POSING FOR REMBRANDT
Author: Virginia Wasniewski, PS 12 Queens
Lesson Preview This lesson introduces students to Rembrandts costuming and posing techniques used in his paintings. It will encourage students to explore the theatricality behind Rembrandts works as a key to his popular success in Amsterdam of the 17th century.
Standards New York State Learning Standards for the Arts
Understanding the cultural dimensions of the artsNew York City English Language Performance Standards
Producing a narrative accountGrades Upper Elementary and Intermediate Levels
Subjects Art, Language Arts, Photography
Materials costumes, camera, film, tag board, art reproductions
WWW The Metropolitan Museum http://www.metmuseum.org/
Try this saved search - http://www.metmuseum.org/collections/result.asp?collection=ep&Artist=Rembrandt&Title=&Country=&Date1=&Era1=AD&Date2=&Era2=AD&Keyword=&image.x=
The Night Watch
Instruction
1. Students, at first, review Rembrandts use of costume and subject positioning in the composition of his art. Teacher has the class study and observe Rembrandts works. Students pay special attention to The Night Watch and discuss elements of composition in that work. Students then are asked how to duplicate that composition using photography.
2. Students are asked to decide what costumes to bring to school. Explain to students that they may use whatever is available to them at the time of active photography.
3. Teacher and students collaborate on what costumes are included in various photographs and what poses. Various poses and costumes are taken using The Night Watch as the organizing theme.
The Night Watch
4. Film is processed and enlarged on a color photocopy machine. Photos are then cut out and mounted on a large tag board. Students work in cooperative groups to determine titles of the group costume photographs.
Extensions
Have the class write a narrative account about each group as a whole or about individual characters in a photograph.
Make a background using paint&endash;paper&endash;collage creating multidimensional art.
Assessments Using a Venn diagram, compare and contrast student art products vs. Rembrandts The Night Watch.
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