My school has block day (100 minutes) M/Tu and Th/F. When I first arrived, I was nervous about how to fill the time without it dragging; 4 years in I think I got it. I try to break up my lesson into three “parts” and I can usually cover 4-5 pieces in a block period. This lesson covers all the pieces in the 250 that fall into the Romanticism topic (with the exception of La Grande Odalisque, Orientalism is a branch of Romanticism but I cover that the same day I teach Olympia and The Valley of Mexico from the Hillside of Santa Isabel because I cover that piece in a lesson on post-European contact in the Americas).
Read more: An AP Art History Pacing Guide
Images included in this lesson:
- 106. Y no hai remedio (And There’s Nothing to Be Done), from Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War), plate 15. Francisco de Goya. 1810–1823 CE (published 1863). Etching, drypoint, burin, and burnishing.
- 108. Liberty Leading the People. Eugène Delacroix. 1830 CE. Oil on canvas.
- 109. The Oxbow (View from Mount Holyoke, Northampton, Massachusetts, after a Thunderstorm). Thomas Cole. 1836 CE. Oil on canvas.
- 111. Slave Ship (Slavers Throwing Overboard the Dead and Dying, Typhoon Coming On). Joseph Mallord William Turner. 1840 CE. Oil on canvas.
- 119. The Burghers of Calais. Auguste Rodin. 1884–1895 CE. Bronze.
Part 1: Slave Ship
I like starting with this piece because it can be a slow exploration of the major themes of Romanticism with an underling historical context and narrative. As I show an image of the art piece I display and read out this quote by Turner: “The sun is God.” I tell my students were the final words Turner uttered from his deathbed and they express his increasing fixation on natural light in his paintings. Then ask them to connect this painting with Turner’s view on light.
The Museum of Fine Art in Boston (where this piece is located) has a minute and a half audio (scroll down to the bottom of the page) on this piece that serves as a fantastic hook to the story. I play it for them while they look at the piece. I used this article from McQuillen Studios to teach this image in it’s historic context and discuss the horrors of the slave trade and the growing abolition movement. I read aloud the quote they have on their page to my students on the Zong Massacre (the news inspiration for this piece).
On 6 September 1781, the Zong, a slave ship, left…the west coast of Africa, bound for Jamaica. The ship was cruelly overcrowded, carrying 442 Africans…The human cargo was manacled and packed so tightly, they had no room to move. But for the captain, Luke Collingwood, the more Africans he could squeeze in, the greater the margin of profit for both the ship’s owners and himself.
But by mid-November, the inexperienced Collingwood found himself in the mid-Atlantic, unable to navigate out of the calm winds of the Doldrums. The slaves, suffering from malnutrition, dysentery, scurvy and disease, began to die. By 28 November, 60 had died, along with seven crew members. Many more were falling sick. Collingwood began to panic—the delivery of dead slaves would earn the ship owners nothing. If, however, the Africans were somehow lost at sea, then the ship owners’ insurance would cover the loss at £30 per head.
So Collingwood…made an unimaginably cruel, but to his mind, logical decision. Rather than allow the sick slaves to die on board and be rendered worthless, he would throw them overboard—and hence claim the insurance. …Thus, on 29 November, 54 sick slaves, mainly women and children, were dragged from below deck, …and heaved from the ship into the ocean. The following day, more were murdered. In the end, Collingwood had thrown 133 slaves to their deaths. Many struggled and the crew had to tie iron balls to their ankles. Another ten slaves threw themselves overboard in what Collingwood described as an act of defiance.
I find Slave Ship a great piece to introduce Romanticism because we can clearly connect why Turner would choose this style to emotionally reach and pull in his viewers; the rationality of Neoclassicism and frivolity of Rococo would not work here.
Read more: AP Art History Hunting: Museum of Fine Art, Boston
Part 2: Two Views on War Partner Teaching
I would never lecture a whole block period, even though my art history kids swear they love my lectures. Therefore the next two pieces I cover are done as a partner teaching: Y no hai remedio (And There’s Nothing to Be Done) & Liberty Leading the People. Both pieces are reflections on war, both are in Romanticism, yet they look nothing alike. It is a perfect opportunity for partner discussion. To keep things moving along I have modified some articles for the students and I time them (otherwise they would take all block period). Displaying a timer on the board helps with their time management; give at least 15 minutes for individual reading and note taking before partner sharing.
Note: I circle back and look at war/violence as a theme in AP Art History in a lesson in the Global Contemporary Unit. And there is an Art Through Time: A Global View episode on Conflict & Resolution, if you have time in your curriculum they are fantastic videos!
I modified some articles for the partner teaching (this is also very useful to make sure things are of equal length and can ensure that students get through their content in the time set aside). When they finish their notes, they share with their partner and take notes. I will include the original links in case you want to create your own or you can use my modified PDFs for Y no hai Remedio and Liberty Leading the People.
- Khan Academy: Goya, And there’s nothing to be done (from the Disasters of War)
- Annenberg Learner: Y no hai Remedio (And There’s Nothing to Be Done)
- Daily Art Magazine: Liberty Leading the People: Delacroix, French Revolution, and Coldplay
Part 3: I Spy…
I then play a little game to encourage deep looking with The Oxbow: I spy! I have posters of this piece printed for a group search or you can call students up to find these items on the projected image. I use the game to teach about the piece (many students who have had US History will be create connections to Manifest Destiny).
- Storm
- River
- Mountains
- Broken tree
- Smoke from chimneys
- Farm lanes
- Boats
- Train
- The painter
- Hebrew letters
If you have time, show one of these videos to finish The Oxbow, which is located in the Metropolitan Museum in New York City.
Part 4: The Burghers of Calais FFCC
Note: Rodin is difficult to put into an “ism” because he is considered “Impressionism in sculpture” or the “father of modern sculpture.” I stick him here with Romanticism because I feel the form and feel of this sculpture perfectly reflects the theme of the day.
Instead of a repeat of the partner teaching from earlier this lesson, this part focuses on FFCC. Each student has a different portion on the Burghers of Calais. Assign each student a DIFFERENT parts of FFCC and rotate the four portions between members in the group. Once the student gets their original article back on their desk, they can decide together what is key information to put in their notes.
Here are the original links if you want to make your own articles for students:
- Khan Academy: Rodin, The Burghers of Calais
- Hirshhorn: Auguste Rodin: The Burghers of Calais
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art: The Burghers of Calais
- Musée Rodin: Monument to The Burghers of Calais
JMF
