Enter In Classical Art for a Classical School
DRAFT - work in progress updated 6/7/21
CORAM DEO ACADEMY INTRODUCTION
Flower Mound Campus pur- poses to attract students to the truth, goodness, and beauty of all things given to us by our Creator. We get lost in beautiful literature, wonder while playing beautiful mu- sic, bring health to our bodies through practice, and desire to present beautiful works of art to students, families, and visitors. In doing so, we hope to train our aesthetic senses by fully engaging, not just the academic mind, but the whole person created by God, to lift the eyes as they walk down our halls, readying the minds for all who gaze on the artwork for learning. Our hope is in Christ Jesus, the ultimate source of beauty.
Page 2 Table of Contents
Grammar School page 4 Aesop’s Fables
Building 200 page 24 Masters
Building 400 page 34 Modern
Builing 300 page 50
Page 3 GRAMMAR SCHOOL Aesop’s Fables
Teaching with fables is an ancient tradition found in every culture. Fables are — and were meant to be — for everyone. Young and old alike can read a fable and learn something about Truth, goodness, and beauty. After the Bible, fables are among the most reproduced pieces of literature. Fables tend to have deep wisdom, humor, and insight into the workings of the human heart. When set against the light of scripture, each becomes brighter for the comparison.
Aesop is the name of the man credited with writing a collection of fables known as Aesop’s Fables. If he did live, he is believed to have been a slave around the sixth century BC. His fables have three main qualities. First, they are short. Second, the main char- acters are usually familiar animals loved by children. And third, fables teach a lesson or moral. It is not known exactly when the first book of Aesop’s Fables was actually penned. Fables were originally passed down in oral form from one generation to the next just like myths, tales, and legends.
Art is meant to invoke thinking and promote conversation. As you walk through the halls of Building 100 on Coram Deo Academy’s Flower Mound campus, stop and enjoy the beautiful fables we have on display. This booklet tells each fable, its moral, and a scrip- ture verse that connects the fable to a biblical principle. It also provides you with a conversation starter that enables deeper thinking and personal reflection or application of the wisdom gleaned from each fable.
Page 4 The Hare and the Tortoise
A Hare was one day making fun of a Tortoise for being so slow upon his feet. “Wait a bit,” said the Tortoise; “I’ll run a race with you, and I’ll wager that I win.” “Oh, well,” replied the Hare, who was much amused at the idea, “let’s try and see”; and it was soon agreed that the fox should set a course for them, and be the judge. When the time came both started off together, but the Hare was soon so far ahead that he thought he might as well have a rest; so down he lay and fell fast asleep. Mean- while the Tortoise kept plodding on, and in time reached the goal. At last the Hare woke up with a start, and dashed on at his fastest, but only to find that the Tortoise had already won the race.
Slow and steady wins the race.
Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endur- ance the race that is set before us.”
Name some activities at which is it good to be slow and steady. Name some activities at which it is good to be fast.
Page 5 Untitled Fable
This piece of artwork appears to be a fable, and it was created by the same artist that did many of the fables you have seen in the building. However, it is not a picture that relates to a specific fable.
Come back to this picture once you have viewed the other fables in the building. Study this picture for a few minutes.
What stands out to you? What do you think this is a picture of? Do you recognize any of the characters? Create a fable, a moral, and a biblical principle to accompany this picture.
Page 6 The Vain Jackdaw
Jupiter announced that he intended to appoint a king over the birds, and named a day on which they were to appear before his throne, when he would select the most beautiful of them all to be their ruler. Wishing to look their best on the occasion they repaired to the banks of a stream, where they busied themselves in washing and preening their feath- ers. The Jackdaw was there along with the rest, and realized that, with his ugly plumage, he would have no chance of being chosen as he was: so he waited till they were all gone, and then picked up the most gaudy of the feathers they had dropped, and fastened them about his own body, with the result that he looked gayer than any of them. When the appointed day came, the birds assembled before Jupiter’s throne; and, after passing them in review, he was about to make the Jackdaw king, when all the rest set upon the king-elect, stripped him of his borrowed plumes, and exposed him for the Jackdaw that he was.
Borrowed feathers do not make fine birds.
Galatians 1:10 “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
Was Jupiter wise to select a king on the basis of beauty? If you were Jupiter, what factors or qualities would you look for in a king?
Page 7 The Fox and the Crow
A Crow was sitting on a branch of a tree with a piece of cheese in her beak when a Fox observed her and set his wits to work to discover some way of getting the cheese. Coming and standing under the tree he looked up and said, “What a noble bird I see above me! Her beauty is without equal, the hue of her plumage exquisite. If only her voice is as sweet as her looks are fair, she ought without doubt to be Queen of the Birds.” The Crow was hugely flattered by this, and just to show the Fox that she could sing she gave a loud caw. Down come the cheese, of course, and the Fox, snatching it up, said, “You have a voice, madam, I see: what you want is wits.”
Beware of Flatterers.
Proverbs 29:5 “A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet.”
What type of flattery might the sly fox be giving the crow in this picture? What do you think he might want?
Page 8 The Mice in Council
Once upon a time all the Mice met together in Council, and discussed the best means of securing them- selves against the attacks of the cat. After several suggestions had been debated, a Mouse of some standing and experience got up and said, “I think I have hit upon a plan which will ensure our safety in the future, provided you approve and carry it out. It is that we should fasten a bell round the neck of our enemy the cat, which will by its tinkling warn us of her approach.” This proposal was warmly applauded, and it had been already decided to adopt it, when an old Mouse got upon his feet and said, “I agree with you all that the plan before us is an admirable one: but may I ask who is going to bell the cat?”
It is one thing to propose, and another to carry it out.
Luke 14:28-30 “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a founda- tion and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’”
Find the two mice that are whispering to each other in the bot- tom left corner of the picture. What do you think that they are saying? What do you think the blue object is that is hanging from the top center of the picture?
Page 9 The Wolf and the Crane
A Wolf once got a bone stuck in his throat. So he went to a Crane and begged her to put her long bill down his throat and pull it out. “I’ll make it worth your while,” he added. The Crane did as she was asked, and got the bone out quite easily. The Wolf thanked her warmly, and was just turning away, when she cried, “What about that fee of mine?” “Well, what about it?” snapped the Wolf, baring his teeth as he spoke; “you can go about boasting that you once put your head into a Wolf’s mouth and didn’t get it bitten off. What more do you want?”
Expect no gratitude if you show charity to an enemy.
1 Peter 3:9 “Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.”
What makes a good or trusted friend?
Page 10 The Lion and the Mouse
A Lion asleep in his lair was waked up by a Mouse running over his face. Losing his temper, he seized it with his paw and was about to kill it. The Mouse, terrified, piteously entreated him to spare its life. “Please let me go, it cried, “and one day I will repay you for your kindness.” The idea of so insignificant a creature ever being able to do anything for him amused the Lion so much that he laughed aloud and good-humoredly let it go. But the Mouse’s chance came, after all. One day the Lion got entangled in a net which had been spread for game by some hunters, and the Mouse heard and recognized his roars of anger and ran to the spot. Without more ado it set to work to gnaw the ropes with its teeth and succeed- ed before long in setting the Lion free. “There!” said the Mouse, “you laughed at me when I promised I would repay you; but now you see, even a Mouse can help a lion.”
One good turn deserves another.
Luke 10:27 “And he answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.’”
Can you find the little mouse? What character trait would you use to describe him?
Page 11 The Dog and His Shadow
A Dog was crossing a plank bridge over a stream with a piece of meat in his mouth, when he happened to see his own reflec- tion in the water. He thought it was another dog with a piece of meat twice as big; so he let go his own, and flew at the other dog to get the larger piece. But, of course, all that happened was that he got neither; for one was only a shadow, and the other was carried away by the current.
Greed begets nothing.
Luke 12:15 “And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
Do you know the difference between wants and needs? Name something that you need. Name something that you want.
If you were the dog, what would be in your mouth? (What do you wish you had twice as much of?)
Page 12 The Ant and the Grasshopper
One fine day in winter some Ants were busy drying their store of corn, which had got rather damp during a long spell of rain. Presently up came a Grasshopper and begged them to spare her a few grains, “For,” she said, “I’m simply starv- ing.” The Ants stopped work for a moment, though this was against their principles. “May we ask,” said they, “what you were doing with yourself all last summer? Why didn’t you collect a store of food for the winter?” “The fact is” replied the Grasshopper, “I was so busy singing that I hadn’t the time.” “If you spent the summer singing,” replied the Ants, “you can’t do better than spend the winter dancing.” And they chuckled and went on with their work.
The idle get what they deserve.
Proverbs 14:23 “In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.”
What advice would you give the grasshopper?
Page 13 The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse
A Town Mouse and a Country Mouse were acquaintances, and the Country Mouse one day in- vited his friend to come and see him at his home in the fields. The Town Mouse came, and they sat down to a dinner of barleycorns and roots, the latter of which had a distinctly earthy flavor. The fare was not much to the taste of the guest, and presently he broke out with “My poor dear friend, you live here no better than the ants. Now, you should just see how I fare! My larder is a regular horn of plenty. You must come and stay with me, and I promise you you shall live on the fat of the land.” So when he re- turned to town he took the Country Mouse with him, and showed him into a larder containing flour and oatmeal and figs and honey and dates. The Country Mouse had never seen anything like it, and sat down to enjoy the luxuries his friend provided: but before they had well begun, the door of the larder opened and someone came in. The two Mice scampered off and hid themselves in a narrow and exceedingly un- comfortable hole. Presently, when all was quiet, they ventured out again; but someone else came in, and off they scuttled again. This was too much for the visitor. “Good-bye,” said he, “I’m off. You live in the lap of luxury, I can see, but you are surrounded by dangers; whereas at home I can enjoy my simple dinner of roots and corn in peace.”
A humble life with peace and quiet is better than a splen- did one with danger and risk.
Philippians 4:11,13 “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
Do you prefer city or country life? Page 14 The Fox and the Grapes
A hungry Fox saw some fine bunches of Grapes hanging from a vine that was trained along a high trellis, and did his best to reach them by jumping as high as he could into the air. But it was all in vain, for they were just out of reach: so he gave up trying, and walked away with an air of digni- ty and unconcern, remarking, “I thought those Grapes were ripe, but I see now they are quite sour.”
It is easy to despise what you cannot attain.
Colossians 3:9 “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices.”
Do you see another way that the fox could have gotten the grapes rather than jumping? How could he have persevered?
Page 15 The Fox and the Stork
A Fox invited a stork to dinner, at which the only fare provided was a large flat dish of soup. The Fox lapped it up with great rel- ish, but the Stork with her long bill tried in vain to partake of the savory broth. Her evident distress caused the sly Fox much amuse- ment. But not long after the Stork invited him in turn, and set before him a pitcher with a long and nar- row neck, into which she could get her bill with ease. Thus, while she enjoyed her dinner, the Fox sat by hungry and helpless, for it was impossible for him to reach the tempting contents of the vessel.
Do as you would be done by.
Luke 6:31 “And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.”
Talk about the setting of this picture. What do you notice? Why do you think the artist chose this setting for this fable?
Page 16 The Dog and the Wolf
A lean, hungry wolf chanced one moon- lit night to fall in with a plump, well-fed house dog. After the first compliments were passed between them, “How is it, my friend,” said the wolf, “that you look so sleek? How well your food agrees with you! And here am I striving for my living night and day and can hardly save myself from starving.” “Well,” says the dog, “if you would fare like me, you have only to do as I do.” “Indeed!” says he, “and what is that?” “Why,” replied the dog, “just to guard the master’s house and keep off the thieves at night.” “With all my heart; for at present I have but a sorry time of it. This woodland life, with its frosts and rains, is sharp work for me. To have a warm roof over my head and a bellyful of victuals always at hand will, I think, not be a bad exchange.” “True,” said the dog; “therefore you have nothing to do but to follow me.” Now as they were jogging on together, the wolf spied a mark in the dog’s neck, and having a strange curiosity, could not resist asking what it meant. “Nothing at all,” says the dog. “No, tell me” said the wolf. “Oh! A mere trifle, perhaps the collar to which my chain is fastened.” “Chain!” cried the wolf in surprise; “you don’t mean that you cannot rove when and where you please?” “Why, not exactly perhaps; you see I am looked upon as rather fierce, so they sometimes tie me up in the daytime, but I assure you I have perfect liberty at night. The master feeds me off his own plate and the servants give me their tid- bits. I am such a favorite, so what is the matter? Where are you going?” “Oh, good night to you,” said the wolf; “you are welcome to your dainties; but for me, a dry crust with liberty against a king’s luxury with a chain.”
There is no greater wealth than liberty.
Galatians 5:1 “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”
For which freedoms are you most grateful? Page 17 Are there freedoms you wish you had? The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
A Wolf resolved to disguise him- self in order that he might prey upon a flock of sheep without fear of detection. So he clothed himself in a sheepskin, and slipped among the sheep when they were out at pasture. He completely deceived the shepherd, and when the flock was penned for the night he was shut in with the rest. But that very night as it happened, the shep- herd, requiring a supply of mutton for the table, laid hands on the Wolf in mistake for a Sheep, and killed him with his knife on the spot.
The dishonest get no credit, even if they act honestly.
Matthew 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”
What are the differences that you see between the picture and the text story. What are the similarities?
Page 18 The Frog and the Ox
Two little Frogs were playing about at the edge of a pool when an Ox came down to the water to drink, and by accident trod on one of them and crushed the life out of him. When the old Frog missed him, she asked his brother where he was. “He is dead, mother,” said the little Frog; “an enormous big creature with four legs came to our pool this morning and trampled him down in the mud.” “Enormous, was he? Was he as big as this?” said the Frog, puff- ing herself out to look as big as possible. “Oh! yes, much bigger,” was the answer. The Frog puffed herself out still more. “Was he as big as this?” said she. “Oh! yes, yes, Mother, MUCH bigger,” said the little Frog. And yet again she puffed and puffed herself out till she was almost as round as a ball. “As big as….?” she began-but then she burst.
Be true to your own character.
Psalm 139:13-14 “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
Why do you think the old frog burst? God made you just the way he wants you to be. What special gifts did God give you? How can you use those for his honor and glory?
Page 19 The Lion and the Gnat
A Gnat once went up to a Lion and said, “I am not in the least afraid of you: I don’t even allow that you are a match for me in strength. What does your strength amount to after all? That you can scratch with your claws and bite with your teeth-just like a woman in a temper-and nothing more. But I’m stronger than you: if you don’t believe it, let us fight and see.” So saying, the Gnat sounded his horn, and darted in and bit the Lion on the nose. When the Lion felt the sting, in his haste to crush him he scratched his nose badly, and made it bleed, but failed altogeth- er to hurt the Gnat, which buzzed off in triumph, elated by its victory. Presently, however, it got entangled in a spider’s web, and was caught and eaten by the spider, thus falling prey to an insignificant insect after having triumphed over the King of the Beasts.
The least of our enemies is often the most to be feared.
Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
The Bible tells us not to fear. Is it ok to be afraid? What are you afraid of? What do you do when you are afraid?
Page 20 The Travelers and the Plane Tree
Two Travelers were walking along a bare and dusty road in the heat of a summer’s day. Coming pres- ently to a Plane tree, they joyful- ly turned aside to shelter from the burning rays of the sun in the deep shade of its spreading branches. As they rested, look- ing up into the tree, one of them remarked to his companion, “What a useless tree the Plane is! It bears no fruit and is of no ser- vice to man at all.” The Plane tree interrupted him with indigna- tion. “You ungrateful creature!” it cried: “you come and take shelter under me from the scorching sun, and then in the very act of enjoying the cool shade of my foliage, you abuse me and call me good for nothing!”
Our best blessings are often the least appreciated.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
What image do you see in the trunk of the tree? What are your best blessings?
Page 21 The Cat, the Cock, and the Young Mouse
A very young mouse made his first trip out of the hole and into the world. He returned to tell his mother of the wonderful crea- tures he saw.
“Oh, Mother,” said the mouse, “I saw two curious animals. There was one beautiful creature who looked so good and gentle. She had thick, velvety fur and a meek face. Her eyes were bright and shining, and she made such a tender vibrating noise as she waved her fine, long winding tail. I saw another animal, a terrible looking mon- ster. On top of his head and in front of his neck hung raw meat that wiggled and shook as he restlessly walked about. He tore up the ground with his toes and beat his arms savagely against his sides as he cried with such a powerful and frightening wail. I scurried away in fear, without even talking to the kind and beautiful animal. Mother Mouse smiled, “My dear, that horrible creature was a harmless bird, but that beautiful animal with the fluffy fur was a mouse-eating cat. You are lucky she did not have you for dinner.”
Never trust outward appearances.
Colossians 3:9-10 “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”
This fable gives very vivid descriptions of the rooster and the cat. Looking at the picture, how would you describe the mouse? Page 22 The Crow and the Pitcher
A thirsty Crow found a Pitcher with some water in it, but so little was there that, try as she might, she could not reach it with her beak, and it seemed as though she would die of thirst within sight of the remedy. At last she hit upon a clev- er plan. She began dropping peb- bles into the Pitcher, and with each pebble the water rose a little higher until at last is reached the brim, and the knowing bird was enabled to quench her thirst.
Necessity is the mother of invention.
James 1:2-4 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
When have you had to work hard to achieve or over- come something? How did you do it?
Page 23 Building 200 - The Masters
The Artist
Artist: Hans Holbein the Younger
Year: 1533
Medium: Oil on oak
Dimensions: 207 cm x 209.5 cm (81 in x 82.5 in)
Location: National Gallery, London
The Ambassadors was painted in 1533 during the Tudor period on the same year of Elizabeth I’s birth. It is a double portrait that contains a still life and many interesting objects. Some scholars have suggested the painting contains overtones of religious strife between secular and religious authorities represented by Jean de Dinteville, landowner, and Georges de Selve, Bishop of Lavaur. This belief is supported by the hymnbook in Martin Luther’s translation and the lute with a broken string.
Can you find the references to the heaven and earth? Research this painting to discover why the two globes, the scientific instruments, and the religious instruments were used by the artist. What is the meaning of the two hymns shown in the hymnbook? How is the CDA copy different from the original?
Page 24 The Arnolfini Portrait Artist: Jan van Eyck
Year: 1434
Medium: Oil on oak
Dimensions: 82.2 cm x 60 cm (32.4 in x 23.6 in)
Location: National Gallery, London
The Jan van Eyck’s 15th century painting has caused many musings. At the time of the painting, it was not uncommon to have an expensive bed in the living room. Other items of luxury are the oranges and the amount of material used to create the gown. The mirror shows two more figures entering the room. Who are they? Above the mirror in the original painting, the artist writes in Latin, “Jan van Eyck has been here 1434.”
Van Eyck’s mastery allows the viewer to see the light enter the room bringing surfaces to life. The viewer becomes a part of the life of the couple.
Since the 1990’s the subjects are believed to be Giovanni di Nicolao Ar- nolfini and his wife. His wife passed away prior to the date of the paint- ing and therefore the snuffed candle above the wife’s head and scenes after Christ’s death on her side of the background as well as the black garb of the male suggests that this was a memorial piece to his wife who passed away in childbirth a year before. Find the original painting online and discover other interesting details not shown in the CDA painting.
Page 25 Virgin of the Angels
Artist: Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Year: 1881
Medium: Oil on oak
Dimensions: 207 cm x 209.5 cm (81 in x 82.5 in)
Location: National Gallery, London
“This life-size painting, a serene vision of angels serenading the sleeping Jesus in the arms of a graceful young Mary, is one of the most important works by Bouguereau in the United States….
The artist sketched the composition in oil and made detailed draw- ings of each figure before committing to a final design. Once he -be gan painting, he allowed few changes. X-rays of Virgin of the Angels conducted as part of the treatment reveal almost no changes or cor- rections; the artist only shifted the position of a few pegs on the violin played by the angel at the center.” Paul J. Getty Museum website.
Page 26 The Annunciation
Artist: Fra Angelico
Year: 1438-1445
Medium: Fresco
Location: Monestary of San Marcos Florence, Italy In the San Marco Monastery in Florence, Italy at the top of a staircase is the beautiful fresco, Annunciation, by Fra Angelico. As you pass by the artwork, you enter the hallway of the Dominican monk cells, each with their own fresco supporting their contemplative life of prayer.
The Latin words found beneath the fresco reminds the viewer that when they come before the image of the Virgin Mary, they should not neglect to pray. If you look behind Mary, you will see a window which leads to a garden. This closed garden, or hortus conclusus in Latin, is a symbol of Mary’s virginal conception of the Christ child. The arch- angel, Gabriel, greets her within classicized columns. Similar columns and architecture are found throughout the monastery. Unlike Mary, the angel casts no shadow, yet the natural light is behind him. The light in the pointed arch behind Mary’s head seems to come from Gabriel. Sili- ca is mixed into the fresco causing the wings of Gabriel to sparkle in the original work. Originally the painting, without the electric lights which illuminate it now, would have been in a dim hallway. The sparkling of the wings would have pierced through the darkness.
Why do you think Fra Angelico painted this majestic fresco at the top of the staircase leading to the monk’s cells? Find Henry Owasso Tanner’s Annunciation in the Lyceum. How do the two pieces of art depict the same miracle? Page 27 The Course of the Empire:
Artist: Thomas Cole
Year: 1833-1836
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 100 cm x 161 cm The Savage State (39.5 in x 63.5 in)
Consummation 130 cm x 193 cm 51 in x 76 in
Location: New York Gallery of Fine Arts
The Arcadian or Pastoral State
The Consummation Page 28 Thomas Cole
Do civilizations Destruction follow Cole’s ideal?
Desolation This magnificent set of five paintings look at a civilization as it trans- forms the landscape from the savage state to a time of glory and glut- tony and finally, inevitable decay.
The valley with its distinctive boulder can be found in each painting. Some surmise that this shows the immutability of the earth with the impermanence of man. What do you think? Thomas Cole quoted from Byron’s Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage (1812-18), Canto IV, in an advertisement for the series,
“First freedom and then Glory – when that fails, Wealth, vice, corruption …” Page 29 Vanitas
Vanitas paintings show the impermanence of a life of pleasure and wealth. They depict symbols showing the certainty of death.
The word “Vanitas” is Latin meaning emptiness, futility or worthless- ness. A vanitas painting exhorts the viewer to consider their mortality and repent. A life without God is meaningless. Ecclesiastes 1:2 states…
“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”
As Christians, we know the answer to earthly futility is found in John 14:6 “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”
Page 30 Modern Rome
Artist: Giovanni Paolo Pannini
Year: 1759
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 172.1 cm x 233 cm (67.75 in x 91.75 in)
Location: Museum of Fine Arts Boston, MA
This painting is the third version of three almost identical pieces by Giovanni Paolo Pannini.
Modern Rome, which features works by Michelangelo and Bernini, cele- brates the reinvigorated interest in classicism during the Renaissance.
Can you find the following among the statues and paint- ings: Moses from the tomb of Julius II, David, Apollo and Daphne, St. Peter’s Basilica, and The Trevi Fountain?
Commissioned by Duc de Choiseul, found seated within the group clus- tered in the middle, Pannini created the work of art to remind the Duke of the surrounding city. The complement to Modern Rome is Ancient Rome in which Pannini depicts the significant sites and sculptures of Ancient Rome.
Page 31 The Little Thieves
Artist: William-Adolphe Bouguereau
Year: 1872
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 202.1 cm x 109.9 cm (79.5 in x 43.27 in)
Location: Private collection
Bouguereau enjoyed a pop- ularity during his lifetime by the American public but was reviled by impressionist artists.
The sisters are stealing ap- ples, why do you think the artist chose to paint such a sweet scene?
Page 32 The Lady of Shalott
Artist: At the front of the boat the viewer sees John William Waterhouse a lantern and crucifix as well as three candles. Two of the candles are already Year: blown out signifying her death is near. 1888 Can you find the Pied Flycatcher, a Medium: common bird found in the English Oil on canvas countryside?
Dimensions: The painting created 46 years after the 183 cm x 230 cm Tennyson Poem, “The Lady of Shalott”, (72 in x 91 in) illustrates the following lines from part IV: Location: Tate Britain, London And down the river’s dim expanse Like some bold seer in a trance, Seeing all his own mischance – With glassy countenance Did she look to Camelot. And at the closing of the day She loosed the chain, and down she lay; The broad stream bore her far away,
Page 33 Building 400 410 Hallway - Beyond the Naked Eye
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made! Psalm 139:13-16 “For You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from You, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” Top left: Human Red Blood Cells Source: Micro Discovery Medium: Photographic Print Magnification of x3000 Bottom Left: Lens Fiber of an Eye (Rabbit) Source: Micro Discovery Medium: Photographic Print Magnification of x500
The lens of the eye consists of lens fibers with a structure similar to an onion. Each layer is one long, slender cell, jointed to its neighboring cell by jagged prominences, which prevent the cells from slipping or moving apart.
Page 34 As CDA students learn of the mystery that is God’s grace to man through creation, healthy red blood cells and cells found within the lens of a rabbit’s eye, remind us that we are made perfect through Him, our Creator. While we cannot see this miracle of creation by the naked eye, scientific advancements make possible the viewing of His mighty works..
Molecular Biology Structure of HIV RNA with protein inhibitor Artist: Chapin Cavender, CDA Class of 2011
Year: 2018
Medium: Computer gen- erated image
Source: From the cover of Oxford University Press Nucleic Acids Research, Volume 46, Issue 13, 27 July 2018
Crystal structure of the HIV TAR RNA bound by a lab-developed pro- tein inhibitor. Chapin Cavender published computer simulations of these molecules to validate the structural features of their interaction. These simulations are part of a collaboration between laboratories at multiple universities to develop novel drugs for HIV therapy.
Page 35 410 Hallway - Space In The Beginning
Apollo 11 Moon Landing
Artist: Detlev Van Ravenswaay
Date: 1969
Medium: Computer Artwork, Photographic Print
Genesis 1:1 - In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
This is a picture of NASA’s Apollo Lunar Module (LM) “Eagle” land- ing on the Moon’s surface. Apollo was the first manned lunar land- ing mission touching down on the 20th of July. Two of the primary crew members of this American mission, Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, were the first humans to set foot on the moon. The remaining crew member, Michael Collins, stayed in lunar orbit on board the command module “Columbia”. The Eagle consisted of two submodules - the lower Descent stage and the upper Ascent stage. The two stages were locked together during landing, but only the Ascent stage was used to transport Armstrong and Aldrin back to Columbia, leaving the Descent stage behind on the moon’s surface.
Page 36 70,000 Feet Above Earth
Artist: Lieutenant Colonel Jeff Olesen, USAF, Retired
Date: 2006
Medium: Photograph
View of Mono Lake, California from a Lockheed U-2 Reconnaissance (Spy) Plane
Through the use of modern technology, man can view the heavens from the earth and the earth from the heavens. In Psalm 8: 3-4 we are reminded to… “look at Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You care for him?”
Science and Christian faith support each other. Do you recognize the depth of the Father’s love for you? Look at these photos and know that He is Lord, and we are His creation.
Page 37 420 Hallway - Modern Art
Wanderer Above a Sea of Fog
Artist: Caspar David Friedrich
Year: c. 1818
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 94.8 cm x 74.8 cm (37.3 in x 29.4 in)
Location: Kunsthalle Hamburg, Germany
Wanderer Above a Sea of Fog 1818 by the German Romantic artist Cas- par David Friedrich depicts the Elbe Sandstone Mountains in Saxony and Bohemia.
Considered one of the masterpieces of Romanticism, why do you think one of the publishers of the novel, Frankenstein, chose it as the cover?
Page 38 Almond Blossoms
Year: 1890
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 73.5 cm x 92 cm (28.9 in x 36 in)
Location: Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
According to the Van Gogh Museum, a symbol of new life is the bloom- ing of the almond trees flowering early in the spring. Van Gogh honors Japanese printmaking by using bold outlines and the positioning of the tree. The painting was a gift for his brother Theo and sister-in-law Jo upon the birth of their son, Vincent Willem. Theo wrote to his brother, Vincent, “As we told you, we’ll name him after you, and I’m making the wish that he may be as determined and as courageous as you.” Vincent Willem founded the Van Gogh Museum.
Why do you think the subject was a favorite of Van Gogh?
Page 39 Composition With Red, Blue, and Yellow
Artist: Piet Mondrian
Date: 1930
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 44.9 cm x 44.9 cm (17.7 in x 17.7 in)
Location: Kunsthaus, Zurich
Mondrian used only primary colors (red, blue and yellow), values (white and black), and directions (horizontal and vertical) to paint many of his works, as part of the De Stijl movement. He coined the name Neoplasticism to explain his style. He rejected art that conveyed emotions of the artist. The aesthetic objective was to obtain an ar- rangement of balanced contrasts and give expression to the universal through harmony of the individual elements.
What do you think led to the popularity of this style?
Page 40 Improvisation 28 (Second Version)
Artist: Vasily Kandinsky
Date: 1912
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 111.4 cm x 162.1 cm (43.875 in x 63.875 in)
Location: Guggenheim Museum, New York
By 1910 many of Kandinsky’s abstract paintings were taken from the book of Revelation. In Improvisation 28 (second version), he depicts the global madness on the left side of the canvas and spiritual salvation on the right. With effort, you can find a boat, waves, and other chaotic ele- ments to the left, and a couple, sun, and positive elements to the right. Kandinsky studied complementary colors in order to create the right tone in the right order. He intentionally uses blues, reds, yellows and purples as he attempts to create a visual form of music in art.
Can you find New Jerusalem or the Four Horseman?
Page 41 Mont Sainte-Victoire
Artist: Paul Cezanne
Date: 1902-1904
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 73 cm x 91.9 cm (28.75 in x 31 in)
Location: Philadelphia Museum of Art
After the death of his father, Paul Cezanne lived an independent life and worked on his painting with discipline and focus. He painted the limestone mountain with the valley below it starting in 1870s and until his death in 1904. He used three different vantage points changing something each time. He molded nature into geometric shapes and col- ors. Leaving the Impressionist Naturalism, Cezanne created a Post-Im- pressionist, Symbolist aesthetic. He endeavored to show the interior structure and foreshadowed cubism and abstraction.
Do you see the geometric structure used within the painting?
Page 42 Starry Night Over the Rhone
Artist: Vincent van Gogh
Date: 1888
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 72 cm x 92 cm (28.3 in x 36.2 in)
Location: Musee d’Orsay, Paris
Vincent van Gogh wrote his brother, Theo, in April “I need a starry night with cypress or maybe above a field of ripe wheat.” By June, he wrote “but when shall I ever paint the Starry Sky, this painting that keeps haunting me.” In September, he captured the reflections of new- ly installed gas lights glimmering across the dark waters in Arles while two lovers strolled by the bank. This scene was a two-minute walk from his rented yellow house. Van Gogh explains in a letter his moving expe- rience with the scene, “Once I went for a walk along the deserted shore at night. It was not cheerful, it was not sad – it was beautiful.” According to scholars, this is the only time in his letters he writes emphatically about beauty.
While Starry Night is the more famous cousin to Starry Night Over the Rhone, this painting was created first and was one of the few paintings by Vincent van Gogh that was publicly displayed before his death.
Unlike Starry Night, what is wrong about the placement of the Big Bear constellation in the heavens in Starry Night Over the Rhone?
Page 43 The Annunciation
Tanner was the first internationalLY recog- Artist: nized African American artist. For The An- Henry Ossawa Tanner nunciation he traveled to the Holy Lands and found a young Jewish girl to serve as his model Date: 1898 for the Virgin Mary. The beam of light is the Angel Gabriel. The clothing and other ele- Medium: ments are distinctly Palestinian. Valedictorian Oil on canvas of his class, he became an artist instead of a minister like his father. Tanner spent much of Dimensions: his adult life in Paris and achieved success at 140 cm x 181 cm the French Salon. (57 in x 71.25 in)
He was a humanitarian. During WWI, he Location: joined the American Red Cross and developed Philadelphia Museum a gardening program for the rest and relax- of Art ation (R & R) of the wounded American sol- diers in France.
How does this painting compare to Fra Angelica’s Annunciation?
Page 44 Under the Wave off Kanagawa
Artist: Katsushika Hokusai
Date: c. 1830-1833
Medium: Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions: 25.7 cm x 37.8 cm (10.125 in x 15 in)
Location: Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY The famous woodblock print, The Great Wave off Kanagawa, is also known as The Great Wave or simply The Wave. It was created by the Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai and published sometime between 1829 and 1833. In the background the viewer can see Mount Fuji. The enormous wave is sometimes assumed to be a tsunami but is more like- ly a large rogue wave that is threatening three boats off the coast in the Sagami Bay.
Hokusai’s famous work is often considered the most recognizable work of Japanese art in the world. It is one print within a series of wood- block prints titled Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji. Many impressionist painters owned a copy of The Wave. While he had been a successful artist since 1804, it was not until he was 70 years old when he created this series that became known as his masterpiece. The Prussian blue print is the most famous; but after its success was assured, he released multi-colored prints. What impact could The Wave have had on the Impressionists? Page 45 West Facade, Sunlight Morning Affect Sunset Rouen Cathedral of Notre Dame
Artist: Claude Monet Dimensions: 101 cm x 66 cm (39.7 in x 25.9 in)
Date: 1892-1894 Location: Folkwang Museum, Essen, Germany (Morning); National Gallery of Art, Washing- Medium: Oil on ton, D.C. (West Facade); canvas Between 1892 and 1893, Claude Monet painted over thirty views of the Rouen Cathedral. He would start to paint as early as 6:00am and move from canvas to canvas as the sun progressed across the sky until 7:00pm. He would work on as many 10-14 canvases at one time. His fascination with the ever-changing light on immoveable surfaces brought him praise from Camille Pissarro and Paul Cezanne. The Cathedral series was a divergent subject from his celebrated land- scapes. In 2018, in a rare event, five of the Cathedral paintings were exhibited together as no museum in the world owns more than three of the paintings. Consider the dedication and sensitivity needed to capture the light on multiple canvases. What have you accomplished that has needed focus and a delicate touch to reach for perfection?
Page 46 The Veteran in a New Field
Artist: Winslow Homer
Date: 1865
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 61.3 cm x 96.8 cm (24.125 in x 38.125 in)
Location: Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY
Homer portrays hope and despair in this post-Civil War painting. The soldier returns home from battle, discards his Union uniform coat and canteen and immediately returns to the overgrown field to care for his family. The old-fashioned scythe denotes the harvest of death through the lives lost while the high wheat field indicates the coming harvest of hope for the future. The lonely farmer continues his task faithfully regardless of the heavy task at hand just as the young nation continued forward after the substantial sacrifices and its promise for recovery and reconciliation.
What are other things you see in the painting that indicate despair and hope? What sacrifices are needed for you to live a faithful life?
Page 47 The Gleaners
Artist: Jean-Francois Millet
Year: 1857
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 83.8 cm x 111.8 cm (33 in x 44 in)
Location: Musee d’Orsay, Paris
In 1855, Millet unveiled The Gleaners at The Salon to harsh criticism. Memories of the French Revolution and the growth of Socialism made the upper class uncomfortable. Due to the realistic view of poverty, one critic commented that their ugliness and unrelieved grossness posits them as the Three Fates of Poverty. While the story of Ruth previously existed in art, this painting is not of biblical piety but instead of the ruthlessness of poverty in the foreground with the rich harvest and warm sunlight in the background.
What exists in your life the stands in stark contrast to your faith?
Page 48 Orpheus Leading Eurydice from the Underworld Artist: Jean Baptiste-Camille Corot
Year: 1861
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 112.3 cm x 137.1 cm (44.2 in x 53.9 in)
Location: Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Claude Monet called Jean Baptiste-Camille Corot the master of the ethereal and dreamlike landscapes. The filtered affect with the subtle use of color hints at the melancholy storyline of Orpheus’ loss of his beloved wife, Eurydice, to the Underworld.
Corot produced several works based upon the opera Orfeo which was based upon classical myth of Orpheus. A smaller painting by Corot depicting the first act of the opera is owned by the Kimbell giving you a chance to see the celebrated artist and his entrancing mythological subjects in the beautiful landscapes.
What other classical myths have you seen portrayed in art?
Page 49 Building 300
God the Geometer
Artist: Unknown
Year: circa 1220-1230
Medium: Illumination on parchment
Dimensions: 34.4 cm x 26 cm (13.5 in x 10.2 in)
Location: Austrian National Library, Viena
The medieval scholars linked science, particularly geometry and astronomy, to the divine. The compass in the artwork is a symbol of God’s act of Creation. To seek the geometric principles was to seek and worship God.
Page 50 The Last Supper Artist: Leonardo da Vinci Year: 1495-1498 One of the most recognized paintings in the Western world, it is found in the Medium: Mural painting refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy. Due to the Dimensions: moisture-retaining rubble used during 700 cm x 880 cm construction of the interior walls, the (280 in x 350 in) painting started to deteriorate immediate- ly upon its completion. Within 150 years, Location: the painting was almost unrecognizable. Convent of Santa Maria For 550+ years, it has been a challenge to delle Grazie, Milan prevent its destruction. Why do you think the church and art conservationists spend so much time and effort saving the painting?
Can you name all the disciples correctly?
Page 51 The School of Athens
Artist: Raphael
Year: 1509-1511
Medium: Fresco
Dimensions: 500 cm x 770 cm (200 in x 300 in)
Location: Apostolic Palace, Vatican City
Raphael’s work is the incarnation of the classical spirit of the Renais- sance. Found in Vatican City, it was painted to decorate the Apostolic Palace. Built in the shape of a Greek Cross, some scholars suggest the painting is meant to show harmony between philosophy and Chris- tian theology. According to art historians, every great philosopher is depicted in the painting.
Can you find Plato and Aristotle in the painting? What books are they holding?
Page 52 Mental Arithmetic
Artist: Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky
Year: 1895
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 107 cm x 79 cm (200 in x 300 in)
So much is said about the calculation, but the painting itself should be recognized for the artist’s ability to capture the moments of deep concentration on the verge of discovery! Some appear to be confident while others are struggling. Life is full of moments like this. Take the time to recognize wonder!
Can you solve the problem using mental math? The problem on the blackboard is:
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