Visit the National Portrait Gallery on 8th and F Streets NW, Washington DC. Please note that the gallery is open daily from 11:30 am to 7pm. You will select a portrait to write about in this museum.
Steps
- Before you go, I suggest that you watch this 30-minute video on Portraits: https://www.learner.org/series/art-through-time-a-global-view/portraits/
- Bring a camera and/or a sketch pad. You must submit a sketch of a portrait or a photograph of yourself with the portrait. You will not receive full credit if you do not submit a selfie or sketch
- Select a portrait from the National Portrait Gallery that appeals to you.
- Take notes about the artist, title, date from the museum label. Sketch the portrait.
- Write a one page response paper (handwritten or typed; roughly 3 paragraphs) that addresses the question: Why does this portrait appeal to me?
In your response, write 3 paragraphs:
• Paragraph 1 – a quick visual description of the portrait. You should include the name, title, date from the museum label.
• Paragraph 2 – 3 elements of style the artist used to describe his/her subject (see Barnet, pgs. 80-84)
• Paragraph 3 – a discussion about how you “read” this portrait. What sort of person was/is this and how do you feel while looking at it? What did the artist want to tell you about this person? - Remember to put your name on your paper and affix the museum sketch/selfie to the response paper when you submit it.