How to Teach Italian Renaissance Art to High School Students
High school students may not find the Italian Renaissance the most exciting topic, but adding in some interesting facts and a hands-on art activity will provide a memorable lesson and help to make sense of art during this time. The Italian Renaissance was in full swing during 1400 to 1600 and was a time of great cultural change and development in Europe. Italian artists, such as Leonardo da Vinci, helped pave the way for what the world would become today.
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Things You'll Need
- Images of Italian Renaissance artworks
- Reproduction of the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci
- 12-by-18-inch drawing paper
- Drawing pencils
Instructions
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Introduce Italian Renaissance artists to high school students by posting examples of their artwork around the classroom. Influential artists of the time include Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Donatello, Brunelleschi, Sandro Botticelli, Caravaggio, Giotto, and Raphael. Most of these artists are well known by simply one name.
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Explain the characteristics of the Renaissance as a time of change and development. Discuss as a class the similarities and differences found within the Italian Renaissance art posted around the classroom. Encourage students to stand in front of artworks and point out their observations while discussing.
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Share with high school students how symbolism was an important part of Renaissance artwork and how artists included small items, such as flowers, fruits, or animals, within paintings to tell a story or add to the image.
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List on the white board attributes or phrases connected to flowers or fruits and how they might be connected to items found within Renaissance art, such as "pure as a lily" or "fresh as a daisy." See how many phrases students can come up with.
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View the Mona Lisa portrait by Leonardo da Vinci as a class and discuss the composition of the painting. During the Italian Renaissance, landscape portraits were a very common and popular style of artwork. Determine if there are any hidden symbols found within the painting as a class.
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Give each student a 12-by-18-inch sheet of drawing paper and drawing pencils. Have students recreate the Mona Lisa using their faces in place of the famous Mona Lisa along with one hidden symbol that describes them.
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Display the students' finished drawings alongside the art of the famous Italian Renaissance artists.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit city of florence 1, tuscany, italy image by Pierrette Guertin from Fotolia.com
