E xploring Religious Art

discussion guide

Exploring Religious Art

M useum & gallery

BoB Jones uniVeRsiT Y

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Exploring Religious ArtTable of Contents

Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

introduction to Renaissance & Baroque Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

segment 1: St. Michael the Archangel Overcoming Satan . . . . . . .5

segment 2: Jacob Shown the Coat of Joseph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

segment 3: Preparing to Depart for Canaan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

segment 4: The Flight into Egypt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

segment 5: The Destruction of the Army of Sennacherib . . . . . . . .9

segment 6: Esther before Ahasuerus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

segment 7: The Raising of Lazarus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

segment 8: The Mocking of Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

segment 9: The Ascension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

segment 10: St. John theEvangelist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

ncover image: The Flight into Egypt by domenico Fiasella, called il sarzana from the Bob Jones university collection

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Welcomedear educator,

Although the arts have often been categorized as extra-cur-ricular, educators are now discovering that integrating great masterworks into the core curriculum can reap wonderful educational benefits . That is why we at the BJu Museum & gallery work hard to develop and market materials for class-room and home use . The Exploring Religious Art Discussion Guide is only one of many products we offer . our education-al website (www.bjumg.org/EducationalResources) can show you much more . The resources provided are not only educationally beneficial but also affordable, easy to use, and varied (books for all ages, teaching materials, reference tools, cds, videos, and more) . We’ll be updating our site and add-ing new links regularly, so visit often and let us know what you think—and what you need—through our on-line ques-tionnaire .

sincerely,

donnalynn Hessdirector of education, BJu Museum & gallery

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Instructionseach viewing segment on the dVd or video is

two to three minutes in length . The introduc-

tion will provide the brief historical context

for the art works explored in the remaining

segments . Discussion questions, answers (in

parentheses), and suggested activities for each

segment are provided in this insert . The ques-

tions can help students master the basic infor-

mation, while the activities can provide a fun,

“hands-on” way to apply the concepts presented .

To encourage student focus, you may wish to

introduce the questions before viewing each

segment . doing so may also promote more

interaction in the follow-up discussion . How

you incorporate the material into your schedule,

however, is completely up to you . We hope you

enjoy your exploration!

n

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Introduction to Renaissance and Baroque Art

1 . Who is the man in the picture? (Erasmus of Rotterdam)2 . What was his profession? (a clergyman, teacher, scholar)3 . name two events of the early Renaissance (late 1400s- early

1500s) . (the first music was printed, Leonardo da Vinci invented the parachute, Michelangelo carved the Pieta, Shakespeare first appeared on the English stage)

4 . Who is the central figure in the charles Le Brun painting? (Mary)

5 . Why is one figure not looking at her? (It is a self-portrait of the artist, Charles Le Brun.)

Segment 1St. Michael the Archangel Overcoming Satan

by José Antolínez (attr. to)

Antolínez presents the battle between Michael and satan with beautiful forms and sharp contrast . notice how the artist clearly shows the distinction between good and evil .overview questions

1 . How did Antolínez know of foreign painting techniques? (from paintings of the Spanish royal court)

2 . Which angel is depicted in this painting? (Michael, the archangel)

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3 . How does Antolínez contrast the good and the evil in this painting? (He paints Michael as young, attractive, elegant, and seemingly weightless, whereas Satan looks homely, weak, and awk-ward. He uses light and darkness.)

ActivityMaterials: colored pencils, white paper, rulerDefinitions: value: the relative lightness or darkness of a color gradient: the rate of increase or decrease (specifically

in value)Instructions: draw eight 1” x 1” squares in a line on a piece of

white paper . number the squares 1 through 8 . The first square should be left white, and square 8 should be colored solid black . in squares 2-7, show a gradual progression of light to dark . once you have finished, look at the line of squares with your eyes squinted to make sure there are no jumps in value . This project is harder than it sounds and may require several tries to achieve the perfect gradient . once you have mastered this technique in black and white, try using other colors (for example, move from yellow to green) .

Segment 2Jacob Shown the Coat of Joseph by Giovanni Battista Carlone

carlone paints this scene in a naturalistic style . He successfully captures the emotion of the moment and gives clear emphasis in this piece .overview questions

1 . Which chapter of the Bible does this painting illustrate? (Genesis 37)

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2 . What event does it depict? (Jacob seeing the coat of Joseph)3 . How does the painter draw attention to the central figure?

(by using points of light against a dark background)Activity

Materials: paper and pencils or colored pencilsInstructions: draw a family portrait . Make each person in the

picture show a different one of the following emotions: sor-row, joy, surprise, confusion, anger, fear, embarrassment, and worry . Be sure to use the body as well as the face to commu-nicate these emotions .

Segment 3Preparing to Depart for Canaan

by Leandro Bassano, called Leandro da Ponte

Bassano paints in a mannerist style using exaggerated gestures and much movement . Look closely to see the detailed landscape he put in the background of this work .overview questions

1 . Which century was a high point for religious art? (the 16th century)

2 . What people or nationality does the painting show? (the Israelites)

3 . Where are they coming from and where are they going? (They are coming out of captivity in Egypt and going to the Promised

Land.)4 . What replaced the High Renaissance style? (the Mannerist

style)

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ActivityMaterials: a Bible, paper, and pencils or paintsInstructions: Read to the students numbers 13:21-29 . Tell

them to use the clues given in that passage to draw a picture of what they think canaan might look like . not many details are given, but try to use all of the ones that are . Have several students show and explain their drawings .

Segment 4The Flight into Egypt

by Domenico Fiasella, called Il Sarzana

Fiasella’s The Flight into Egypt shows his calm, three-dimensional, and colorful style . notice that although he portrays Mary and Joseph fleeing the wrath of Herod, Fiasella maintains a tranquil atmosphere in the picture .overview questions

1 . What do the halos painted by Fiasella look like? (glass edged with gold)

2 . What do the colors of Mary’s robes represent? (Red stands for blood or love, and blue represents heaven or truth.)

3 . What do you think the dark forest represents? (the danger and trouble they are fleeing)

ActivityMaterials: cards or objects that show the following colors:

green, purple, red, black, blue, and white .

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Instructions: show the class one color at a time, asking them what each color could stand for . After receiving the students’ input, tell what each color traditionally represents in reli-gious art .

green: life, growth purple: royalty k red: christ’s blood, love blue: heaven, truth, or loyalty black: sink white: purity

Segment 5The Destruction of the Army of Sennacherib

by Ilario Spolverini

spolverini uses elements of light and darkness to show a scene of chaos at nighttime . He also displays the emotions of panic and terror on the faces of the Assyrian soldiers .overview questions

1 . What was the theme of the series of seven paintings? (justice and mercy)

2 . What city had sennacherib besieged? (Jerusalem)3 . The words Clades Senacerib are shown written on the angel’s shield . What do those words mean? (“Destruction to

Sennacherib”)4 . What is strange about the horses’ stance? (They are running

with their feet together rather than apart like real horses’ feet would be.)

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ActivityMaterials: a copy of the poem “The destruction of

sennacherib” by george gordon, Lord Byron; paper and pen-cils or paints .

Instructions: Read Byron’s “The destruction of sennacherib” to the class and discuss the poem with them to make sure they understand the plot . instruct the students to draw their own illustration of the battle using the descriptions given in the poem .

Segment 6

Esther before Ahasuerus by Claude Vignon

in Vignon’s painting of Esther before Ahasuerus, notice the elegant clothing and architecture that the artist’s imagination has sup-plied for us . overview questions

1 . What was the punishment for coming before the king unin-vited? (death)

2 . How did Vignon’s style change? (from dark and shadowy with strong highlights to brightly colored with rich textures)

ActivityMaterials: pictures of architecture from all time periods and

all areas of the world . suggested source: http://architecture .about .com/library/bl-buildings .htm

Instructions: show the students one picture at a time, and ask

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them what period of time and/or what area of the world each building could come from . Point out clues in the pictures such as people, animals, or plant life in the background, and give characteristics of the various styles of architecture .

Segment 7The Raising of Lazarus

by Francesco Granacci (workshop of)

granacci paints one of christ’s most amazing miracles in a bal-anced, organized fashion .overview questions

1 . Who commissioned most artists to paint during this time?(the Church)

2 . What kind of themes did they usually paint? (religious)3 . How are the saints distinguished from others? (with halos)4 . What is strange about the background of the painting? (The

setting is in Granacci’s time period instead of the biblical time period.)Activity

Materials: drawing or painting materialsDefinition: commission: to pay an artist to depict a certain scene or portraitInstructions: Have each student ask a friend or parent to pick

a biblical scene and “commission” the student to draw or paint it . or have each student draw a biblical scene of his own choosing and write a brief explanation of why he

chose it .

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Segment 8The Mocking of Christ by Unknown French or Dutch

(follower of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio)

This powerful scene showing the mocking of christ contains much detail and a wide range of emotions, pulling the viewer right into the action .overview questions

1 . What artist influenced the unknown painter of The Mocking of Christ? (Caravaggio)

2 . What was one of caravaggio’s innovative techniques? (using live models, painting with a single strong light source from the upper left)

ActivityMaterials: examples of works by artists with distinct styles

(paper and paint optional)Suggested artists: search for van gogh, Monet, Picasso, dali,

van eyckInstructions: show the students one picture at a time, giving

them the name of the artist . Ask what they notice about each work, and then point out the distinctive elements in each .

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Segment 9The Ascension by Gustave Doré

doré’s joyous portrayal of christ’s ascension employs a unique “hot air balloon” perspective . notice also how the artist’s use of bright color brings the painting to life .overview questions

1 . What was doré’s primary occupation? (He was an illustrator for a magazine.)

2 . What nickname did he earn by painting so many religious works? (“The Painter-Preacher”)

3 . How does the painter make the viewer feel included in the scene? (He places the viewer among the angels who are welcoming Christ; He paints one angel looking directly at the viewer.)

ActivityMaterials: paper and pencilInstructions: give the students an object to draw (for example,

an apple, a box, a chair, a person), and instruct them to draw it from the following perspectives:

1 . on a level plane with the object 2 . From a hot air balloon 3 . From a tree a few feet above the object 4 . From a basement window (looking up at the object)

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Segment 10St. John the Evangelist by Domenico Zampieri,

called Il Domenichino

Zampieri’s use of the Renaissance style portrays the apostle John as a figure with smooth skin and perfect form . notice the attri-butes of John that are typical of religious symbolism .overview questions

1 . Where did Zampieri begin his education? (Flanders)2 . What name is given to pictures painted on a plaster wall?

(frescos)3 . What is st . John the evangelist's attribute? (eagle)

ActivityMaterials: drawing or painting materials, magazines, newspa-

pers, multi-colored construction paperDefinition: attribute: a conventional symbol added, as an accessory, to

denote the character or show the identity of the personage represented

Instructions: using magazines and newspapers, create a com-posite self-portrait . The collage should include items that

are characteristic of the student (your own attributes) . For example, a person who loves art might cut out and paste on his collage pictures of art supplies and paintings to create his self-portrait . or, if the student has access to a computer, he can create his self-portrait using clip art .

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Exploring Religious Art Credits

St. Michael the Archangel Overcoming Satan José Antolinez (attr . to)From the Bob Jones university collection

Jacob Shown the Coat of Josephgiovanni Battista carloneFrom the Bob Jones university collection

Preparing to Depart for CanaanLeandro Bassano, called Leandro da PonteFrom the Bob Jones university Museum & gallery collection

The Flight into Egyptdomenico Fiasella, called il sarzanaFrom the Bob Jones university collection

The Destruction of the Army of Sennacheribilario spolveriniFrom the Bob Jones university collection

Esther before Ahasuerusclaude VignonFrom the Bob Jones university collection

The Raising of LazarusFrancesco granacci (workshop of)From the private collection of a Bob Jones university graduate

The Mocking of Christunknown French or dutch (follower of Michelangelo Merisi da caravaggio)From the Bob Jones university Museum & gallery collection

The Ascensiongustave doréFrom the Bob Jones university collection

St. John the Evangelistdomenico Zampieri, called il domenichino

From the Bob Jones university collection

Bob Jones university Museum & gallery, inc .1700 Wade Hampton Blvd . greenville, sc 29614-0001

(864)242-5100, Ext. 1050 • FAX (864)770-1306 www .bjumg .org

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