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Different Points of View

BACKGROUND

Renaissance

Lesson Plans
Class: Language Arts Theme(s):
Arts & Architecture Patrons & Lifestyle

Imagine that you never saw a picture of anyone you knew. No photographs of friends and family, no advertising posters or billboards, no one familiar on television or in the movies, no painted or sculpted portraits of real people, only people who no one had seen for centuries like Jesus and the saints. That's what life was like in Europe before the Renaissance. The portrait that we know today, a picture that captures the likeness of a person, was revolutionary during the Renaissance. 1200 years before the Renaissance (around 100 A.D.), portraits of the rulers of ancient Rome were sculpted on metal coins and spread throughout the Aureus of Septimius Severus, countryside. Coins were easy to carry and easy to distribute, reaching citizens far with a portrait of Julia and wide to announce and identify images of the leaders of Rome. Once ancient Domna, ca. Rome stopped producing these images, portraiture in Europe disappeared until 93-96 A.D Italians first began to Severan, Roman; Gold; Diam. represent images of real 0.78 in. (2 cm) people in the 1300s. They Gift of Joseph H. Durkee, modeled the portraits on 1899 (99.35.218) the coins recovered from The Metropolitan Museum ancient Rome. In Florence of Art artists like Giovanni del Biondo began painting portraits of sitters turned in three-quarter view. When these paintings reached Florence, they were very much admired. Unlike the profile, which did not add much to the individuality of the portrait's subject, the three-quarter pose broke down the barriers between the subject and the viewer by allowing the subject to look out of the portrait directly at the viewer. This new communication between the subject and the viewers of the portrait opened the door to portraiture hat explored the character of a person as well as the way he or she looked. A portrait of a person's face became a metaphor for the person's self, and to have your portrait painted, meant your image might live beyond you. The idea was so appealing that merchants and tradesmen, not just royalty and church Giovanni del Biondo leaders, began to commission portraits of themselves Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine Alexandria, and their families. detail, About 1379
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This Portrait of a Boy, in threequarter pose, is from Venice, Italy around 1499.

DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW: BACKGROUND (continued)

The role of the artist changed as well; artists needed the ability to capture a pleasing likeness of a real person rather than imagine the likeness of a saint. Galeazzo Maria Sforza, the Duke of Milan from 1466 to 1476, sent his court painter to France to make a portrait of a princess of Savoy he was thinking of marrying. The woman in the portrait was so beautiful that the Duke married her by immediately authorizing a substitute to stand in his place in France. When the new bride arrived in Milan, the Duke's court reported that she was even more beautiful than her picture, and younger looking too! The artist who was sent to France to paint a portrait of the princess knew that to disappoint the Duke with a portrait more beautiful than the real princess would risk his position as court painter. At the beginning of the Renaissance, most patrons, like the Duke of Milan, provided detailed instructions to artists about how the art they were paying for should look. As the Renaissance continued, artists began to assert their own views about art and their own independent ideas and styles. An artist of today, valued for their original creativity and individual artistic vision, has the Renaissance to thank for his or her independence.

Follower of Bartolomeo Vivarini Portrait of a Boy, About 1499 Tempera type on panel

During the Renaissance, artists began to paint portraits of themselves to advertise their skill and promote their images as talented and sensitive observers. The new Renaissance innovations in portraiture spread all over Europe and the portraiture that developed in the Renaissance remains much the same today. While we may use new materials and techniques like photography or video, capturing the essence of another person, both the way they look and the kind of person they are, is an idea that began in the Renaissance.

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Lesson Plans

DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW (continued) RESOURCE

Campbell, Lorne: European Portrait-Painting in the 14th, 15th and 16th Centuries, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1990.

CLASSROM TIME
One or two 40 minute periods

OBJECTIVES
Students will: Creatively apply the written word to produce an essay from two differing points of view. Practice observing and analyzing the details of a work of art. Learn to formulate individual opinions based on observation. Understand how differing opinions can be based on analyzing a work of art (or person or event) from another person's point of view. Learn to use facts to back up an argument or prove a point.

PENNSYLVANIA ACADEMIC STANDARDS

Arts and Humanities 9.3.8 A. Know and use critical process of the examination of works in the arts and humanities. Compare and contrast Analyze 9.3.8 G. Compare and contrast critical positions or opinions about selected works in the arts and humanities. Language Arts 1.1.8 G. Demonstrate after reading understanding and interpretation of both fiction and nonfiction text, including public documents. Make and support with evidence assertions about text. Compare and contrast texts using themes, settings, characters, and ideas. 1.5.8 B. Write well developed content appropriate for the topic. Write paragraphs that have details and information specific to the topic and relevant to the focus.

MATERIALS
LCD Projection or large display-sized reproductions of any one portrait in the Renaissance Connection -- Portrait of a Boy (Follower of Bartolomeo Vivarini), The Standard Bearer (Dosso Dossi), Portrait of George, Duke of Saxony (Lucas Cranach), Portrait of a Gentleman (Girolamo Romanino), Portrait of a Lady ( Netherlandish Master), Portrait of Anton Fugger (Hans Maler), Portrait of a Venetian Commander (Domenico Tintoretto), Captain of the Infantry, Marching Left (Hendrik Goltzius), Portrait of Durer (Erhard Schon) and Bean Eater (Annibale Carracci) Different Points of View Writing Assignment Sample Blackboard or white board

OPTIONAL RESOURCES
The "Background" section of this lesson, reproduced as a student handout.
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DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW (continued) WRITING LESSON

1. Setting the Stage (Note: The background section of this lesson might serve as a handout to help students in this activity.) The Renaissance was a time of great innovation in the art of portraiture -- a drawing, painting, or other representation of someone's face. Before the Renaissance most Europeans thought that a work of art should only represent heavenly figures of the church -- Christ and his holy family and saints. But during the Renaissance people began to see themselves as worthy of portraits, and artists began to learn the skills needed to create a likeness of a real person sitting in front of them. But portraits in the Renaissance represented more than just what a person looked like. Eventually Renaissance portraits began to represent a person's character, and how the artist felt about that person. In this assignment you'll examine that relationship between the subject of a Renaissance portrait and the artist who painted it by writing about the portrait from both of these points of view. 2. The Renaissance Connection Display the portrait Bean Eater from the Renaissance Connection and ask the students to brainstorm ideas that they could include in an essay from the artist's point of view and from the point of view of the portrait's subject. To help students follow the discussion, record the their ideas and comments on a blackboard or white board in two columns: "Artist's Point of View" and "Subject's Point of View." Possible brainstorming questions include: What do you see (visual inventory of the work)? What is the subject of the portrait wearing? What does the clothing tell us about the subject? Where is the subject situated? Home? Restaurant? Pub? How can you tell? What other items do you see in the background? What do they tell us about the subject? What time of day is it? How can you tell? Is this important? Why or why not? How much space does the portrait's subject take up? How much depth is shown? Describe the colors and textures in the portrait. How do you think the subject of this portrait feels? How can you tell? Can you describe his personality by looking at him? Do you think the subject of this portrait knew the artist? How can you tell? Do you think the artist knew the subject of this portrait? How can you tell? What does the artist want the viewer to think about or feel about the portrait? Why do you think the artist painted this portrait? Other thoughts or comments from the artist's point of view? Other thoughts or comments from the subject's point of view? Once they have completed the brainstorming distribute the "Different Points of View Writing Assignment Sample" handout. Review the sample with students to see how their ideas can be transformed from ideas to a written essay. Next, have students choose a different portrait from the Renaissance Connection and write an essay from the point of view of both the artist and the subject of the portrait. Depending on the size of your class, more than one student will have to select the same portrait as there are a limited number of images. Have students refer to the brainstorm list generated by the class as an example of the kinds of questions they should ask themselves about the portrait they choose to write about. Allow students to read about the portraits in the Renaissance Connection and include information in their essay that is relevant. Inform students of the assessment procedures prior to
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DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW: WRITING LESSON (continued)

starting this project. (See #4. Assessment below.) 3. Summary Allow students to share their essays with the class. Organize the presentations to allow students who wrote about the same portrait to present in sequence to illustrate how one work of art can be interpreted in a variety of ways. 4. Assessment - Scoring Rubric:

Criteria
Facts

Limited Achievement
Includes objective, indisputable facts ("The sky is blue and gray.")

Sound Achievement
Includes a multitude of facts and descriptions.

High Achievement
Includes accurate facts and descriptions based on observation and information about the work of art from the Renaissance Connection Includes opinions and rationale, based on observable evidence in the work of art. Thoughts and ideas of artist and subject are persuasive and express a specific point of view. Punctuation, grammar and spelling are correct. Fonts are readable, text and graphics are placed logically.

Opinions

Includes opinions ("The sky is beautiful") Includes thoughts of both artist and subject. Spelling is correct. Fonts are readable and text is placed logically.

Includes opinions and rationale ("The sky is beautiful because...") Includes a multitude of thoughts and ideas of both artist and subject. Punctuation and spelling are correct. Fonts are readable, text is placed logically and document contains at least one graphic image.

Artist and Subject Grammar and Spelling Layout and Graphics

VOCABULARY
portrait: a painting, drawing, bust, photograph, or other representation of a real person, living or dead, especially of the face. profile: a representation of somebody's face as seen from the side. three-quarter pose: a representation of somebody turned part way between a profile and a full frontal view of the face.

DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW: WRITING ASSIGNMENT EXAMPLES

The Artist's Point of View Annibale Caracci: I chose to paint the portrait of Giacomo as a study; a still life of sorts. I wished to render a commoner, as he would have been seen in every day life. Other artists focus on the mythical, allegorical or religious subjects that are so popular now. I must admit that I also need to make a living and have done my share of that kind of work. But there are still times between major commissions, in which I practice my craft to improve my abilities. It cannot be emphasized too much, that in order to improve, novice painters must practice.
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Lesson Plans

DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW (continued)

In regard to this painting, I am always asked, "Who is this man?" To answer this question I invoke the viewer's creativity as well as his intellect. Note the cuisine. What is this man eating? The answer is beans and bread, pig's feet and wine. I ask you, who would willingly eat such a meal? A starving peasant, perhaps? Or an elegant connoisseur who enjoys a variety of dishes? Note the setting. Giacomo may be feasting in a royal kitchen considering the elegant robe in the background, the marvelous glass goblet and fine silver being used. His garments also indicate a person with some sense of culture. On the other hand, this dimly lit scene suggests the meal to be a secret activity. Or the place may be a simple house incapable of proper lighting. The truth is that I wish the subject to remain anonymous. Viewers should, on their own, ask themselves these questions, notice Annibale Carraci the details and arrive at an opinion as to who they think this person The Bean Eater is. At times, life is much more interesting when the answers remain about 1582/83 mysteries. Oil on canvas The Subject's Point of View The Bean Eater: "I was hungry and you gave me food, thirsty and you gave me drink." So our Lord will speak to those who pass on to the next life. I can only say, "Thank you, dear sir, for giving me this meal! Even though I have no stately bearing, no official claim to aristocracy, you still took me in and gave me this delicious food." But now as I eat, I find that, in addition to feeling grateful, a small feeling of unease. You seem to be studying me as if I am the subject of a classroom lecture. Why do you stare at me so? Am I not using proper manners? Is there a piece of food stuck to my lips? Maybe I can strike up a conversation to ease the tension: "Tell me, good sir, what is it that you do for a living? Oh, you are an artist! A painter. I have always wished I had such an elegant talent. But it must be difficult to earn a living as a painter, no? Yes, I understand that it's difficult to earn a living in any occupation. May I be so bold as to ask to see one of your paintings? Later? Yes, of course. I should finish eating first." Oh no, not another uncomfortable silence. Once again he is studying me. I am afraid I may be put into one of his paintings. Maybe he will use my face as the face of St. John the Baptist, or St. Luke, or even an angel. Won't my father be proud to see my face in a painting! I can't wait to tell him! But first I must choke down these hooves... I really shouldn't have eaten all the beans first.

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