📖

Portrait Painting in Colonial Times

American Art History: Colonial to Early America

Day 27of 180
Week 6of 36
45Minutes
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🖨️ Download Worksheet (PDF)
🎯 What You'll Learn

Learning Objectives

1

Understand the historical significance of portrait painting in early American society

2

Analyze the formal techniques of colonial portrait painters

3

Develop appreciation for artistic representation before photography

📖 Scripture Connection

Genesis 1:27

“God created man in his own image. In God's image he created him; male and female he created them.”

— Genesis 1:27 (WEB)

Just as God carefully created humans in His image, colonial artists carefully captured human essence through detailed portraits

📦 Materials Needed

  • Pencil and paper
  • Art history prints or digital images
  • Optional: Colored pencils or watercolors
  • BibleMouse Resource Guide: Grade 4 Art
📚 Step-by-Step

Lesson Plan

1Opening (5 min)

Introduce the concept of portraits as historical records before photography

💭 Review Question: What did we learn about early American art in our last lesson?
2Teaching (15 min)

Explore colonial portrait painting techniques and social significance

📌 Key Talking Points:
  • Portraits were the primary way to remember family members
  • Artists used formal poses to show social status
  • Detailed clothing and background told stories about the subject
💬 Discussion Questions:
  • Why were portraits important before cameras?
  • What can we learn about people from their portraits?
3Activity: Colonial Portrait Study (18 min)
analysis

Analyze historical portrait prints, identifying artistic techniques and cultural details

📝 Instructions:
  1. Examine 3-4 colonial portrait prints
  2. Sketch key details about pose, clothing, and background
  3. Write observations about what the portrait reveals
🔄 Variations:

Simpler: Focus on one portrait with guided questions

Challenge: Compare portraits from different colonial regions

4Closing (7 min)

Share observations and reflect on portrait analysis

📝 Review Questions:
  • What surprised you about colonial portraits?
  • How do portraits tell stories?

Coming up: Tomorrow we'll explore folk art patterns in early American design

👨‍👩‍👧 For Parents

Teaching Notes

📚 Background:

Colonial portraits were more than art - they were family records and social documents

💡 Teaching Tips:
  • Use BibleMouse Resource Guide for additional historical context
  • Encourage careful observation and detail-noting
🤔 Common Struggles:

Children might find formal poses and historical context challenging

👀 Signs of Understanding:

Detailed observations, curiosity about historical context

🚀 Want More?

Extension Activities

  • Create a family portrait in colonial style
  • Research a specific colonial portrait artist
  • Explore how portraits differ from modern photography

Ready for Tomorrow?

Great job completing today's lesson!

Continue to Day 28 →Back to Art