St. George and the Dragon; The Adoration of the Magi


As we anticipate next week's field trip to Washington, we are continuing to analyze Renaissance art. Here's some stellar student analysis of Raphael's St. George and the Dragon:

Edward: St. George's body is very detailed. You can even see the muscles through the chainmail.

Peyton: Raphael didn’t just show the foreground, he also showed the background -- like the woods and the church.

Isabella: I like how the horse’s head is looking at you/the audience. I think that Raphael spent more time on the horse’s face than the humans' faces!

Harrison: I really like the graceful movement -- it is so alive. I also like the faint halo around St. George, as opposed to the medieval "circle" halos.





The students learned about the symbolism of the large peacock The Adoration of the Magi, by Angelico and Lippi. During the Middle Ages and Renaissance, peacocks represented eternal life.

Here are some additional great insights:


Sophie: There are so many people waiting in line to see baby Jesus, and to bless him!

Jack L.: Each person and each animal has a unique, different face. Why did the artists include so many animals?

Sean: I like how the painters added the golden shimmer above the three wise men. There are so many vivid colors, like the vibrant orange robe.

Max M.: Who are the mysterious boys (dressed in white) in the middle ground of this painting?

Lila: There is lots of graceful movement, and I like the flowing robes and tunics.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Excellent Examples of Informative Writing

Image
The Thought Process of Building a Castle, by Maggie [Notice Maggie's excellent word choice and use of relevant vocabulary, including terms like "strategic", "quarry", "vulnerable" and "resources" ] There is so much thought process that goes into the placement of a castle, along with asking strategic questions including... Where is the nearest water source? Is there a quarry near the castle? Is it good land for farming? Is the position vulnerable to attack? Would my enemies reach it easily? Is there a better place to build where there are more natural resources? I came to the conclusion that this is indeed the best place to build my castle. The nearest water source is a river that runs along the castle boundaries. The river is a good source of irrigation for farms and plants. There is a quarry about a half mile away from the building site. It will provide stone and help complete the building of the castle, with the wall for protection ... Pic...
Read more

Initial Questions About Religion

Image
Art by Sonia Sophia : Would you be considered religious if you believed in something that is not part of any official religion? Art by Peyton Peyton : Are there people who believe in multiple religions? If so, what are they called? Laney  and  Lucca : How does believing in a religion change or affect a person? Does believing in religion make you a better person? Lyra : How would you know if you met God? How would it feel? Art by Harrison Spicer : Why, in some religions, are candles so significant? Kelsey : Why does everyone relate religious beings with light ? Isn't there such a thing as too much light? You need to strike a balance. Will : Do all religions have a ritual of doing something to babies (like Baptism for Christians)? Kelly : If a religion believes that people go to an afterlife, what age would you be in the afterlife? Edward : Why would someone believe in religion if they don't know, for sure , that it's real? Art by Polina
Read more

More Impressions from Washington

Image
Griffin : I looked over my shoulder and there it was: the supreme art by so many artists, with the vivid colors popping out at you. I don’t pay attention to the detail of the objects or animals in the picture, but actually the detail of the color of the art. It was outstanding that they used gold so much, even mixing it with the other colors, to represent heaven. I loved the use of brown as well. One of my classmates said that the brown wasn’t as vivid and did not strike out as much. I disagree, because brown can bring the best colors in a picture to life. It almost felt that I was in the picture watching myself in astonishment, seeing myself darting my eyes to everything I saw in the beautiful painted picture. Lillian : The walls of the Cathedral were so grand, and the ceilings made it look like I was inside a whale’s stomach. At first I felt small and weirdly claustrophobic. Then I saw one of the stained glass windows. It looked like someone had taken a rainbow and spun it into a st...
Read more