Renaissance
ONNECTION
Lesson Plans
Interpreting Works of Art:
The Compare and Contrast Method
BACKGROUND
Class: Language Arts
Theme(s):
Arts and Architecture
Art historians are like history detectives, they search for information about the history of works of art. The
history of a work of art is important for many reasons. Art historians need to find information about a work of
art to help determine its value, both in terms of financial worth and in terms of the art's value within the
overall history of art. For example, a work of art may not bring a great price on the art market but an art
historian may be able to determine that it represents a new idea in the history of art and is valuable as a
historical document of technical or cultural change.
Some of the information that art historians search for is available in the same places you look for information
ó books, libraries and the Internet. Art historians may examine religious practices, cultural traditions and
economic history all to better understand the circumstances surrounding the production of art in a given time
and place.
Of course art historians try to identify the artist who created a work of art in order to learn more about it.
Information about the life of an artist may be found in historical
By comparing this
town and county registries or in cemeteries.
picture of Saint
RESOURCE
Why can't scientists date the Portland Vase? The Guardian
(newspaper)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/thisweek/story/
0,12977,1030114,00.html
Bartholomew to other
paintings by
Bartolomeo Vivarini,
who had a workshop
just outside of Venice,
art historians have
determined that
Vivarini and one of his
students probably
painted it.
Bartolomeo Vivarini, and Assistant
Saint Bartholomew
About 1485
Tempera type on panel
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the Renaissance
ONNECTION
Lesson Plans
INTERPRETING WORKS OF ART (continued)
CLASSROOM TIME
One or two 40 minute periods
OBJECTIVES
Students will:
• Practice observing and analyzing two works of art.
• Describe the elements and principles, subject matter, history and
mediums of two works of art.
• Use a compare and contrast strategy to interpret the meaning of
two works of art.
• Practice writing descriptively and persuasively about two works of art.
PENNSYLVANIA ACADEMIC STANDARDS
Arts and Humanities
9.4.8 B. Compare and contrast informed individual opinions about the meaning of works in the arts and
others.
9.4.8 F.. Apply the process of criticism to identify characteristics among works in the arts.
Language Arts
1.1.8 G. Demonstrate after reading, understanding and interpretation of both fiction and nonfiction text,
including public documents.
• Make extensions to related ideas, topics, or information.
1.4.8 C. Write persuasive pieces.
1.5.8 B. Write using well developed content appropriate for the topic.
MATERIALS
• Computer stations to access the works of art in the Renaissance Connection or color printouts with
accompanying information of works of art in the Renaissance Connection
• Pencils (any color) for worksheets
• Pencils, pens and paper for writing, or computer stations with word processors for writing
OPTIONAL RESOURCES
The "Background" section of this lesson, reproduced as a student handout.
WRITING LESSON
1. Setting the Stage
(Note: The background section of this lesson might serve as a handout to help students in this activity.)
Art historians often use comparisons to study the history of works or art. The point of the comparison is to
understand the meaning in the works of art. In this activity students will compare and contrast two works of art.
That means thinking about and recording their similarities and differences. Comparing and contrasting is more
than a simple list of similarities or differences of two works of art, it's a way to think about two works of art.
Allentown Art Museum
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the Renaissance
ONNECTION
Lesson Plans
INTERPRETING WORKS OF ART: WRITING LESSON (continued)
2. The Renaissance Connection
Instruct students to choose two works of art from the Renaissance Connection to compare and contrast. If the
students are working on computers they can import the two images from the Renaissance Connection into a
word processing document. Instruct students to place the images side by side at the top of the page with artist,
title, date, medium and dimensions below each image. Students can write their compare and contrast text below
the images and information.
So students know how their final work will be assessed, print and handout the assessment rubric. Explain that
when comparing and contrasting two works of art, students should start with the way things look. Handout the
Compare and Contrast Worksheet and instruct students to fill out sections that seem to address the works of art
they are comparing. Encourage students to be as thorough as they can and to add ideas that do not appear on
the worksheet.
When the students have completed the worksheet, instruct them to write a first draft narrative paragraph that
compares and contrasts the two works of art they have chosen. Encourage students to look for some new
meaning or see something important that they would not have understood without comparing.
When students have completed their first drafts, have them exchange their writing with other classmates for
feedback. Remind students that feedback should be constructive and give suggestions rather than criticisms.
Remind students that they will be assessed on the feedback they give to their classmates. Allow students time to
complete a final draft of their compare and contrast narratives.
3. Summary
When students turn in their work for assessment, be sure that they include their completed worksheet as well as
the written feedback they received from their classmates.
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the Renaissance
ONNECTION
Lesson Plans
INTERPRETING WORKS OF ART: WRITING LESSON (continued)
4. Assessment - Scoring Rubric:
Criteria
Worksheet
Limited
Achievement
Some observations are
recorded on the
Looking at Art
worksheet.
Sound
Achievement
High Achievement
More than half of the
Looking at Art worksheet
is completed with
accurate observations.
Looking at Art
worksheet is completed
with accurate facts and
descriptions based on
observations and
information about the
work of art from the
Renaissance Connection.
Feedback
Students provided some Student provided one
feedback on classmate's suggestion on
first draft.
classmate's first draft.
Interpretations
Includes subjective
opinions ("The sky is
beautiful").
Includes interpretations
based on comparing
and contrasting two
works of art.
Written
Clearly written short
Communication paragraph.
A persuasive paragraph
of at least 150 words.
Grammar and
Spelling
Punctuation and
spelling are correct.
Spelling is correct
Constructive feedback
and suggestions were
provided on classmate's
first draft.
Uses comparison and
contrast as a strategy to
lead to a final
interpretation of both
works of art.
Thoughts and ideas are
persuasive and express
a specific point of view.
Punctuation, grammar,
and spelling are correct.
5. Related Activity
Have students look for additional information in books, encyclopedias, or the Internet.
VOCABULARY
archaeology: The scientific study of people and cultures by an analysis of artifacts.
art historian: a person who studies the history of art.
art history: the study of the history of visual arts.
artifact: an object made by a human being, for example a tool or ornament, especially one that has
archaeological interest.
balance: the way art elements are arranged to create a feeling of stability, or instability in a composition. The
simplest type of balance is symmetry -- an equal, regular arrangement of forms on either side of a central axis.
Another type of balance is asymmetry, in which stability is achieved with differing elements that have equal
visual weight or equal eye attraction.
carbon dating: a method of dating objects which measures carbon generated from once living matter taking in
carbon dioxide from the air.
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the Renaissance
ONNECTION
Lesson Plans
INTERPRETING WORKS OF ART: VOCABULARY (continued)
Another type of balance is asymmetry, in which stability is achieved with differing elements that have equal
composition: the arrangement of shapes, forms, colors, areas of light and dark, and other elements in a work of
art.
iconography: the collections, description or study of images used in works of art.
luminescence dating: measuring the ionising radiation absorbed and stored by an object and its surrounding
sediments in order to estimate the date it was made.
medium: the material with which an artist works (marble, clay, paint, wood, ink, etc.).
proportion: the size of one shape or form in relation to another.
repetition: the occurrence of something again in the same form. Regular repetition is a characteristic of pattern.
scale: the size of an object; the size of a work of art.
space: refers to the distance or area between, around, above, below, or within things. Some art forms are threedimensional (having height, width, and depth) and physically occupy space; others begin with a two-dimensional
surface and may create the illusion of space or depth.
subject matter: the subject of a work of art, what the work of art is "about."
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the Renaissance
ONNECTION
Lesson Plans
INTERPRETING WORKS OF ART (continued)
LOOKING AT ART
Use this worksheet to help you compare and contrast the two works of art.
T itle
Work of Art 1
Work of Art 2
Date
Artist
Nationality of Artist
Medium
What do you see? List all the items you
see in the art work.
What do you see? List all the items you
see in the art work.
Where is the subject located? How can
you tell?
Describe the composition of the art
work.
Describe the elements of art present in
the work. Line, color, texture, space,
etc.
What materials did the artist use to
create the art work?
What is the mood of the art work?
Add your own comparisons
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