STAB 2016

Today the students looked at two paintings of St. Francis . The first painting is by a medieval artist, and the second one is by the Renaissance artist Bellini.  In both paintings, St. Francis is having a dramatic encounter with an angel, but the scenes are portrayed quite differently. We are using these paintings to talk more about the differences between medieval and Renaissance art (and in Washington next week, we'll get to see the Bellini painting in-person!).  Here are some of today's a wesomely a rticulated a rtistic insights: Ellie  and  Morgan : In the medieval painting, you can actually see St. Francis getting the holes in his skin. But in the Renaissance painting, you can only imagine the angel giving him the stigmata. [this is a fantastic observation by Ellie and Morgan, and it will be the basis for tomorrow's follow-up discussion] . Gracie  and  Hailey : In both paintings, the animals are aware of what is happening to St. Francis. Tilly  an...

The students have been examining two paintings of Mary and Jesus: Cimabue's  Madonna Enthroned  (an example of a medieval painting) Raphael's  Alba Madonna  (an example of a Renaissance painting) We are using these two paintings as our introduction to the Renaissance. We discussed similarities and differences between the two paintings, and we started to discuss the way that  art  can reveal the changing outlooks and ideas of people during different periods of history. ----------- Several perceptive students pointed out that both sets of figures have halos -- although the halos in Raphael's work are so soft and subtle that they often escape notice! Here are a few of the excellent observations and questions: ... about Madonna Enthroned, by Cimabue Coco , Riley ,  Ally ,  Christopher : Jesus and Mary are sitting on a beautifully carved golden throne. Mia : The main color of the painting is gold, which could represent the importance of Mary and J...

Thanks so much to the wonderful performers from today's skits about the Dubois family. Students portrayed one family's excruciating decision about whether their father should heed Pope Urban's call to join the Crusades. The scripts were beautifully written , and the performances were captivating . And big congratulations to Thomas and Leo for their especially compelling performances ... you guys may be headed to Broadway!

Humans continue to be impressed by the Gothic cathedrals, even though they were constructed 1,000 years ago. 1,000 years from now ( in the year 3016 AD! ), which  modern architectural or engineering  accomplishment will be most admired:  t he International Space Station ,  the Burj Khalifa ,  or the English Channel Tunnel ? Tilly : The space station can always be replaced by new, better space technology. This original version will not be very impressive in one thousand years. Brehanu : Props to Tilly . The International Space Station will be completely obsolete in one thousand years. It will not be impressive at all. Darrah : Props to Tilly and Brehanu . Nobody spends their time thinking about the iPhone 3 and how great it was. In one thousand years, the International Space Station will be just like an old iPhone. Evan : I'll tell you what humans are going to replace, with new and improved technology: the Burj Khalifa. Humans will quickly build a taller bu...

QUESTIONS ABOUT CATHEDRALS Mary Holland : Which is more important: the way that a cathedral looks, or what you do inside of it? Sofia :  Jesus emphasized being humble . So, wouldn't a smaller, less fancy cathedral (instead of a huge Gothic cathedrals) still be considered a palace of God? Emma :  What's the tallest cathedral in the world, and how tall is it? Kate : Which kind of glass is stronger and more durable: modern day window glass, or medieval stained glass? Tabitha :  How long does it take to make a regular-size stained glass window, start to finish? Gabriel :  Were there any particularly famous stained glass window makers during the Middle Ages? Musical Friday brought to you by Henry, Lilly and Morgan!

Hey! There's nothing funny about history. Phin and Alex better put on their game faces and GET SERIOUS! Illumination by Asher Sketch by Kat

Today we discussed the differences between Romanesque and Gothic architecture. Here's a Romanesque church The students pointed out that Romanesque churches tend to be short, with thick walls and few windows. The arches are rounded, and the inside space tends to be confined and a bit dark. Another Romanesque church. This one has a rose window, but it's fairly close to the ground. Gothic architecture, on the other hand, emphasizes height and light. The arches are pointed, and tall spires soar toward the sky. Flying buttresses enabled architects to build much larger windows, many of which were fitted with stained glass. Notice the spires reaching upwards... The students also pointed out examples of architecture that inspires them: Phineas said that the Duomo has been a source of wonder since he was eight years old. Meredith, Channing, and Kat said that UVa's new Children's Hospital is a Charlottesville architectural gem. Speaking of UVa, Zach said that he loves the inclusi...

Here's a sketch of a medieval cathedral's foundation , sunk deep into the ground. Today we began our study of Gothic cathedrals. We are studying the cathedrals in anticipation of our trip to Washington, DC, where we will visit the majestic and beautiful Washington National Cathedral. We started by defining the word architecture : the art and science of designing and constructing buildings. We learned that a footprint is the outline of a building at the point where the walls meet the ground and that the footprint of all Gothic cathedrals is the shape of a cross . ---------------- Before we leave Crispin , I wanted to share some fantastic final journal entries: Lindsay [ writing as John Aycliffe ]: " Thump, thump, thump . Footprints, downstairs. I sat straight up in my bed. Throwing the bedsheets aside, I tore through the curtains, grabbed my sword and hid it in the folds of my cloak, bolting down the stairs. Sure enough, there he was. Too easy. I snuck up behind him and w...

Sixth grade students and teachers voted today, along with Virginians and the residents of 11 other states. Here are the results... Overall: Republicans - 70.3% Democrats - 29.7% The Democratic Candidates Hillary Clinton - 89.4% Bernie Sanders - 10.6% The Republican Candidates Marco Rubio - 71.1% Donald Trump - 13.3% Ben Carson - 11.1% John Kasich - 4.4% Ted Cruz - 0.0% It will be interesting to watch this evening's results and see how your votes compare! Meanwhile, in Neverland...