hat John Singleton Copley painted. Write a paragraph about Paul Revere that starts with the sentence:
I like the portrait that Copley painted of Paul Revere because
I like the picture of Paul Revere that Longfellow described in his poem because
Fourth Grade - Visual Arts - Lesson 4 - Portraits
(some ideas and questions adapted from BMA Teacher Packet on Portraits)
Choose a well known person.
Explore biographical details about the person.
Create a portrait of the person.
Color reproduction of Copley's Portrait of Paul Revere from Lesson 3
Reproductions of portraits in books, see Suggested Books below
Magazines containing photographs of well known Americans
Pieces of 9 x 12" newsprint for each student
Tempera paints and brushes, crayons, and/or markers
Beckett, Sister Wendy. The Story of Painting. London & New York: Dorling Kindersley in association with the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1994.
Examples of portraits throughout.
Clarkin, Maura A. National Gallery of Art Activity Book. New York: Harry N. Abrams in association with the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Many examples of portraits from different periods included here.
Encyclopedia, if you have one in the classroom
Rice, Melanie & Chris. I Like Painting. New York: Warwick Press, 1989.
Combines examples of children's work with that of famous painters in various categories. Sections on Portraits, Family Portraits, and Painting People are particularly useful for this lesson.
Show the students the reproduction of the Copley Portrait of Paul Revere. Brainstorm with the children, taking this as an opportunity to review the elements of art as Copley used them in this portrait. Texture and color are especially important in this particular portrait. Remind the students of the way that Copley has given us biographical information in his portrait by including the tools of a metalworker in the painting.
Show the students any portraits you may have in books or magazines and discuss the role of clothing in painting a portrait. If you have some French or English portraits of the same period as the Paul Revere (18th century), point out again how different people look with "fancy" clothing or uniforms than with "everyday" clothing. Also, take a look at the way the painter has used light in each of the portraits. Have the students look again at the Copley portrait and ask: What special use of light has Copley given us? (reflections in teapot and on tabletop) Where is the light coming from in this portrait? (left side, in front of the subject) How can you tell? (reflections on the teapot, brightness of shirt, collar, hand, and cheek on that side) How else can we figure out where the light comes from? (observe where the shadows fall, then infer where the source of light must be)
Tell the students: You are each going to create a portrait of a person whom you really admire. It could be someone alive today, like a musician, a president or former president, a war hero, an actor or actress, your mother or father, a grandparent -- anyone you really look up to. It could also be an historical figure, someone you would find in a history book. Look through some of the magazines, books, and/or encyclopedias we have in the classroom for about ten minutes to find a photo of the person you've chosen. If you have chosen to do someone in your family, spend the time quietly thinking about the particular features and qualities of that person that you especially want to portray. Remember that you are not going to paint an "action" work. Rather, since this is a portrait, you will "pose" your subject, which means that you will choose the background, the setting that you think best reflects the character of the person you have chosen.
While the students are doing this, pass out paper and crayons, markers, and/or paint and brushes for each one. Have them return to their seats and ask some questions to get them started.
Ask how much of the person they want to showiest the head, the head and upper body as in the portrait of Paul Revere, or the whole body (show examples if you have them)