STAB 2016

This week we studied  Pieter Bruegel , a fascinating Renaissance artist from the northern part of Europe (in contrast to the many Italians we have studied so far). Bruegel differed from other Renaissance painters because of his interest in painting common people. He even disguised himself as a peasant in order to make authentic observations for his artwork. The students came up with a host of intriguing questions about Bruegel's Peasant Wedding . Kate :  If you were an artist living in the Renaissance and you saw Bruegel’s style of painting, would you begin to paint peasants as well, or would you continue to paint richer people? Hunter : Why do you think Bruegel decided to paint average people? Tabitha : During the Renaissance, d id the bride and groom choose who to invite to their wedding, or could random people show up at the wedding? ( Sarah asked a variation on this question: Do you think the entire town was invited to the wedding? ) Bowen : Why do some of the people...

Please watch the first nine minutes of this video about The School of Athens .  I want you to watch this as a way of reviewing and synthesizing our discussions about the Renaissance. You do not need to worry about the details from this video for the test; instead, please just use the video as a way to think about the "big idea" of what happened during the Renaissance. ---------------------- Links to today's Kahoots: #1:  https://play.kahoot.it/#/k/26f1de8a-4892-46d7-a302-486c72879331 #2:  https://play.kahoot.it/#/k/92d2d79f-05fc-49e7-9174-958ea9f2ba09

Assignment for April 20, 2016 : Please read each of the seven statements and determine whether this statement was made by a follower of Machiavelli or a follower of "NOT-iavelli". Please write your answers on a sheet of looseleaf paper. Statement #1 : The President is too honest about our country's problems. When he describes the crime and poverty in this country, it causes other leaders to think we are weak. The President should learn to be less truthful. Statement #2 : An effective leader must have certain boundaries that she will never cross. For example, a good leader should never permit the army to hurt innocent people. Statement #3 : A leader should treat enemy soldiers with respect and dignity. Treating every person with respect and dignity -- even a country's enemies -- will ultimately lead to good results. Statement #4 : When it comes to the government, all that really matters is the results. If we can achieve peace and prosperity for all our citizens, the g...

What emotions do you feel when you look at Michelangelo's Pieta . How does Michelangelo communicate these emotions? Coco : I feel Mary's anger and sadness. Where Mary is holding Jesus under his arm, you can see the way the pressure of her hand pushes his skin up . Vaya : I feel touched by how much Mary cared for her son. Michelangelo expresses emotions by carving a solemn look into Mary's face . Also, the way that Mary is holding Jesus shows that she has lost a loved one. Artie : Sadness. Mary's left hand looks relaxed , as if she has given up . Maxwell : The angle of Jesus's neck really gives you the feeling of his death. Tilly : Mary's eyes have so much emotion in them, even though they are closed . Sylvie : Sadness. The look on Mary's face says it all. The Creation of Adam, from the Sistine Chapel Ceiling After sculpting the Piet á , Michelangelo never signed another piece of artwork. Why not? Jack C. : He wanted to leave himself a mystery -- to have p...

Today we studied Leonardo's famous painting of the Last Supper. The students analyzed the expressions and gestures of Jesus and his disciples, and they came up with theories about the thoughts each person may have been having at the moment of Jesus's announcement. Judas "He knows someone will betray him, but I wonder if he knows it's me. Wrong decision, Judas, wrong decision. Oh no ... now my halo is gone!" (by Nia ) "Should I really be doing this? Thirty coins is a lot of money, but is it worth another's life?" (by Bowen ) "Jesus knows it was me, and yet he says nothing. Why doesn't Jesus tell them it was me?" (by Gracie Lou ) John "This is horrible, but I do not wish to join any violence. Jesus has always said to forgive and forget. Whoever betrayed Jesus is out of line, but I must forgive. It may be hard, but I must forgive." (by Vaya ) Peter "If anyone lays one hand on Jesus, they are going to regret it." (by T...

The 6th graders traveled to Bellair Farm today with their 2nd grade Chapel Buddies. -------------- I saw  a lot  of kindness towards your younger schoolmates during today's trip. You all were attentive and supportive.  Many of you made a real effort to make your Chapel Buddies feel special. You were  kind , and it brought some extra sunshine to an already beautiful day.

Channing The National Gallery of Art is a time capsule. Painters worked for years and years on the paintings inside the walls of the building.  The paintings were the painters' children, the things they worked the hardest on and the things that gave them joy and hope in their most difficult times.   It’s interesting to me that we were close enough to feel the love and joy and time that went into each painting. The gallery was filled with passion.  The thing that made the largest impact on me was how much the painters loved what they did. Some people might see the artwork and think "Why? Why spend time on these paintings?"  But to me the gallery was all answers. The gallery showed me that if I do what I love and what makes me feel alive, there is no way I will not be appreciated, and no way I will be forgotten. Hudson I felt small in comparison to the Cathedral. Our tour guide pointed out  a life size portrait of Jesus in the middle of a stained glass window. It...

Lindsay The Cathedral was the biggest, most beautiful thing I have ever seen.  I loved every single part of it. I  loved the tapestries, the gargoyles, the cushions in the Children's Chapel, the statue of Jesus outside, and the way the stained glass windows lit up the room with different colors.  The lit candles gave it all a nice, smoky smell. Gabriel The National Cathedral will keep inspiring people for decades to come. It is filled to the brim with great detail.  The way they used the buttresses to support the roof and the vaulted ceilings to distribute the weight was fantastic. I love the architecture, and it has even impacted the way that I draw. I am now drawing vaulted ceilings and flying buttresses.  I think God was their motivation, and look what they did. What if God was our motivation? What could we do better? Phineas The limestone carving was super duper cool. I wonder how long it took to actually finish the carving. I was thinking about how many peo...

Today we continued our study of Renaissance art by examining the beautiful  Adoration of the Magi , by  Fra Angelico  and  Filippo Lippi . The students pointed out a number of Renaissance characteristics of  Adoration of the Magi , including: The use of linear perspective to create a sense of depth and space The realistic portrayal of human bodies The many different expressions and emotions of the people in the painting The outdoor setting and abundance of animal life The vivid colors , such as the purple, orange, and blue of the kings' robes The incredible range of movement by the animals and people The students also asked some great questions about the painting. For example: Charlotte, Ellie, Morgan and Christopher :   Why is the first man touching Jesus’s feet? Does this symbolize something?Also, are there any characteristics of Jesus that you can see by looking at this painting? Hannah, Zach, Sylvie and Tyler : Why do you think that so many people...