Discipline-Based Art Education || Instructional Resources: Religious Art

National Art Education Association

Instructional Resources: Religious ArtAuthor(s): David Guip, Lynda Lowe, Vas Prabhu and Judith Sloane BlockerSource: Art Education, Vol. 40, No. 5, Discipline-Based Art Education (Sep., 1987), pp. 27-30+39-42Published by: National Art Education AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3193013 .

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INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES RELIGIOUS ART

Sculpture /c a Benin Queen, carly 19th century. African, Nigeria. The Tolcdo Muscuml of Art, lTolcdo, ()hio.

Art Education/September 1987 27



Sculpture of a Benin (Ben'in) Queen African, Nigeria,

Queen Mother, early 19th century

Bronze with black-brown patina, height 18" The Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, Ohio

Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey Acc. No. 58-04

I. GOAL To introduce students in grades K-3 to an example of African sculpture from the Kingdom of Benin in Nigeria. II. OBJECTIVES Students will: 1) be able to recognize Benin votive heads as examples of African sculpture, 2) be able to describe the regalia and scarification associated with Benin heads, 3) discuss reasons that artists in Benin city fabricated commemorative heads. III. BACKGROUND In the Kingdom of Benin, artists produced many kinds of sculpture in association with the religious veneration and commemoration of royal persons. The Oba is the name of the ruler who governs. His wife, the queen mother, lye Oba, was held in great esteem by the people. The seat of power is determined by matrilineal descent, which is the royal blood line as determined by the woman's family; thus the significance of women portrayed in Benin sculpture.

The religious tradition of honoring kings and queens with bronze commemorative heads probably originated in the ancient city of Ife in Nigeria between the tenth and fourteenth centuries. Benin artists learned the process of making sculpture in the lost wax process from the artists in Ife as early as 1280. As early as 1400, artists had cast heads in bronze that were meant to be memorials to departed ancestors. Altars were constructed in the most secret portion of the city, and bronze heads of the Oba, as well as his queen, were placed with objects for wor- ship and veneration. It was important for the artists to represent the concept of royalty rather than specific portraits of individuals. Therefore signs and symbols were formulated so that all people could recognize royal persons and their counterparts.

The style of Benin heads changed significantly from the early fourteenth century to the twentieth century, generally developing from realistic to less realistic. This head of a queen mother is of a late period during the early nineteenth century and is an excellent example of a late style. Look closely at the reproduction. Notice the "hair net." It is really a royal headdress cap made to cover the distinguished hair style of the Queen. These headdresses were made of beads of jasper, coral, and carnelian and were worn as symbols of authority and rank. The beads were considered to be of great wealth and part of the royal treasury. As more precious beads became available from Europeans, they were added to the royal

regalia depicted by artists to show status. To enhance the identification of royal personages, scarification was used to distinguish them from the common man. Marks were made on the face in predetermined patterns so that when they healed, a pattern would be left in the form of scars. IV. INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES A. Description: Look closely at the sculpture. What kinds of patterns do you see in the hair style? Can you describe the designs that they make? Look at the overall form of the sculpture. What simple forms make up the whole? Ask your students to describe as many details as they can in the face, hair, and neck. B. Analysis: Why do you think that the artist made the collar of beads so high? Why do you think that the artist made this sculpture of bronze rather than wood as the artist who carved the Daruma head in this supplement did? Both the head of the Queen and the head of the Daruma represent individuals who are venerated. How are they different? How are they similar? C. Interpretation: Ask your students to list objects they might add to their own hair style to make them important? Think of beautiful or unusual hairstyles that you might see in fashion magazines. What kinds of objects did kings and queens in medieval times use to convey their importance to their people? D. Judgement: Do you think that the Benin artist has made this Queen mother look important? If metal was as valuable in the Kingdom of Benin as beads, do you think this is an appropriate choice of material for the sculptor? Look at Vishnu, Daruma, and the figures in The Holy Family by Poussin in this issue. What objects and devices do the artists use to make all of the images important. E. Activities: Using simple materials such as Egyptian paste, aluminum foil, clay, or other media appropriate for children in grades K-3, have students design their own royal regalia. Design an unusual hair- style; add important objects from our culture which will give status and social prestige. V. EVALUATION Refer to objectives 1-3 to evaluate and measure your students' knowledge about the decorative motifs used in Benin heads. Evaluate the students' understanding of the reasons that royal portraits were produced in the Kingdom of Benin. VI. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Paula Ben-Amos, The Art of Benin, New York, Thames and Hudson, 1980.

Lesson Writer: David Guip, The Toledo Museum of Art

28 Art Education/September 1987



Daruma (Dah-ru-mah) Wood, 14 x 12 inches Unknown Sculptor. Japanese Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum, Coshocton, Ohio

I. GOAL To introduce students in grades 4-6 to Zen Buddhist legends and help them develop respect for beliefs and values very different from their own. II. OBJECTIVES Students will 1) extend their vocabulary for describing the work of art 2) identify works of art with formal properties similar to those of Daruma 3) compare and contrast with other works of art. III. BACKGROUND. Daruma is considered the founder of Zen Buddhism. He represents the fore- most image in Zen art. Numerous sculptures and paintings depict legends of Daruma. These legends contain more philosophical truth than historical fact. Born in India, Daruma (Bodhidharma) studied Buddhism for forty years. In 520, he traveled to Can- ton, China, where he met Emperor Wu of the Liang Dynasty. A great supporter of Buddhism, the Em- peror was eager to ask Daruma how much merit he had earned by his good works. Daruma replied, "None." Daruma believed that all beings possess a Buddha-like nature and that realization of this fact was Enlightenment. Enlightenment could not be con- veyed by words, books, teachers, or concepts, but must be realized through direct personal experience and meditation.

Wu turned a deaf ear, and Daruma traveled north through China. Legend says that his faith was so strong that he crossed the wide Yantze River on a reed. Later, he settled at Hsiao-Lin Temple where it is said that he spent nine years staring at a cave wall in meditation. Establishing the Zen sect by finally ac- cepting followers, Daruma retreated to a hermit's existence, meditating trance-like until his limbs com- pletely withered away.

A common inscription on Zen artwork is, "Point- ing to the human heart, see your own nature and be- come a Buddha." You must look inside yourself to find inner strength and truth. This "looking within" results in a preoccupation with the eyes in Daruma imagery.

Depictions of Daruma often display a Zen brand of humor that shows no disrespect. Contemporary Japanese toy stores sell brightly colored Daruma head images. As a knock-over toy weighted in the bottom, it will right itself upon being upset, thus re- flecting an undaunted spirit. The toy expresses "Nanakarobiyaoki", seven falls and eight rises, the attribute of perseverance. IV. INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES Introduc- tion: Relate the legends associated with Daruma. Demonstrate how Daruma dolls work using a child's knock-over toy. Equate the symbolic action with the concept that if your faith is strong, life's problems can't knock you down. A. Description: Ask students to describe Daruma. Record responses on blackboard.

B. Analysis: Expand the list of adjectives by verb- ally offering pairs of opposites and asking for the appropriate adjective. On the board list those describing Daruma in one column and the contrasting adjectives in another. Suggested pairs include: massive- delicate, rounded-jagged, solid-spindly, strong- fragile, symmetrical-assymetrical, peaceful-busy, enduring-ephemeral, detailed-simple. With an in- creased art vocabulary comes a more thorough way of looking at art. Show the African piece in this issue Which of the qualities listed apply?

Keeping Daruma on display, hold up. two art reproductions that are similar in subject but clearly contrast in style. Select obvious examples such as a traditional, wispy floral still-life and a Georgia O'Keeffe flower. Ask all students to point to the one most like Daruma. Ninety-five percent will succeed. Ask volunteers to explain their choice. Students will repeatedly refer to the vocabulary words written on the board as they verbalize their observations. They will gain confidence using the words as they continue to compare pairs of works with the focus piece.

Good figure opposites are Ivan Albright's "Into the World There Came a Soul Called Ida" and Walt Kuhn's "The White Clown". Contrasting landscapes might be a frothy, detailed Albert Bierstadt scene and a severe, massive Canadian landscape by Lawren Harris or Emily Carr. Architectural examples might also be used. To avoid the possible mis- conception that might rise from the use of a focus piece, remind students that in every case, both works are famous - they are just different. C. Interpretation: Was this sculptor showing us Daruma or his ideas? Show the two Buddhist sculptures on page 550 of Janson's History of Art titled The Fasting Buddha and Portrait of Ganjin. If Daruma really did die as the legend tells, wouldn't he look like the bony figure? Why did the sculptor show him as strong and massive? D. Evaluation: Did the sculptor succeed in showing you what Daruma was like? E. Activities: The lesson presented, using five com- parison pairs, takes 25 minutes to teach. It could serve as an introduction to carving soap or leather- hard clay as these media require massive, simple designs. V. EVALUATION: Evaluation is built into the com- parison exercise. Judge students on the specificity of their observations. VI. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Maude Rex Allen, Japanese Art Motives. Chicago: A.C. McClurg and Company, 1917.

Raymond Bushell, The Netsuke Handbook. Rutland, Vermont and Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1961.

Edward Conze, A Short History of Buddhism. London: George Allen and Unwin Ltd., 1980.

Britannica Encyclopedia.

Lesson Writer: Lynda Lowe, Art Teacher, River View Local School District, Coshocton, Ohio




/Ihurua. tLJnk knon ,,cI ulptor, .lapanese. J1ohnson-Humrickhouse Museum, (,'osho'cton, Ohio.




Shi' iVarawrja/, K'ing o/)Dancers, ca. 1400, South India. Museumn of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RhoKdc Island.




Shiva Nataraja (Shee-vah Nah-tah-rah-ja)

King of Dancers ca. 1400, South India

Bronze 46 1/2 x 34 1/2" Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design,

Providence, Rhode Island.

I. GOAL To introduce junior high school students to a Shiva sculpture and to Hindu symbolism. II. OBJECTIVES Students will 1) describe Shiva sculpture 2) identify Hindu symbols 3) develop images that convey use of symbols. III. BACKGROUND This image of Shiva Nataraja, a Hindu god, is still being made in India today, in a variety of sizes, to adorn temples and shrines in people's homes. Everyone recognizes Shiva, whether made of plastic, wood, stone, or gold. The form, the composition, and the symbols have remained the same for centuries. The symbols reveal Hindu values and describe the Hindu world view. Learning about Shiva will help students enjoy other Hindu sculpture.

The Hindu trinity consists of Brahman the Cre- ator, Vishnu the Preserver, and Shiva the Destroyer. How then, can Shiva be the King of Dancers? Is this not contradictory? The Hindus look at this as duality, and one such duality is illustrated in the Nata- raja.

The Tandava dance is a cosmic dance about the re- lationship between life and death. Shiva is encircled in a blazing arch which represents the cosmos. The four arms convey the movement and are vehicles to hold Shiva's symbols. The drum represents time and creation; the flame, destruction. The open palm dis- pels fear; the hand that points to the raised foot indicates refuge from ignorance and delusion.

The body is supple, youthful yet strong. The proportions are delicate with the small waist, the elegant hands and feet; yet the figure exudes power. Shiva wears elaborate jewelry showing the Hindu sense of adornment and his kingly position.

He is standing on a demon to represent triumph over evil. The base of the sculpture is the lotus, from which, according to the Hindus, all life sprang. Shiva's face is calm, almost aloof as if in a deep trance, and reflects the Hindu sense of beauty - the long eyes, straight nose, full lips. The dancer is in a graceful yet dynamic pose which suggests continuous motion.

The artists who made this sculpture worked in a guild that was well known for casting bronze (copper and tin) in the lost wax process. The method was handed down by their ancestors, as were the formulas of proportions and the symbols.

The sculpture refers to a story. Once demons had taken control of the earth so that the earth did not ro- tate on its axis. The weather did not change; crops failed. The people prayed to the gods for help. Shiva began to dance. The pulse was felt deeply through the

earth, and finally the demons had to let go, the earth resumed rotation, and life continued. This dance re- minds the Hindus of the duality of life and death and how dualities continually generate one another. The Hindus believe that Shiva is dancing to this day. IV. INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES A. Observation Skills. Before introducing the sculpture, show students the image and ask them to describe what they see. Make a list. What is the first thing they notice? Who is this? What is s/he doing? Location? Meaning? B. Give title and culture it represents. How does this information affect their first impressions? Discuss. Continue to share observations. C. Have students read aloud the background information. How does this information compare with their first impressions? D. Ask students to make a list of religious images of buildings, people, and symbols from their own experience. (a mosque, an apostle, a menorah). Discuss their meaning. How does this list compare to the symbols of Nataraja? Compare function, materials, size, and purpose. V. EVALUATION A. Ask students to make a contemporary version of Nataraja by interpreting the Shiva story. Write a brief description to accompany this image. What symbols and values will it convey? Describe the dualities. B. Ask students to collect images and make a collage that will reflect their own symbols and values. Share these images with the group. Ask the group to guess the meanings based on what they see, as they did with the Nataraja. C. Ask students to create a self-portrait of their own duality or "other self". Outline a full size face on brown paper. Use paint to create a self-portrait. Write a description to accompany it. Compare the dualities. What do they mean? What symbols were used the most? D. Visit a museum's Indian sculpture exhibit. Can students find a Shiva image? Other Hindu images? Compare to Nataraja. E. Read Indian mythology. Draw an image based on one story. F. Look at art history books with religious images. Analyze the use of symbols. VI. BIBLIOGRAPHY

India, A Teacher's Guide, Focus on Asian Studies, Asia Society, NY 1985. The Wonder That Was India, A.L. Basham, NY Grove Press, 1959.

Lesson Writer: Vas Prabhu, Cultural Education Collaborative




The Holy Family Nicolas Poussin

(Nee-col-ah Pooh-san), French Oil on canvas (39 3/4 x 53 inches) ca. 1651

Owned jointly by the J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu, California. (81.PA.43), and the Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena, California. (M.81.6.P.)

I. GOAL To help high school students comprehend the power, the mystery, and the significance of ap- parently conventional works such as this. II. OBJECTIVES Students will be able to: 1) explain the significance and symbolism of the subject matter in Poussin's Holy Family. 2) describe the formal structure of the painting and use a variation of the triangular composition for a figure group painting of their own. 3) identify one or more features that make Poussin's work classical. III. BACKGROUND The Christian religion played a major role in European art history as one of the pri- mary patrons and the chief subject matter of art from the middle ages through the Renaissance. In this tradition, pictures of the Holy Family - Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and Saint Joseph - are common. Nicolas Poussin, a 17th-century French artist who spent almost all his adult life in Rome, produced several versions of the Holy Family during his mature phase. Poussin believed that painting should deal with noble, serious, human themes presented in a harmonious form, and he considered Christianity suitable subject matter. Poussin is identified as a classical artist because of his concern for carefully planned design and for expressing emotion through restrained gesture and pose. "Classical" also refers to his study of ancient Greek and Roman sculpture and of Renaissance works inspired by antiquity. A painter-philosopher who intellectualized his ap- proach to art, he considered his paintings as visible expression of his ideas on ethics and religion. His formalism contrasted with the Baroque style of his contemporaries, characterized by bold, dramatically- lit compositions (compare Ruben's Prometheus Bound, Art Education, May '86). This Holy Family, painted for a private patron, displays a harmoniously balanced composition in which carefully staged figure groupings, actions, and setting combine to create a compelling scene. IV. INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES: At first glance this picture may seem to be a boring, traditional image. However a straightforward description of the scene produces several difficult questions (answers in parentheses; some are factual and some speculative, based on the theories of art historians); 1) Where are they? (This vaguely Roman landscape and architectural setting could be a ruin; a garden; a non-specific location, or an actual site such as Beth- lehem.) 2) Who is the older woman on the left? (Elizabeth, Mary's cousin and John the Baptist's mother. Per- haps Poussin depicted her as an ancient prophetess

because she had predicted Mary's holy motherhood.) 3) Why are all the naked little boys in the picture? (The central pair are Jesus and his cousin John the

Baptist. The others are 'putti' - Italian for 'little

boy', usually used in a religious or mythological con- text - whose gestures draw attention to the other two. The ewer, towel, and basin of water that they carry may refer to John's later baptism of Jesus.) 4) Why are there two Roman soldiers pointing to a boat on a lake in the middle ground of the painting? (This event Is probably a reference to Mary and Joseph's flight with their baby to escape King Herod's soldiers.)

Questions can help you understand the painting's formal structure. Answers exist in the image; you must look for them. 1) How do you know who is the most important figure in the picture? 2) Divide the picture in half vertically, then half again horizontally. How did Poussin connect the top half to the bottom half? How are the left and right halves connected? Explain how the top right quarter, which is essentially empty, balances the lower left quarter. 3) Visually block out the pink drapery at lower right. How does that change the picture's balance? 4) How does Poussin use the color red to connect foreground, middle ground, and background? 5) Poussin used a monumental triangular arrangement for the figure group. Why do you think he slightly removed Joseph from the basic triangle? Listening to Poussin's own words may help you to in- terpret the painting. He said, "We must not judge by our senses alone but by reason . . ." Which parts of the painting strike you as sensual? Which parts of it seem to be governed by reason? What noble, serious human themes do you think he was expressing by making this painting?

What is your opinion of Poussin's ability to create a picture that holds the viewer's interest? (Conduct a debate to determine whether subject matter or formal design is more significant in this painting.) V. EVALUATION 1) Find other representations of the Holy Family in European art history, and compare them to Poussin's. What distinguishes his version? 2) Make a painting or color photograph of a figure group (your family, best friends, a rock group) using a triangular arrangement. Conduct a class cri- tique in which formal composition, relationships of figures, and setting are compared to Poussin's. VI. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Anthony Blunt, Nicolas Poussin (New York: Bollingen Series, 1967)

Harold Osborne, The Oxford Companion to Art (New York: Oxford University Press, 1970)

Lesson Writer: Judith Slocane Blocker, J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu, California.




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Discipline-Based Art Education || Instructional Resources: Religious Art