Democracy

The Language of Images

Each image shares information and ideas.  "The Death of Marat"is a powerful piece that you can't skip when thinking of revolution and social change.

The Death of Marat

Freedom of Expression

What would it be like to be an artist who was censored?  What aspects of a democracy allow artists to create freely?  This warmup focuses on the recent art exhibit "A Year of Resistance"   The show is a series of exhibits and events across the country marking the one year anniversary of President Trump's inauguration.  The message from the show is "Art is Essential to Democracy."

A Year of Resistance

Monarchy

Life at Court

Art tells us a great deal about history and human culture.  Have students review artwork from Versailles and hypothesis what life at court might have been like.  There are extensive notes about the exhibit in the speakers comments.

Life at Versailles

Henry VIII

Propaganda is a component of any government.  Encourage students to think about the goal of the included portrait of Henry VIII.

Propaganda

Communism

Socialist Realism

Ideas, philosophies, and governments have inspired artistic style.  Students will investigate the socialist realism and describe the proletariat.

Lenin Assasination Attempt

Marc Chagall

Marc Chagall's artwork can be described as an attempt to reconcile his traditional Jewish background with modern styles of art.  His biography is filled with contradictions.  He was forced into the political role of Commisar of Art for Vitebsk but was very nonpolitical in nature.

I and the Village

Dictatorship

Napoleon on His Imperial Throne

French artists during the early 19th Century had unprecedented access to artwork from around the world due to Napoleons campaigns across the continent.  This provided new opportunities to analyze and critique artwork.  Have students analyze items in the work and make an effort to interpret their meaning.

Napoleon on His Imperial Throne

Saddam Hussein Sculpture Toppled

Does the provenance of an artwork effect a viewer's reaction to the piece?  Does the subject matter?  Can we consider artwork just on it's technical quality?  These are great questions to challenge students with as they watch the sculpture of Saddam Hussein being toppled.

Sculpture Toppled

Student Examples

We started out with the warmup on the proletariat and communism.  I've include student examples.  Some are very insightful and others demonstrate the need for review.  I always like to include both types of work samples to demonstrate the range that can be expected.

Student Examples