are present. Use these notes to write an article

summarizing the event.

Instructions

Select a work of art and write a set of instructions related to the

image. For example, write about how to sell a household cleaning

product with Andy Warhol’s Three Brillo Boxes, or explain how to win

a race based on Antonio Ruiz’s Bicycle Race. Other ideas include in-

structions on how to enjoy a summer day (Railroad Bridge, Argenteuil

or South Philly) or how to walk in the snow (Yabu Lane). Use one of

these examples, or come up with your own.

Job descriptions

Write a job description for someone in a work of art. Explain the job

requirements, what their daily tasks would be, and the kind of attributes

the ideal candidate would have.

Interview

Choose a person, animal, or object from a work of art to interview.

Sample questions include: What brought you here? What will you do

next? Are you happy here, or would you rather be somewhere else?

How are you feeling? What do you think of your surroundings? What

else are you thinking about? Write your questions and your interviewee’s

answers. Be sure to use as much visual evidence from the work of

art as possible.

SUGGESTED WORKS

Any

SUGGESTED WORKS

Bactrian Camel and Groom

Bicycle Race

Horse and Man Armors

The Life Line

SUGGESTED WORKS

Bactrian Camel and Groom

Battle of the Milvian Bridge

Breaking Home Ties

Dog Barking at the Moon

Exit

Horse and Man Armors

Portrait of the Artist’s Mother

South Philly

Still Life with a Ham and

a Roemer

“Tar Beach 2” Quilt

White-Headed Eagle

Woman of Tehuantepec

EXPOSITORY WRITING 49

Scientiﬁc description

John James Audubon was both a scientist and artist, recording his

observations about birds in his works of art. Taking inspiration from

White-Headed Eagle, write a scientiﬁc description of the bird, including

size, markings, habitat, diet, and other habits. Use the image on the

card, the contextual information on its reverse, and information that

you ﬁnd in other sources to write your description.

Facts and opinions

Select a work of art and discuss it as a group, either using the looking

questions on the image card or in the PowerPoint slideshow (see

enclosed CD-ROM). Read and share the background information

about the object as well. Then, make a list of facts and opinions

about the work. For the opinions, provide visual evidence that back

up the claims. Discuss the differences between facts and opinions as

the list develops.

ACTIVITIES FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

The context of art

How does a work of art relate to the time and place in which the artist

created it? Research the historical context of one object. Spend time

looking at the object and reﬂect on connections you ﬁnd between

what you see and what you learned about when and where it was

created. Write a short essay about these connections.

Alternative: Research the cultural and artistic context of one object.

What other artists, writers, and musicians were working around this

time? What artists or ideas may have inﬂuenced the person who

made this work? How does it compare to other works that this artist

made?

SUGGESTED WORKS

Any

SUGGESTED WORKS

Bactrian Camel and Groom

Battle of the Milvian Bridge

Breaking Home Ties

The City

Railroad Bridge, Argenteuil

Three Brillo Boxes

White-Headed Eagle

Woman of Tehuantepec

Woman’s Hat

50 EXPOSITORY WRITING

SUGGESTED WORKS

White-Headed Eagle

Headlines

Select a work of art that conveys a story and spend time looking at

it. Write a news story headline (for a newspaper, magazine, blog, or

website) that catches people’s attention and summarizes the main

action of the story.

Making connections: Literature, poetry, and art

Pair a work of art with a text (such as a novel, short story, or poem)

that was created in a similar time and place. What ideas do the two

works share? How do they differ?

SUGGESTED WORKS

AND TEXTS

The Life Line and Stephen Crane’s

“The Open Boat”

Portage and Nadine Gordimer’s

July’s People

Portrait of the Artist’s Mother

and Gertrude Bustill Mossell’s

The Work of the Afro-American

Woman

Railroad Bridge, Argenteuil and

the poetry of Charles Baudelaire

Three Brillo Boxes and Allen

Ginsberg’s poem “A Supermarket

in California”

SUGGESTED WORKS

Battle of the Milvian Bridge

Bicycle Race

Burning of the Houses of Lords

and Commons

The Life Line

EXPOSITORY WRITING 51

SUGGESTED WORKS

Exit

South Philly

Still Life with a Ham and

a Roemer

Three Brillo Boxes

Woman of Tehuantepec

Breaking Home Ties

Celebration of the Wedding of

Manohar and Madhumalati

Portrait of the Artist’s Mother

“Tar Beach 2” Quilt

Battle of the Milvian Bridge

Horse and Man Armors

The Life Line

“Tar Beach 2” Quilt

Bicycle Race

Breaking Home Ties

Portage

Yabu Lane

Burning of the Houses of Lords

and Commons

The Life Line

Railroad Bridge, Argenteuil

The City

Exit

South Philly

Three Brillo Boxes

One theme, two artists

Choose two works of art and discuss how each one relates to a

common theme. What does each artist convey about the idea or

theme? How does the artist communicate those ideas? What is

similar and different about the messages in each work? Spend time

looking at the images and recording your thoughts. Read the text

on the reverse of the cards for more information. Then, write a short

essay about the two images and how the common theme is explored

in each, supporting your ideas with details from the work of art.

SUGGESTED THEMES

Everyday Life

Family

Heroism

Journey/Traveling

Man/Nature

Modern Society

52 EXPOSITORY WRITING

SUGGESTED LOOKING/WRITING ACTIVITIES

PERSUASIVE WRITING

Persuasive writing intends to convince the reader

of a stated opinion or belief.

ACTIVITIES ADAPTABLE TO MULTIPLE GRADE LEVELS

Divide and conquer

With the class divided into two groups, each group is assigned a

different idea about a work of art (for example, two ideas about

William Kentridge’s Portage could be that the people are marching

in a celebratory parade or that they are moving from one place to

another due to famine). Pair off within your group and ﬁnd evidence

in the work of art that supports your assigned position. Next, pair

with someone from the opposite group and discuss your ﬁndings to

convince them of your position. Lastly, debrief. What happened when

you met with each partner? What new thoughts or ideas did you have

after your discussion? Was either person convinced of the other’s

position? What questions remain?

Is it art?

Sometimes artists challenge what art can be by introducing new

ideas, styles, and subject matters into their work. Select a work of art

that you think challenges what art can be. Brainstorm reasons why

people may argue why it is and is not art. Older students can use

these notes to write a persuasive essay defending their position.

ACTIVITIES FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

Imagine you are a salesperson and need to convince people to buy

something represented in one of the works of art (or the work of art

itself). What is useful about it? What makes it appealing? Write an

advertisement for the object.

SUGGESTED WORKS

The City

Dog Barking at the Moon

Exit

Hydrangeas Spring Song

Portage

The Thinker

Three Brillo Boxes

White-Headed Eagle

Woman’s Hat

SUGGESTED WORKS

The City

Horse and Man Armors

Hydrangeas Spring Song

South Philly

Three Brillo Boxes

Woman’s Hat

SUGGESTED WORKS

Horse and Man Armors

The Life Line

Still Life with a Ham and

a Roemer

Three Brillo Boxes

Woman’s Hat

PERSUASIVE WRITING 53

ACTIVITIES FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Museum worthy?

Select a work of art that you ﬁnd compelling. Imagine you are a mu-

seum curator and need to convince the museum to purchase it. Why

is it important for the museum to have? How will the public beneﬁt

from seeing it on view? Why might it be important for it to be in the

museum ﬁfty or one hundred years from now? Research the artist and

work of art to help further support your argument in a written state-

ment.

Look, read, respond

Select a work of art that appeals to you and spend ten minutes look-

ing at it. If you’d like to, write down your thoughts and questions as

you look. After ten minutes, read the reverse of the image card and

spend another ﬁve minutes looking at the work. What new thoughts

do you have? Spend time reﬂecting on the following questions: What

ideas or messages do you ﬁnd in the work? What does it remind you

of? Why do you think you were drawn to it? What new thoughts did

you have as you looked more closely at it after you read about it?

What new thoughts did you have after you read about it and looked

at it again? Write an essay about your response to this work of art.

Truth in art

Select a work of art and explore the following questions: Whose

perspective is shown in this work? What other perspectives may ex-

ist? Does it present the “truth?” Can a work of art ever be objective?

Write a persuasive essay defending your position.

SUGGESTED WORKS

Any

SUGGESTED WORKS

Any

SUGGESTED WORKS

Battle of the Milvian Bridge

Bicycle Race

Burning of the Houses of Lords

and Commons

The City

Portrait of the Artist’s Mother

South Philly

Three Brillo Boxes

Woman of Tehuantepec

54 PERSUASIVE WRITING

SUGGESTED LOOKING/WRITING ACTIVITIES

PROMPTS FOR FREE WRITING

Free writing is a prewriting technique that helps

generate ideas. When given a prompt, the author

writes continuously about whatever comes to his

or her mind without regard for spelling, grammar,

or organization.

ACTIVITIES ADAPTABLE TO ALL GRADE LEVELS

Idea web (see worksheet on page 61)

Using the looking questions on the image cards or in the PowerPoint

slideshow (see enclosed CD-ROM), look closely at a work of art and

discuss it as a class. Next, consider its title. Brainstorm individually

or as a group about the following questions: What associations do

you have with the word(s)? What does the title remind you of? How

do you think it relates to the work of art? Record your ideas in a web,

placing the title in the center and related ideas in the connected

circles. Use the idea web as a starting point for further writing.

ACTIVITIES FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Quotes on art

Select one of the following quotes and pair it with a work of art.

Using the quotation as a prompt, free write about what you see and

what thoughts emerge when considering the quote.

Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.

There are as many images as eyes to see.

The main purpose in making art is to have fun and to redeﬁne the nature of

objects. Where are the limits when an object becomes a work of art?

I make paintings as a poet composes poems, simply to recite my feelings and nature.

One works not only to produce art but to give value to time.

There is nothing ugly in art except that which is without character, that is to say,

without inner or outer truth.

To see is to forget the name of the thing one sees.

We all know that Art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize truth . . .

“I am eternally optimistic; I am Chinese,” The Art Newspaper, January 1, 2008, accessed January 12, 2011,

http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2008/03/%E2%80%9Ci-am-eternally-optimistic-i-am-chinese%E2%80%9D/

James Cahill, The Lyric Journey: Poetic Painting in China and Japan (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press,

1996), 8–9.

SUGGESTED WORKS

Breaking Home Ties

The City

Exit

Hydrangeas Spring Song

The Life Line

Portage

The Thinker

—Edgar Degas

—Sam Francis

—Cai Guo-Qiang

—Li Gonglin

—Eugène Delacroix

—Auguste Rodin

—Paul Valery

—Pablo Picasso

PROMPTS FOR FREE WRITING 55

Prompts

Select two or more works of art that share something, such as a motif,

theme, idea, mood, style, color palette, or subject matter. Using

that concept as a prompt, free write your thoughts as you consider

the image(s) in front of you. Any associations—from what you see to

those you make to your own life experiences—can be explored.

SUGGESTED PROMPTS

Bridges

The Color Red

Contemplation

Danger

Joy

Seasons

SUGGESTED WORKS

Battle of the Milvian Bridge

Burning of the Houses of Lords

and Commons

Railroad Bridge, Argenteuil

“Tar Beach 2” Quilt

Yabu Lane

Burning of the Houses of Lords

and Commons

Celebration of the Wedding of

Manohar and Madhumalati

The City

The Life Line

Portrait of the Artist’s Mother

The Thinker

Woman of Tehuantepec

Burning of the Houses of Lords

and Commons

The Life Line

Celebration of the Wedding of

Manohar and Madhumalati

Hydrangeas Spring Song

South Philly

Bicycle Race

Railroad Bridge, Argenteuil

Reeds and Geese

Yabu Lane

56 PROMPTS FOR FREE WRITING

POSTCARD WRITING see description on page 40

DEAR ,

FROM

WORKSHEETS 57

LIMERICK see description on page 45

TITLE OF POEM

LINE 1: CONTAINS THREE BEATS

LINE 2: CONTAINS THREE BEATS AND RHYMES WITH LINE 1

LINE 3: CONTAINS AT LEAST TWO BEATS

LINE 4: CONTAINS AT LEAST TWO BEATS AND RHYMES WITH LINE 3

LINE 5: CONTAINS THREE BEATS AND RHYMES WITH LINES 1 AND 2

STUDENT NAME WORK(S) OF ART THAT INSPIRED THIS POEM

58 WORKSHEETS

METAPHOR/SIMILE POEM see description on page 46

TITLE OF POEM

LINE 1: YOUR OWN CREATIVE NAME FOR THE WORK OF ART

LINE 2: AN ACTION PHRASE BASED ON WHAT YOU SEE

LINE 3: A SIMILE THAT DESCRIBES A CHARACTER IN OR

THE SETTING OF THE WORK OF ART USING “LIKE”

LINE 4: ANOTHER SHORT NAME FOR THE WORK OF ART

STUDENT NAME WORK(S) OF ART THAT INSPIRED THIS POEM

WORKSHEETS 59

LUNE POEM see description on page 47

TITLE OF THE POEM

LINE 1: THREE WORDS FROM YOUR FACTS BOX

LINE 2: FIVE WORDS CONNECTING LINES 1 AND 3

LINE 3: THREE WORDS FROM YOUR FEELING OR MOOD BOX

STUDENT NAME WORK(S) OF ART THAT INSPIRED THIS POEM

WORDS THAT CAPTURE FACTS ABOUT THE WORK OF ART:

WORDS THAT DESCRIBE THE FEELING OR MOOD OF THE WORK OF ART:

60 WORKSHEETS

IDEA WEB see description on page 55

WORKSHEETS 61

STUDENT NAME

abstract Having little or no attempt at pictorial representation

or narrative content

accordion-fold A book with pages that are creased or hinged

book to fold like an accordion

afterlife An existence after death

autobiography A ﬁrst-person account of a person’s life; the biography

of a person narrated by himself or herself

background The part of a picture that appears farthest from the

viewer

brushstroke The paint left on a surface by a single application of

a paintbrush

cast To reproduce a three-dimensional object, such as a

sculpture, using a mold

ceramic A product made from a nonmetallic mineral (such as

clay) and heated at a high temperature to achieve

hardness

character A person in a story

Chinese A symbol in the Chinese writing system that

character originated from pictograms (pictures of things such

as “sun” or “moon”), and over time developed into

graphical representations of abstract ideas. Characters

often have two parts: one component hints at

the meaning (for example, “sun” and “moon” =

“bright”); the other component is phonetic, giving

the pronunciation. Koreans and Japanese adapted

the Chinese writing system into their own languages.

collage Technique in which pieces of fabric, paper, or objects

are glued onto a surface

commission In art, a contract given to an artist to produce a work,

often for a fee

GLOSSARY

62 GLOSSARY

composition Arrangement of formal elements (lines, shapes,

colors, and patterns) in a work of art

couplet Two consecutive lines of poetry that form a unit

crop To trim or cut something (i.e., a photograph)

culture of Shared social attitudes that place emphasis on

consumerism the purchase of goods and services and how they

deﬁne an individual

distorted Twisted out of natural, normal, or original shape or

proportion

epic poem A long and highly stylized narrative poem

etch To produce a pattern or design on a hard material

by eating into the material’s surface (often by using

acid); used either to decorate an object’s surface

(such as a suit of armor) or for the purpose of print-

ing the image onto another surface (such as paper)

fashion house A business that designs, makes, and sells clothes,

typically associated with an important fashion

designer

foreground The part of a picture that appears closest to the

viewer

glaze A layer of clay or minerals in liquid form that coats

pottery to give the surface a protected and luminous

ﬁnish after being ﬁred. For colored glazes, oxides of

different metals are used.

gourd A hollow, hard shell of a fruit often used for orna-

ment, vessels, and utensils

grandstand A usually roofed stand for spectators at a racecourse

or stadium

groom A person responsible for the feeding, exercising, and

stabling of horses (or camels, as in the case of the

Bactrian Camel and Central Asian Groom)

GLOSSARY 63

henna A reddish-brown dye obtained from leaves of the

henna plant

hue An aspect of color usually associated with terms such

as red, orange, yellow, etc.

hydrangea A ﬂowering shrub that has leaves and clusters of usu-

ally white, pink, or bluish ﬂowers

imagery In writing, the use of ﬁgurative language to create an

image in the mind of the reader

immigrate To enter a country and become established; a person

who immigrates is called an immigrant

Impressionism A style of art practiced by a group of artists in France

around 1870. Impressionists each had their own

individual approach to art, but they shared a goal

of capturing the natural effects of light and shadow,

often using dabs or strokes of unmixed colors. Many

Impressionist artists also embraced subject matter of

modern life.

landscape A picture representing natural inland or coastal scenery

manuscript A document that is either written by hand or typed,

but is not a printed copy

middle ground The part of a picture that is in-between the back-

ground (what appears farthest from the viewer) and

the foreground (what appears closest to the viewer)

monumental Something that is massive, highly signiﬁcant, or of

great importance

mood A distinctive atmosphere or setting

motto A short statement about a person’s values or guiding

principles

narrative A story that is told in detail; a representation of an

event or story

64 GLOSSARY

neutral A color that is not bright or strong

patron A wealthy or inﬂuential supporter of an artist or

writer

plaster A soft mixture (as of lime, water, and sand) that forms

a smooth hard surface once dried

Pop Art Art in which objects from modern popular culture

and the mass media are used as subject matter,

often as a critical or ironic comment on traditional

ﬁne-art values

portrait An image of a person (or group of people) usually

showing the face

prey An animal that is hunted, killed, and eaten by a

predator

print A work of art that can be reproduced by printing

multiple copies from a single plate

protagonist The main character in a story

recede In art, to appear smaller and farther away than forms

in the foreground

screen A work of art, usually used as a room decoration,

painting consisting of a number of painted, vertical panels

that are attached to each other in an accordion-style

so that the screen stands upright

setting The time and place at which the action of a work of

literature or art is represented as happening

skullcap A close-ﬁtting, brimless cap

still life An image consisting predominantly of an arrange-

ment of inanimate objects

subject matter The topic dealt with or represented in a debate,

exposition, or work of art

GLOSSARY 65

Surrealism A cultural movement that was begun in the 1920s

by a group of writers and artists in France. Surreal-

ists sought to release the creative potential of the

unconscious mind and were inspired by dreams,

taboo fantasies, and the element of chance to create

work that embraced the irrational and celebrated the

marvelous.

symbol An object or act that represents (or symbolizes)

something else, such as an emotion, idea, or story

tapestry A thick, woven textile characterized by complex

designs and hung on a wall

theme A subject, topic, or idea that recurs in or pervades a

work of art or literature

vantage point A position or standpoint from which something is

viewed

verse A line of metrical writing or poetry

watercolor A paint in which pigment is dispersed in water

66 GLOSSARY

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Wachovia Education Resource Center, Philadelphia Museum of Art

This high-tech research site and resource lending library, located in

the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Ruth and Raymond G. Perelman

Building, is available free to all educators. The center houses materials

to help make cross-curricular connections, from online research sites,

art-reference texts, and exhibition catalogues to teaching materials

from various institutions. For more information, call 215-684-7140 or

e-mail resour[email protected].

BOOKS

ARTISTS’ WRITINGS AND QUOTES

Audubon, John James. The 1826 Journal of John James Audubon.

New York: Abbeville Press, 1987.

Crowe, Patty. Quotes on Art and Artists: Mankind’s Wisdom on Art

from Plato to Picasso. Edited by Laura Wertz. Arlington, Virginia:

Richer Resources Publications, LLC, 2009.

Hadden, Peggy. The Quotable Artist. New York: Allworth Press, 2007.

Miró, Joan. Joan Miró: Selected Writings and Interviews. Edited by

Margit Rowell. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1986.

Ringgold, Faith. Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky. New

York: Dragonﬂy Books, 1995.

———. Cassie’s Word Quilt. New York: Dragonﬂy Books, 2004.

———. Tar Beach. New York: Dragonﬂy Books, 1996.

Rubens, Peter Paul. The Letters of Peter Paul Rubens. Translated and

edited by Ruth Saunders Magurn. Evanston, Illinois: Northwestern

University Press, 1955 (1991 printing).

Strauss, Zoe. America: Zoe Strauss. Edited by Steve Crist. Los

Angeles: AMMO Books, 2008.

BIBLIOGRAPHY 67

Turner, Joseph Mallord William. The Sunset Ship: The Poems of

J. M. W. Turner. Edited by Jack Lindsay. London: Scorpion Press,

1966.

Warhol, Andy. The Andy Warhol Diaries. Edited by Pat Hackett.

New York: Warner Books, 1989.

THE TEACHING OF ART AND WRITING

Bishop, Wendy. Released into Language: Options for Teaching

Creative Writing, 2nd edition. Portland, Maine: Calendar Islands

Publishers, 1998.

Childers, Pamela B., Eric H. Hobson, and Joan A. Mullin. ARTiculating:

Teaching Writing in a Visual World. Portsmouth, New Hampshire:

Boynton/Cook Publishers, 1998.

Ehrenworth, Mary. Looking to Write: Students Writing through the

Visual Arts. Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Heinemann, 2003.

Fagin, Larry. The List Poem: A Guide to Teaching and Writing Catalog

Verse. New York: Teachers & Writers Collaborative, 1991

(reprinted in 2000).

Foster, Tonya and Kristin Prevallet, eds. Third Mind: Creative Writing

through Visual Art. New York: Teachers & Writers Collaborative,

2002.

McQuade, Christine and Donald McQuade. Seeing & Writing.

Boston: Bedford/St. Martin, 2000.

Padgett, Ron, ed. The Teachers & Writers Handbook of Poetic Forms.

New York: Teachers & Writers Collaborative, 2000.

Walsh-Piper, Kathleen. Image to Word: Art and Creative Writing.

Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2002.

68 BIBLIOGRAPHY

WEBSITES

LESSON PLANS AND CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

National Council of Teachers of English: The National Gallery of

Writing, Looking to Write, Writing to Look

www.galleryofwriting.org/galleries/2368749

This website, administered by the National Council of Teachers of

English, hosts the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s online writing gallery

devoted to written responses to the Museum’s Looking to Write,

Writing to Look teaching resource. Submit your students’ work

for posting!

Philadelphia Museum of Art, Teaching Resources

www.philamuseum.org/education

This website provides links to collection resources, teaching posters

and kits, and exhibition materials. Follow the URL provided above, click

on “Teachers,” and then “Resources.”

Project Zero: Artful Thinking

www.pz.harvard.edu/tc

Project Zero is an education research group at the Graduate School

of Education at Harvard University. This website introduces the

group’s Artful Thinking program—a model approach for integrating

art into regular classroom instruction, which was developed with the

goal of helping students develop thinking dispositions that support

thoughtful learning in the arts and across school subjects.

ReadWriteThink

readwritethink.org

A project of the International Reading Association, the National

Council of Teachers of English, and Verizon Thinkﬁnity, this website

supports educators, parents, or anyone interested in reading and

language arts instruction by offering a rich trove of lesson plans,

video demonstrations, student interactives, and more.

BIBLIOGRAPHY 69

RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS

National Council of Teachers of English

www.ncte.org/positions/statements/writingbeliefs

The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is devoted to

improving the teaching and learning of English and the language arts

at all levels of education. “Beliefs about the Teaching of Writing” is a

position statement written by the NCTE in November 2004.

National Writing Project

nwp.org

The National Writing Project is a nationwide network of university-

based sites serving teachers across disciplines and at all levels.

The National Writing Project provides professional development,

develops resources, generates research, and acts on knowledge

to improve the teaching of writing and learning in schools and

communities.

Philadelphia Writing Project

www.gse.upenn.edu/philwp

The Philadelphia Writing Project, a site of the National Writing

Project located at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School

of Education, is a nonproﬁt network of professional educators

serving schoolchildren in Philadelphia.

Teachers & Writers Collaborative

www.twc.org/resources/techniques/lessons

The Teachers & Writers Collaborative seeks to educate the imagina-

tion by offering innovative, creative writing programs for students and

teachers, and by providing a variety of publications and resources to

support learning through the literary arts. This website contains lesson

plans and curriculum rationales for teaching imaginative writing in

classrooms.

70 BIBLIOGRAPHY

STANDARDS AND ASSESSMENT

Common Core State Standards Initiative

corestandards.org

The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led initiative

that follows the principles of standards-based education reform.

These standards were developed in collaboration with teachers,

school administrators, and experts to provide a clear and consistent

framework to prepare our children for the future. Many states, including

Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, adopted these standards

in 2010.

Education Northwest

www.educationnorthwest.org/resource/464

Education Northwest developed the 6+1 Trait® Writing Model

of Instruction and Assessment more than twenty years ago to help

teachers improve their writing instruction, understanding of the

qualities of good writing, and ability to provide effective feedback

to students. Rubrics for all grade levels are included.

The Kennedy Center: ArtsEdge

www.artsedge.kennedy-center.org/educators/standards.aspx

ArtsEdge is an educational program of the Kennedy Center that

reaches out to schools, communities, individuals, and families with

printed materials, classroom support, and Internet technologies. This

website lists National Standards for Arts Education, which outline

what every K–12 student should know and be able to do in the arts.

National Writing Project

www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource_topic/

standards_and_assessment

The National Writing Project’s website’s section on standards and

assessment.

BIBLIOGRAPHY 71

Front cover (clockwise from left):

Hydrangeas Spring Song (detail), 1976, by Alma Thomas (Philadelphia Museum of Art: 125th

Anniversary Acquisition. Purchased with funds contributed by Mr. and Mrs. Julius Rosenwald

II in honor of René and Sarah Carr d’Harnoncourt, The Judith Rothschild Foundation, and with

other funds being raised in honor of the 125th Anniversary of the Museum and in celebration

of African American art, 2002-20-1)

The Life Line (detail), 1884, by Winslow Homer (Philadelphia Museum of Art: The George

W. Elkins Collection, E1924-4-15)

Reeds and Geese (detail), c. 1925, by Kim Jin-Woo (Philadelphia Museum of Art: Purchased

with the Hollis Family Foundation Fund and the Henry B. Keep Fund, 2001-86-1)

South Philly (Mattress Flip Front) (detail), 2001 (negative), 2003 (print), by Zoe Strauss

(Philadelphia Museum of Art: Purchased with funds contributed by Theodore T. Newbold

and Helen Cunningham, 2003-104-8). Reproduced by permission of the artist

Back cover (clockwise from top left):

Portage (detail), 2000, by William Kentridge (Philadelphia Museum of Art: Purchased with

funds contributed by the Young Friends of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Thomas

Celebration of the Wedding of Manohar and Madhumalati, Gulshan-i Ishq (Rose Garden

of Love) (detail), 1743, India (Andhra Pradesh, probably Hyderabad) (Philadelphia Museum

of Art: The Philip S. Collins Collection, gift of Mrs. Philip S. Collins in memory of her husband,

1945-65-22 [page 410])

Railroad Bridge, Argenteuil (detail), 1874, by Claude Monet (Philadelphia Museum of Art:

John G. Johnson Collection, 1917, cat. 1050)

Horse and Man Armors, 1507 and c. 1505 respectively, Germany (Philadelphia Museum

of Art: Gift of Athena and Nicholas Karabots and The Karabots Foundation, 2009-117-1,2)

Looking to Write, Writing to Look

is generously supported by the

Sherman Fairchild Foundation, Inc.

Written by Rebecca Mitchell

Edited by Amy Hewitt

Production by Janette Krauss

Printed by CRW Graphics

Photographs of works of art in

the Museum’s collection are by

the Photography Studio of the

Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Every attempt has been made

to locate the copyright holders

of the works reproduced herein.

Any omission is unintentional.