Curso online: Using art as a classroom resource

https://www.museothyssen.org/coleccion/artistas/della-robbia-andrea/san-agustin

Andrea della Robbia. San Agustin. Around 1490. Terracota.

It’s a ceramic roundel relief. There are two main parts in the “picture”, the frame and the roundel. The frame is a garland of fruit and vegetation in which you can easily identify pine-cones, aubergines, lemons, apples, pears, pomegranates, plums, grapes, chestnuts and various leaves. The roundel depicts a man wearing monastic habits. He is a saint, San Agustin, seated on a cloud bank reading a book.

The whole “medallion” is coloured with glazes. The frame is greenish, brown, yellow, and the figure of the saint is all in white . The background is blue and it enhances the figure`s volume. It is made in terracotta and belongs to the Italian ceramic and sculpture workshop of Andrea della Robbia.

I am greatly surprise to find a ceramic painting in the Museum. This piece draws the visitor attention not only for the technique used but from the shape, and its content. It’s a 3D painting. The figure seems to leave the blue sky with a bass relief but it is well preserved by the realistic earth elements (fruits and vegetation)

Ceramics is sometimes considered as “arts and crafts”. The material used as a support, clay, shoudn´t undervalue the quality of the piece whenever it is a sculpture, a botijo, or a wall piece as this medallion. There are many examples of “ceramic” pieces in the history of Spanish art, from the tradition of ceramic tiles, to the painted botijos and plates from Picasso. Personally, I feel that ceramic tradition in Spain should be more valued and the work of “ceramists= artists” should be more recognized. Finding a work of a ceramist and sculpture such as Andrea della Robbia in the Museum opens a door to artists who use clay as a medium providing a space to encourage ceramists, academics and art critics to discuss, value and debate about ceramics.

In this painting I can see a big sailing boat in the middle of the picture. This boat has big white and bright sails and is driven by two young boys. Behind it, there in a little hump of sand where a flock of seagulls are sunbathing. However, although this two main elements are dominating the painting, what captures my attention the most is the blue colour of the sea and the sky. The sea remains a precious light blue colour so the water must be absolutely clean and transparent shaking slightly resulting in nice and pleasant waves. In the same way, the sky looks very nice in several light tones of blue colour, it seems to be sunny and very hot especially because of one of the torso-naked guys. It may be summer, which reminds me of holidays.

I had no doubt when choosing this painting as soon as I saw it even though it was completely unknown for me. I have to say that I have always had a special connection with the ocean, it makes me feel calm, totally in peace and brings me the feeling that everything is fine. Every time I have any concern in my mind, only with a glimpse a sense of freedom takes my body. I deeply wish I could even smell the salty air and feel the breeze. The sound of the waves gives me thrill as a lullaby. I love the sea so this landscape is a kind of my favourite place to be. In this dark and sad times we are now, we all have fears because of the worst pandemic ever in the Modern world we are living. People are afraid of becoming infected, but especially for our beloved ones. Nevertheless, the fact of staying home every day and night for one month with no chance of huging and kissing our friends makes the situation even harder. These are just some of the reasons why this painting was special for me, like a shelter for a while to recall the happiest times of my life and believe that things will get better.

What is more, this painting brings me a very special thought to my mind, more than a memory it is a wish. A dream. I was determined to get the navigation license during my Easter holidays which is something I have always dreamed of. Unfortunately, it will not be possible this year because we will be still confined since the state of emergency was extended. In this light, I must send a cheerful message to you all to keep a positive mindset, appreciate little things in life and be thankful for what we have got. 

El "Martha Mckeen" de Wellfleet

Why the museum is so important for schools?

Nowadays, museums offer an extensive program focused on the schools. The museum contents are easily adjusted to the student´s ages and interest. The activities are motivating for the students and they open new opportunities for visiting and exploring their cities and monuments.

Besides, us, as teachers can consider other reasons why the Thyssen Museum is an important resource to choose when planning our lessons and extracurricular activities.

First of all, the Museum helps us to plan our lessons following an interdisciplinary approach. We can relate the contents of history with artistic movements, techniques and materials used, feelings, mood, languages…When thinking of any of the paintings of the museum we can create/elaborate activities related to all the areas of the curriculum.

• Social Science. History (year, period in which it was created) Geography (in which country, city…)
• Natural science (landscapes, plants, animals which may appeared)
• History of art (period, movement, technique, style, artist…)
• Languages: English or Spanish (oral and writing skills)
• Values: (feelings, mood, what does it make feel like? Why?...

Apart from being an important resource for our curriculum, there is a quote by Saul Bellow “Art is a way of viewing” which might as well help us to understand why the museum is so important for schools.

When children go to the museum, they are viewing too many different aspects from our culture, history, people, places, tools, nature, buildings, imagination, colours, shapes, compositions, all these stimuli might as well remind us of something, someone, somewhere. So, we are not only viewing but making connections with ourselves, our feelings, our creativity, thoughts, knowledge, curiosity… in a sense the Museum can help to open student´s eyes and mind to new experiences.

¿Would you like to be part of a community of practice for the improvement, research and innovation in the bilingual education? ¿What is your idea?

Being part of a community of practice would offer a wide opportunity for teachers to collaborate with the Museum and other bilingual teachers in order to set up topics, contents, activities which may be adapted to our school context and ethos.

 The idea of creating this community within the Museum will help and contribute to strength the links between the Institutions and would be a great resource for bilingual schools. I´d love to get involved and work in collaboration with the Museum when planning my arts classes. My idea could be stablishing long term projects (one or two years) in which schools and the Museum could share activities, exhibitions, projects interacting with the Museum educators and teachers to enhance art learning.

I´d love to get involved and work in collaboration with the Museum when planning my art classes.  I have experience of working with Educational Institutions when I was studying a degree in Fine Arts (Ceramics) in an English University. (University West of England). We worked with schools, museums (Victoria and Albert Museum) and people with learning difficulties and I could experience the benefits for me as a student to build up my creative process and my teaching experience. My idea could be stablishing long term projects (one or two years) in which schools and the Museum could share activities, exhibitions, projects interacting with the Museum educators and teachers to enhance art learning.

Richard ESTES: “Telephone Booths” (1968), Oil on canvas

https://www.museothyssen.org/coleccion/artistas/estes-richard/cabinas-telefonicas

The painting main image consists of four telephone booths on a New York street sidewalk. We see an urban landscape seen from two different points of view: what our eyes see directly, and what is outside our field of vision but we can see reflected in the booths´ crystals and polished metal surfaces. All of the booths are occupied by one person, two women and two men, whom we identify by their clothing as we cannot see their faces. The booths lower part is worn and dirty, while the better preserved upper part reflects signs, buildings, and people that cannot be clearly distinguished.

The mixture of the geometric figures produced by the booths with the sinuous lines of the reflections produce a sense of order within the chaos or chaos within the order, depending on how you want to see it. Anonymous and unrecognizable people inside, in contrast to perfectly recognizable objects outside, but of which we only see, in some cases, the reflection.

Perhaps having had this painting (well, just a poster) in the living room of my house when I lived in Los Angeles and having seen it again here in Madrid (this time the real thing) in Madrid, brings back many memories, and rekindles feelings and sensations from those very happy and intense years.

Michael Andrews: Retrato de Timothy Behrens- 1962. óleo sobre cartón

I had a lot of doubts when choosing one of the museum's paintings, but I finally opted for this one by Michael Andrews for a number of reasons.  One of them is for the title. I am a hardened reader and the name of this painting could well be taken out from a mystery novel, but in this case, we do know who the protagonist is: Timothy Behrens, an English painter with reddish hair and light eyes portrayed in 1962. I know this because I've read it on the painting’s file, but if I hadn't, I'd say it's the portrait of a young man with strong factions who walks into a place expecting to meet someone he knows it’s already there, hence his look doesn't denote a surprise. The venue is not fill with a festive mood since he seems to be expecting the bad news he already has record about.

The room he comes into is a dark place, either because it has no windows or because it has few and outside, on the street, the sun does not shine. That's why the author uses wide shades of gray and gives clearer brushstrokes in those areas illuminated by daylight and more blurred where the view is confused with the shadows. 

 From the clothes he wears, I'd say he doesn't belong to a wealthy social class.

The painting conveys concern to me and takes me to the cold months of the year when all I want is not to leave the house. Given the sensitive circumstances we are experiencing these days, I found it a perfect picture to accompany this unease.