Jacob Lawrence: Exploring Stories jmccartney Wed, 10/07/2009 - 15:07
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Casein tempera on hardboard, The Migration of the Negro, Panel 50, 1940-1941
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Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000) was an artistic storyteller whose drawings document the African American experience. This site complements an exhibition entitled "Over the Line: The Art and Life of Jacob Lawrence," and offers educational resources on Jacob Lawrence's work. The site includes images of Lawrence's paintings, learning plans, and art activities. It highlights the themes in Jacob Lawrence's work, such as the universal quest for freedom, social justice, and human dignity, as well as his repetitious and rhythmic approach to visual storytelling. This site brings together paintings and drawings of the streets of Harlem, southern African American life, and black heroes and heroines. There is additional information about one of the most characteristic features of Lawrence's work, his storytelling panels. Visitors can view 12 drawings from one of his most acclaimed works "The Migration Series."

The site is rounded out with a selection of unique student activities. Designed for 3rd through 12th grades, 21 lessons are based on 12 themes found in Lawrence's work such as discrimination, migration, labor, and working women. Students and teachers will enjoy this unique and well-organized site.

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Thomas Hart Benton Home and Studio State Historic Site [MO]

Description

A renowned painter, sculptor, lecturer, and writer, Thomas Hart Benton had a gift for interpreting everyday life. One of his most noted murals, "A Social History of the State of Missouri," can be viewed in the House Lounge of the state Capitol. Virtually untouched since his death in 1975, the two-and-a-half story, late Victorian-style house that Benton called home was constructed of native, quarried limestone and contains simple furnishings in neutral tones that contrast Benton's vibrant paintings. Several of Benton's paintings and sculptures can be viewed in the house. Benton converted half of the carriage house into his art studio, which remains as he left it, with coffee cans full of paintbrushes, numerous paints, and a stretched canvas waiting to be transformed into another of his masterpieces.

The site offers tours.

The Peabody Sisters: Igniting American Romanticism Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 01/04/2008 - 14:03
Description

Writer Megan Marshall describes the lives of the Peabody sisters—Elizabeth, Mary, and Sophia—three women who contributed to the Transcendental movement of the 1800s. Elizabeth worked as an educator; Sophia, eventual wife of Nathaniel Hawthorne, wrote, painted, and illustrated; and Mary also worked for reform. All had connections with major intellectual figures of this period.

This lecture's audio is available in mp3 format.

Hudson River School of American Landscape Painting

Description

Art historian and curator David Dearinger traces the birth and development of the Hudson River School of American landscape painting, beginning in 1820, using key examples of paintings; gives an overview of the movement's historiography; discusses contemporary critical responses to it; and comments on the waning and eventual demise of the style in the 1870s. His presentation includes slides.

Familiar Faces: Gilbert Stuart's George and Martha Washington

Description

National Portrait Gallery curator Ellen Miles looks at painter Gilbert Stuart's 1796 portraits of George and Martha Washington, covering their creation by Stuart, Stuart's relationship with the presidential couple, and the impact and reception of the portraits since their creation. The presentation includes slides.

Audio and video options are available.

Conrad W. Chapman: A Confederate Soldier's Paintings of the Defense of Charleston

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Oil painting, Quaker Battery, Conrad Charles Chapman, Museum of the Confederacy
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This Museum of the Confederacy website offers access to 31 paintings created during the Civil War by a Confederate soldier.

The simplest way to navigate the site is to click the "next" arrows located at the bottom right of each page. This will flip to the next "page," causing the website to read like a book. The exhibit is not overly long or text heavy, so this is a pleasant way to approach the material. The first page introduces you to Conrad Chapman and his father John, U.S.-born artists who largely lived in Europe. Conrad traveled to the U.S. in 1861 to join the Confederate Army. As a soldier he was ordered to sketch the defenses of Charleston, SC. These sketches became the basis for the 31 oil paintings which constitute the majority of the exhibit. Chapman and his father both painted scenes based on Conrad's sketches for 25 years.

Additional pages include a map of Charleston's defenses; a small amount of information on General P. G. T. Beauregard, Chapman's commanding officer; and images of the paintings accompanied by commentary by Chapman himself.

Note that prior to viewing the paintings, the website will have a page suggesting the purchase of prints. As a result, it may be wise to access the page and select images prior to your classes rather than allow students to navigate on their own.

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