NAME __________________________________________HOUR (English class)______
CHAPERONE ______________________________________BUS# _____
Report to your bus by 12:20 P.M. for your return trip to school
Busses will be parked where you were dropped off
 Do not touch the works of art or the frames.
 Do not stand on or touch any platforms, pedestals, display cases, or walls.
 18 inch RULE: No part of you should be closer than 18 inches to a work of art. This
includes your finger if you point at a detail in a work of art.
 No gum, food, or drinks.
 Cell phones for camera use ONLY! No calls, no texting.
 Voices down.
 No running.
When you finish your brunch, dispose of your garbage into the plastic bag provided on the bus.
The doors to the museum open at 10:00 A.M.
Enter the museum with your chaperone and head to your assigned starting point.
OUR STARTING POINT IS ITEM #:____________________________ , LISTED ON P._________, LEVEL________
Enter through the Group Entrance. You will find bathrooms nearby. Walk forward through Prentis Court, straight
ahead is the Promenade. “Artie” the donkey is waiting for you...
1.) Outside of
European:
Renee Sintenis (German, 1888-1965) Donkey (1927)
This is the only work of art in the museum that you are permitted to touch. In fact,
don’t forget to pat Artie the Donkey for good luck.
Turn right and take first left where you see the sign “Kresge Court.” Go through Romanesque, up the steps to the
Woodward Lobby on Level 2, turn right across the lobby to the Manoogian Wind (American). Go straight ahead to
the large gold painting...
2.) American
Frederic Edwin Church (American, 1826-1900) Cotopaxi(1862)
Church traveled to Ecuador in South America where he saw this active volcano.
With this painting, he mirrored the tragedy of the Civil War and offered hope for its
resolution with the symbolic image of a cross. (Can you find it?) Be sure to also locate the
llama. Imagine you are there. What do you hear?
Facing “Cotopaxi,” turn left. On the wall, find...
3.) American
Martin Johnson Heade (American, 1819-1904) Hummingbird, (about 1880) Heade first
traveled to Brazil to create a series of small paintings of hummingbirds for a book called
The Gems of Brazil. The book never went into print, but Heade’s fascination with the
winged creatures continued late into his life. Here Heade depicts one hummingbird
perched on an orchid leaf showing off for another. Give an example of how you might
show off.
Facing “Hummingbird,” go right to the corner gallery and then on to the next gallery. On the far wall, slightly to
your right you will find...
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4.) American
William Sydney Mount (American, 1807-68) The Banjo Player (c.1850- 55)
Mount was an amateur musician, composer, and music lover with a lifelong interest in
musical subjects. The violin was his favorite instrument, but he painted at least two banjo
players, one of which is in this unfinished work. Mount’s descendents spoke of his
intention of painting something in the empty space in the barn (I will tell you what if
you ask me). However, imagine the painting was yours to finish, what would you
include?
Facing “The Banjo Player,” turn left and go through the next gallery and into the gallery after that. Immediately on
your left, find two self-portraits...
5.) American
Rembrandt Peale (American, 1778-1860) Self-Portrait (1828) Self-Portrait (1846)
What indicator(s), besides the dates that they were painted, clue you in to
which self-portrait was painted earliest?
Just down the wall a bit…
6.) American
John Singleton Copley (American, 1738-1815) Watson and the Shark (1777)
Brook Watson, who survived this shark attack with a mere leg amputation, eventually
became Lord Mayor of London. The artist, John Copley, painted this scene to
commemorate the heroes onboard who successfully harpooned the shark and saved
Watson’s life. Explain where else in this room you can find the African-American
man in this painting.
Backtrack to the gallery where you found “Cotopaxi,” go past “Cotopaxi” to the doorway on the far left and enter
the next gallery to find a massive painting by Rembrandt Peale, the same artist who painted the two self-portraits...
7.) American
Rembrandt Peale (American, 1778-1860) The Court of Death (1820)
Why did the man on the left plunge a knife into his chest? (Clue: read the
background information on the painting in a book displayed in front of the
painting.)
Facing “The Court of Death,” turn right and enter the Great Hall...
8.) Great Hall
Coats of Arms
Spend some time in this hall looking at the armor. Decide which you would most like to
wear into battle or during a joust. Record it here and tell why.
Next, go through the doorway to the right of the Half-Armor 1591 piece into the European: Medieval gallery, make
a right turn, and in the display case (across from the spiral stairs) mounted on the wall, find the tiny...
9.) European
Pendant to a Rosary or Chaplet: Memento Mon (Franco-Flemish, 1500-25) This small
ivory carving conveys one of the most profound themes of the late Middle Ages. The
death mask joined to the gruesome skull serves as a memento mori, a reminder of the
briefness of life and the inevitability of death. The Latin inscription found across the
collarbone reads: 0 MORS QUAMAMARA EST MEMORIA TUA (Oh Death, how bitter it
is to be reminded of you) What’s crawling on top of the skull?
Facing the “Pendant...,” turn left and walk through the gallery to the inset French chapel you will find on your
right...
10.) European
Unknown artist (French) Chapel from Chateau de Lannoy (about 1522-24) Take a
break from writing… just read the amazing story of how this chapel was moved from
France to Detroit. Pretty impressive, eh?
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Facing “Chapel...,” go left and left again back into the Great Hall. Once there, bear right into what may be
considered the crown jewel of the DIA...
11.) Rivera Court
Diego Rivera (Mexican, 1886-1957)Detroit Industry (1932-33)
Stand on the compass in the center of the court. Look to the north wall. Find the
image of Ms. Ciotti’s great grandfather, Grover Cleveland Ciotti. (Yes, it’s really
him.) Hint: he is wearing round spectacles. Mr. Ciotti, who worked for Ford for
36 years, was an assembly line supervisor. On the day that Diego Rivera took the
photograph that he used as the basis of this fresco, Mr. Ciotti had come down to
the assembly line to help solve a problem. Do you think Ms.
Ciotti bears a family resemblance to her great grandfather?
From the Rivera court, walk toward the Information Desk and then turn left. Walk to Modern (Tannahill Wing) and
turn left into the first gallery. On the wall to your right, find...
12.) Modern
William Adolphe Bouguereau (French, 1825-1905) The Nut Gatherers (1882) This is
one of the most visited paintings in the galleries. More postcards are sold of The Nut
Gatherers than of any other DIA painting. One of the girls has a dirty foot. Which girl:
the one on the right or the one on the left?
Facing “The Nut Gatherers,” turn around and go straight (bear slightly right) through the Larson Gallery into the
Dean Gallery. Turn left and find...
13.) Modern
Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853-1890) Self-Portrait (1887)
“For want of a better model,” van Gogh chose to paint his own portrait on many
occasions. This one was painted during the summer of 1887 while he was living in Paris.
He portrays himself with an almost light-hearted appearance, but if you look deeply into
his eyes you can see the intensity for which he was known. What do you think he was
feeling when he looked at himself in a mirror?
Facing Van Gogh’s self-portrait, turn around and exit into the Promenade (a hallway). Turn right, then immediately
turn right into another Modern gallery. Turn left and find the painting of the dog and a “sleeping” deer...
14.) Modern
Sir Edwin Henry Landseer (English, 1802-1873) Chevy (“Wee!, Sir, if the deer got the
ball, sure’s death Chevy will no leave him. (1868)
Tell the story of what has just happened.
15.) Modern
Jean-Leon Gerome (French, 1824-1904) Solitude (1890)
Gerome, both a painter and a sculptor, is best known for his oriental scenes, the result of
several visits to Egypt.
Imagine why the lion looks so calm. In one sentence, tell why.
Facing “Solitude,” turn right and go into last gallery in Modern. From there, head into Contemporary and bear right
past an angled room divider to...
16.) Modern
Jean Dubuffet Shot in the Wing (1961)
Read the wall plaque to translate the phrases and be sure to try their suggestion. You
might be surprised by what you can see. What did you notice after viewing the
painting for a minute that you didn’t notice right away?
Facing “Shot...,” turn left and bear left around the angled divider to...
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17.) Modern
Mark Rothko (American, 1903-1970) Orange, Brown (1963)
“His aim was to draw the viewer into an inner state of contemplation through gazing at
the softened forms and delicately modulated colors in his paintings.” Look deeply into
the painting for about 30 seconds, and then write what you see...
Facing “Orange, Brown,” turn right and walk through doorway on the left. Walk straight ahead toward the large self
portrait...
18.) Contemporary
Andy Warhol (American, 1928-87) Self Portrait (1967)
In this silkscreen print, the famous American artist Andy Warhol posed like a 1940s
Hollywood matinee idol. Red and yellow dominate the print with a touch of blue and
yellow. Which color-combination would you chose for your own silkscreened self
portrait?
Facing Warhol’s self portrait, turn right, then turn left around the corner. Walk straight into the gallery with display
cases of glass and pottery. Turn right. Now walk straight through and turn left…
19.) Contemporary
Sarah Sze (American, born 1969) Sexton (from Triple Point of Water) (2004) If you
owned this piece of art, where would you put it? What would you do with it?
Facing “Sexton,” turn right through the gallery with the stone walkway; turn right and look for the table...
20.) Contemporary
William Kentridge (South African, born 1955) What Will Come (2007)
Be sure to stay and watch this one for a minute or two. Can you figure out how it is done?
Which provides the most realistic representation...what is on the table, or what is on
the cylinder?
Step around the wall partition and get ready for some fresh attidude...
21.) Contemporary
Kehinde Wiley (American, b. 1977) Officers of the Husseys (2007)
Wiley’s paintings often blur the boundaries between traditional and contemporary.
Painted in a realistic mode while making references to specific old master paintings,
Wiley creates a fusion of period styles. Wiley’s slightly larger than life size figures are
depicted in a heroic manner, as their poses connote power and spiritual awakening.
In what ways did Wiley combine traditional and contemporary art styles? List two
modern elements and two more traditional art elements from this painting.
Directly in back of Officers of the Husseys, go into the gallery.
22.) African American
Enjoy! Wander, look and write the name of your favorite piece in this gallery on the
line:____________________________________________
Go through this gallery, into the next gallery.
23.) African American
Therman Statom (American, b. 1953) The David Jacob Chodorkoff Table (1993)
Read through “Transparent Stability” – Does this metaphor work for you? Name one
object of stability in your life that you wish could be transparent.
Enter the next gallery through the door at the right. Go through the exit to the left of the GM sign. Proceed through
the grey African American Art gallery to the large exit on the opposite wall in the yellow gallery. Go past the large
wooden sculpture called “Tom” (be sure to find the word “Tom” in the wood)and into the hallway called the
Promenade. Turn left. Head toward the Great Hall. Keep going straight through to the end of the Promenade (a long
way about 200 steps). Turn to the right and walk to the stairs.
Walk up the stairs to the next level...
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LEVEL 3
Turn right and go through large doors. Turn left at the Jeweled Casket displayed in a glass case. Walk toward
“Splendor by the Hour” (sign on the wall). Turn left at the pedestal clock through entrance labeled “European Era of
Revolution.” Look for the scary picture of the woman having a nightmare...
25.) Fashionable
Henry Fuseli (English, 174 1-1825) The Nightmare (1781)
Living The Nightmare is part of a long visual tradition of representations of dreams,
dreamers, and sleeping figures, but beyond this universalism, a more personal story is
being told here. In 1778-79 in Zurich, Switzerland, Fuseli had fallen passionately in love
with a woman named Anna Landolt. He wanted to marry her but was turned down by her
father. Returning to London, he became obsessed with her and in a letter of 1779
declared that in his dreams “Now she’s mine and I am hers!” What’s your nightmare?
Backtrack, bear left past “The Bath,” past a painting of flowers. Bear right to the table with the button that begins a
video...
26.) Fashionable
French Meal (18th century)
Watch the meal being served. Anything look good to you?
This space is for taking notes on the work of art you will write a poem about in class:
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