LESSON PLANS FROM “DRAWING ON NARRATIVE PAINTING”

LESSON PLANS FROM
GRADES 3-5 / ART HISTORY
“DR AWING ON NARR ATIVE PAINTING”
OBJECTIVES
• Students will discover visual cues that artists
use to create narrative content by analyzing
the work of other artists
• Students will apply visual cues in their own
drawings in order to tell a story
• Students will experience how there are different responses to specific artworks
• Students will identify connections between
the visual arts and literature through narrative
story telling.
STANDARDS
Detail of Psyche Opening the Golden Box by
John William Waterhouse (1849-1917)
SUMMARY
Students express their creativity by engaging
with narrative paintings and evaluating their
narrative content. Children apply their understanding of the images by inventing their own
stories in a creative drawing exercise links the
idea of storytelling in literature with art.
This lesson meets National Arts Standards
1.c, 2.a, 2.b, 2.c, 5.c, 6.b and Common Core
English Language Arts Standards CCSS.ELALITERACY.RL.4.9, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.
SL.4.1.B, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1.C,
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1.D, CCSS.ELALITERACY.SL.4.3
MATERIALS
Paper, Crayons, Images of John William
Waterhouse’s Psyche Opening the Golden Box,
and The Accolade by Edmund Blair Leighton
“DR AWING ON NARR AT I V E A RT ”
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Victorian Era
This is known as the period of Queen Victoria’s
reign from 20 June 1837 until her death, on 22
January 1901. However, when discussing Victorian artists, the time period can be stretched
up to around 1925, by which time those artists
who were famous in the Victorian perished.
It was a long period of peace, prosperity, and
refined sensibilities.
In England, there was the birth of the middle
class that emerged from the industrialization
that had started at the end of the 18th century.
Because of this strong economic and ideological shift, the figurative art from the first half of
the century tended to focus more on history
where as the later half focused on everyday life
and popular fiction. With the newly acquired
freedom to paint subjects other then historical,
religious, portraiture and the aristocracy there
was an explosion of new subject mater. Just as
Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel and other masters of the past brought to life scenes from the
bible, the 19th century masters were bringing
to life scenes from the poems of Alfred Lord
Tennyson, and the stories of Charles Dickens,
Shakespeare and ancient Greek and Roman
mythology. It is also important to remember
that during the 19th century television was
not invented yet and photography was in its
infancy. Paintings, drawings and etchings were
created as the primary form of visual communication throughout the era.
Edmund Blair Leighton (1852-1922)
Although his name is not commonly known,
Edmund Blair Leighton’s most famous works
are among the most widely recognized paintings of the period. His works of Godspeed
(1900) and the Accolade (1901), can be seen
GRADES 3-5 / ART HISTORY
in almost every poster shop around the world
and are used as the epitome of medieval iconography. If one looks at the visual elements
in Godspeed for example, it becomes evident
that very few paintings encapsulate with such
a strong a sense, the sensibilities of this genre.
The beautiful maiden on the steps of a stone
castle, the knight in shining armor, the white
steed, and the sense of immediate peril which
threatens the subjects contentment almost
define our modern day conception of Medieval
legend and romantic sentiment.
John William Waterhouse (1849-1917)
John William Waterhouse is among the most
popular artists of the Victorian period. It is
interesting to note however that little is known
about his personal life today, considering he
died as recently as 1917, and was an active
member of the Royal Academy. What is known
indicates he was a shy man. He left no diaries or journals. His friend, William Logsdail
[1859-1944] wrote his memoirs.
Peter Trippi said it best in his book on Waterhouse that “John William Waterhouse is
among the most popular Victorian Artists,
and many of his paintings have become icons
of femininity recognized the world over. With
their glowing color, compelling composition
and Impressionist-infected technique, these
paintings are admired for their beauty, yet at
the same time have the power to transport
viewers into a romantic world of myth and
legend. Waterhouse’s art reflects not only his
distinctive ideal of female beauty, but also a
lifelong fascination with the Romantic and
Symbolistic themes of passion, magic and
transformation, spiritual, erotic and physical...
like other Victorian artists, Waterhouse was
neglected through much of the 20th century,
but today he is acknowledged as a crucial inheritor of the Pre-Raphaelite legacy.”
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nitiative
www.davinciinitiative.org
“DR AWING ON NARR AT I V E A RT ”
GRADES 3-5 / ART HISTORY
STEP 1: Look at the artwork.
STEP 5: Class Critique
Show the class the first image of the knight
kneeling. Use these questions to guide a classroom discussion of the artwork.
Have students walk around and look at each
other’s artwork. Lead a discussion about how
students have interpreted the painting of the
girl opening the box differently. Then ask these
questions:
1.What is going on in this picture?
2.What do you think happened before this
scene?
3.What do you think will happen next?
4.What do you see that makes you think this?
STEP 2: Respond to the artwork.
Distribute paper and crayons to the class.
Show students the second image of the girl
opening the box. Ask them to draw a picture
of what they think will happen next and ask
them to include at least three elements that
support their narrative.
STEP 3: Activity Extension
Ask students to draw a picture of what they
think happened before the scene in the painting. If someone else were to come into the
scene, who would it be?
1. Do you see something about a classmate’s
drawing that you really like?
2. If you could do this project again, is their
something about your own work you would
do differently?
STEP 6: Assessment
Is there a relationship between the figures in
the students drawing and the figures in the
original image?
Does the student’s drawing make a logical
progression in the story?
Does the student’s drawing have elements that
support their narrative, and how many?
Does the students drawing seem to match
their verbal explanation?
STEP 4: Studio Time Guidance
STEP 7: Display Artwork
As students draw, walk around and ask them
questions about their drawings.
Display the artwork. Students do their best
work when they know that others will see
and respond to it. If billboards in the classroom or hallways are not available, consider
photocopying the artwork and making a class
booklet to share with classroom visitors.
1. Can you tell me what is going on in your
picture?
2. What details can you include to make your
story more clear?
3. Can you tell me how this element helps to
tell your story?
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nitiative
www.davinciinitiative.org
“DR AWING ON NARR AT I V E A RT ”
GRADES 3-5 / ART HISTORY
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Art Renewal Center
Online Image Museum
www.artrenewal.org
J.W. Waterhouse
Peter Trippi – Phaidon - 2002
Nineteenth Century Painters and Painting: a
Dictionary
Geraldine Norman – University of California
Press – 1977
The Art and Life of JW Waterhouse RA
Anthony Hobson – Rizzoli - 1980
Victorian Painting: in oils and watercolours
Christopher wood – Antique Collectors Club
– 1996
19th Century Art
Robert Rosenblum and H.W. Janson – Harry
N. Abrams Inc. - 1984
Victorian Painters
Jeremy Maas – Harrison House publishers
– 1978
Art in the age of Queen Victoria: Treasures
form the Royal Academy of Arts Permanent
Collection
Helen Valentine – Royal Academy of Arts with
Yale University Press – 1999
Victorian Painting
Lionel Lambourne – Phaidon – 1999
Victorian Artists
Quentin Bell – Burgess & Son - 1967
The Dictionary of Victorian Painters
Christopher Wood - Antique Collectors Club
– 1978
Popular 19th Century Painting: A Dictionary
of European Genre Painters
Philip Hook and Mark Poltimore - Antique
Collectors Club – 1987
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nitiative
www.davinciinitiative.org
John William Waterhouse Psyche Opening the Golden Box,
image courtesy of the Art Renewal Center www.artrenewal.org
The Accolade by Edmund Blair Leighton
Image courtesy of the Art Renewal Center www.artrenewal.org