NOTES: FACING THE PORTRAIT TOUR

by Robert Anderson

Introduction & Welcome

    Introduction of self
    Review expectations and manners in the galleries
    Review the goal of the tour
        To learn about the many kinds of portraits artists create

    Who knows the definition of the word portrait?
        A painting or a sculpture of a known person or group of people
    Some show the sitter from waist up -
    Some almost the whole person
    Others are done full length
       
    Artists also often give clues about what the sitter was like

    As we visit portraits today
        Determine what kind of portrait it is, , , Full etc.
        Find clues that tell us more about the person

Procedure - in each gallery

    Note terra cotta & marble busts as you walk thru the galleries

    Emphasis changes by age group
        Younger students - identification & clues about identity
        Older students - social & contextual information

Young children - Facing the portrait

    This is a portrait of a man, woman, boy, girl?
    This person is     young, middle aged. old?
    The body is full, , , head?
    The hair is choice of different styles?
    This person is important - ordinary?

What did we learn?        Definition of a portrait
                    Different size portraits

   Older students - Facing the portrait

Artist's name?
Is this a portrait? Why?

Look at the face
        Which way is the face turned?
Where is the person looking?   
        Do the eyes seem focused on a particular object?

Does the person's face seem to express an emotion?        
Is the person smiling, sad, calm, surprised?    Angry? Proud?
Does the face reflect any aspects of the sitter's personality or mood?

How old do you think the person is?
        Young, middle-aged, old

        If you could touch the face, how would the skin feel?

Look at the figure or body
        How much of the body does the artist show?
        Could the artist have shown more or less of the sitter?
Is the pose full, , , 0r just the head?

        Which way are the shoulders turned?
Are the face and shoulders turned in the same direction?

        Does the body seem to be still or in motion?

Look at the hair
        How is it styled?   
        Is it Straight or curled - thick or thin - wiry or soft -     full or sparse

    Look at the clothing
        Is it fancy or plain - heavy or light - fitted or loose - rough or smooth
        Is it modern clothing?         What would people do in such clothes?

    Color
        What is the main color in the portrait?

    Background
        Is there a background?
        Does it tell us anything about the figure?

The Paintings

Gallery #3 - Cardinal Albrecht as St. Jerome
                First painting seen
                Relate gallery similarities to painting
                Note animals - colors - lines
                Title of painting - Who was he?
                Why depicted as St. Jerome?
                How was this done?

Gallery #4 - Bust on way through

Gallery #5 - Illustrate different sizes of portraits - Bust, , , , Full

Gallery #6 - Family Group

        Portrait of Mario Benvenuti
                Details of armor    Carved writing in Latin
                Important information         Location
                Look at face    Posed        Fancy armor - soft cloth
                Tell name and label information

Gallery #8 - Judith with the Head of Holofernes (not a portrait)
                Two Judiths!        Different        
Not portraits - faces not known
                Tell story - perform    Kids sit
            Which painted by a man & which by a woman?
            Why?

        Portrait of a Cardinal     
Wall color & wall in picture    Pulls gallery together
                Size of portrait - 3/4   
       
Gallery #10 - Man with a Spear - Woman with a Rose

Gallery #14 - Philip IV
                Look for changes - pentimenti   
Imitate pose

Gallery #15 - Madame Bourbon-Conti

    Gallery #16 -

Gallery #18 - General Honywood & Marquis of Granby

Optional activity at end of the tour has different level activity sheets for different grade levels.

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