Educator Resource Guide
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREPARING FOR YOUR VISIT ................................................................................................ 2
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS ................................................................................................ 3
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION ......................................................................................................... 4
FORMING AN AMERICAN IDENTITY ....................................................................................... 5
Educator Activity: Telling the Story from a Different Point of View .......................................... 7
Art Trunk Activity: Expanded Drawing .................................................................................... 8
EUROPE‘S AESTHETIC INFLUENCE ....................................................................................... 9
Educator Activity: Retelling it Live! Chryseis‘s Return ............................................................11
A REFLECTION OF EARLY AMERICAN CULTURE ................................................................12
Educator Activity: Telling Tales and Telling Truth ..................................................................14
Art Trunk Activity: Whittling Talk—Telling Your Own Tale ......................................................15
Art Trunk Activity: Story Quilt Pre-K–4th Grade .....................................................................17
Art Trunk Activity: Story Quilt 5th Grade–Adult ......................................................................19
THE STORY OF AMERICA CONTINUES.................................................................................21
GLOSSARY ..............................................................................................................................22
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES .....................................................................................................24
1
PREPARING FOR YOUR VISIT
This Educator Resource Guide is designed to help educators prepare students for their gallery visit and
classroom follow-up discussion. This packet contains an Educator Resource Guide, related Art Trunk
activities, and art reproductions.
Educator Resource Guide
This guide focuses on the exhibition Telling Tales: Stories and Legends in 19th-Century American Art.
Each section discusses and compares selected works in the exhibition, and includes questions and
activities that encourage students to look closely and critically. The activities are compatible with
Tennessee State Curriculum Standards for visual arts, language arts, and social studies.
Art Trunk Activities
Included in the Educator Resource Guide are extensive art activities, which are part of the Art Trunk
program. Art Trunks are mobile educational kits designed for schools and community partners to enrich
the appreciation and understanding of exhibitions at the Frist Center. The Art Trunk program provides
opportunities for participants to become more informed about works of art and the artists who created
them. Participants receive the Educator Resource Guide and the necessary materials needed to
complete the guided lesson plans for three activity sessions.
2
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
Docent-guided school tours support the Tennessee State Curriculum Standards by introducing ideas
relevant to the visual arts, language arts, and social studies curricula. Specific standards are addressed
according to grade-appropriate levels. View connections for all grade levels (K–12) at
http://tn.gov/education/standards/index.shtml.
This Educator Resource Guide also acknowledges the Common Core State Standards Initiative
coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief
State School Officers. By aligning the goals of this packet with Common Core State Standards, the Frist
Center makes off-site learning effective for students and easy for educators. The following Common Core
State Standards are implemented in this Educator Resource Guide:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.1.1, RI.1.2, RI.1.3, RI.1.4, RI.1.6, RI.1.7, RI.1.9; RF.1.1, RF.1.2, RF.1.3, RF.1.4;
W.1.2, W.7, W.1.8; SL.1.1, SL.1.2, SL.1.3, SL.1.4, SL.1.5, SL.1.6; L.1.1, L.1.2, L.1.4, L.1.5, L.1.6
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.5, W.2.7, W.2.8, SL.2.1, SL.2.1a, SL.2.1b, SL.2.1c, SL.2.2, SL.2.4, RI.2.1,
RI.2.6, RL.2.7, L.2.1, L.2.2
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.3, W.3.4, SL.3.1, SL.3.1b, SL.3.1c, SL.3.1d, SL.3.2, SL.3.3, RI.3.6, RL.3.3,
RL.3.7, L.3.1, L.3.2, L.3.3
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.3, W.4.4, SL.4.1, SL.4.1b, SL.4.1c, SL.4.1d, SL.4.6, RL.4.9, L.4.1, L.4.2, L.4.3
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.3, W.5.4, W.5.8, W.5.9, SL.5.1, SL.5.1b, SL.5.1c, SL.5.1d, SL.5.6, RI.5.6, RI.5.7,
RL.5.6, L.5.1, L.5.2
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.2, RH.6-8.6, RH.6-8.7, RH.6-8.8
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.3 (a-e), W.6.4, SL.6.1, SL.6.2, RI.6.7, L.6.1, L.6.2
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.3 (a-e), W.7.4, SL.7.1, SL.7.2, L.7.1, L.7.2
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.3 (a-e), W.8.4, SL.8.1, SL.8.2, RI.8.7, L.8.1, L.8.2
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.6, RH.9-10.9
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.6, RH.11-12.7, RH.11-12.9
Lesson Packets with ELA and History Connections
Lesson packets based on Telling Tales: Stories and Legends in 19th-Century American Art are available
for download at fristcenter.org. Each packet emphasizes English/Language Arts and American History
connections by highlighting a specific work of art. Each packet includes several exercises and activities, a
PowerPoint, worksheets, and lists of recommended novels and informational texts.
3
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
Telling Tales: Stories and Legends in 19th-Century American Art
February 27–June 7, 2015
This exhibition is a rich visual anthology of genre, historical, literary, and religious subjects from the late
18th through the 19th centuries. With styles ranging from Neoclassicism to Realism, the paintings and
sculptures on view reflect an American predilection for an art that conveys messages and lessons
through storytelling. These stories were intended either to introduce audiences to the cultural attainments
of Europe or to reflect the experiences of both ordinary and exceptional Americans.
History painting was the most important subject for a work of art in the art academies of London and
Paris. This exhibition begins with Americans‘ depictions of their own history and historical legends, from
the early colonial period up to contemporaneous depictions of the Civil War. It continues with a selection
of works in which grand manner techniques (featuring such styles as the Baroque, Neoclassicism, and
Romanticism) are used in depictions of mythology, religion, and literature. The grand manner was
absorbed in Europe by transplanted artists who hoped to inspire a new cultural refinement to supplant
what many saw as the vulgarity of America‘s taste.
For more nativist artists, this infatuation with European culture reinforced elitist attitudes about
connoisseurship and class; it was out of step with the needs and interests of an egalitarian society. They
sought instead to create art that was distinctly American in both subject matter and unadorned style.
Genre scenes focused on the lives of ordinary people—often in agricultural settings—as the backbone of
the expanding democracy. Artists also turned to narratives of poverty and race, exposing an inborn rift
between the nation‘s idealism and its reality.
The works in Telling Tales provide evidence of a culture striving to define its ideals and values. They offer
an overview of the complex tastes, aspirations, and internal contradictions that marked the first full
century of this new democracy.
Telling Tales: Stories and Legends in 19th-Century American Art is adapted from Making American Taste: Narrative
Art for a New Democracy, organized by the New-York Historical Society.
The exhibition was organized and the accompanying volume published with generous support from Michael Reslan,
the National Endowment for the Arts through the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act, the Walter and Lucille
Rubin Foundation, Richard Gilder and Lois Chiles, the Mr. and Mrs. Raymond J. Horowitz Foundation for the Arts, the
New York Community Trust Joanne Witty and Eugene Keilin Fund, Larry K. Clark, and the Barrie A. and Deedee
Wigmore Foundation.
4
FORMING AN AMERICAN IDENTITY
Guiding Question
How did 19th-century American art shape Americans‘ understanding of their history?
Vocabulary
epochal
trompe l‘oeil
American History Painting
In the art academies of Europe, historical events—ancient or modern, actual or mythological—were
considered the most important subjects for an artist to represent. History paintings depicted compositions
of figures within dramatic settings to tell inspiring stories of heroism, moral virtue, or national pride. The
history of European-settled America was short, but American artists still considered the past to be an
instructive prologue to their own times. Imaginatively reconstructing stories that convey epochal events
and portray those who were instrumental in the unfolding history of America, these artists created a
common pictorial language that illustrated the received memories of the culture.
Rembrandt Peale devoted himself to promoting the arts in the
United States. This work marks an important phase in Peale‘s
quest to capture a perfect likeness of George Washington; it is
one of at least seventy-nine copies of a portrait he first painted
in 1823. The painting later became known as ―the porthole
portrait‖ because of its oval surround, a trompe l’oeil (literally
meaning ―deceives the eye‖) rendition of a stone frame. In
tandem with the dramatic sky, the appearance of marble
equates the uniformed Washington with the heroes of
antiquity.

Both Rembrandt Peale and George Washington were
born on February 22, exactly forty-six years apart. Peale
painted the above portrait over fifty years after Washington‘s
death, but he also painted Washington in person in 1795.
Rembrandt Peale (1778–1860). George
Washington, 1853. Oil on canvas. The NewYork Historical Society, Bequest of Caroline
Phelps Stokes, 1910.3

What do you know about George Washington? How does the portrait by Rembrandt Peale
influence your perception or opinion of Washington?
5
Called the ―Painter of New England Puritanism,‖
George Boughton took inspiration for this
painting from an 1853 book, The Pilgrim Fathers
by William Henry Bartlett (1809–1854). This
painting of colonists solemnly processing
through a snowy wood to worship in the distant
settlement received warm praise when it
debuted at the Royal Academy in London in
1867. By the time it was displayed at the 1876
Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, it was
known widely through engravings.
Glued to the wood panel that originally backed
the painting was a paper label inscribed with the
following passage from Bartlett:
George Henry Boughton (1833–1905). Pilgrims Going to Church,
1867. Oil on canvas. The New-York Historical Society, The Robert
L. Stuart Collection, the gift of his widow Mrs. Mary Stuart, S-117
The few villages were almost isolated, being connected only by long miles of
blind pathway through the wood; and helpless indeed was the position of that
solitary settler who erected his rude hut in the midst of the acre or two of ground
that he had cleared. The cavalcade proceeding to church, the marriage
procession—if marriage could indeed be thought of in those frightful days—was
often interrupted by the death shot from some invisible enemy. (236)
 William Henry Bartlett was a British author and artist known for the detailed illustrations he created
during his travels to several countries, including the United States.

Based on the excerpt from Bartlett‘s book, what do you observe and what do you think is taking
place in the painting?

Boughton‘s painting, Bartlett‘s writing, and similar depictions of early American settlers have
influenced our perception of American colonists. How would you describe the Pilgrims? How have
works of art like Boughton‘s shaped our view of them?

As Pilgrims occupied more land, they found themselves in growing conflict with Native American
tribes. Would the story of the Pilgrims be different if told by members of those tribes? How so?
Forming an American Identity
History paintings, like the ones featured in this section, are examples of artists ―imaginatively
reconstructing stories that convey epochal events.‖ To ―imaginatively reconstruct‖ means that there is
some artistic license involved, since not all the details of a scene can be known. What are the benefits of
recounting history in a way that may not be entirely factual? What are the possible drawbacks of such
portrayals?
6
Educator Activity: Telling the Story from a Different Point of View
Language Arts
Objective
Students analyze George Henry Boughton‘s painting Pilgrims Going to Church and read excerpts from
William Henry Bartlett‘s book The Pilgrim Fathers. They then write a story from the perspective of one of
the Pilgrims in the painting.
Introduction
What do you know about the Pilgrims? While they are sometimes portrayed as strict, pious, and
unimaginative, these religious radicals showed incredible courage and adaptability as they risked
everything to carve a new and just society from the wilderness. We only ―know‖ the Pilgrims through
stories told and retold for hundreds of years and through images like Pilgrims Going to Church. We can
learn about our nation‘s origins from these sources by taking a closer look at the layered messages they
convey.
Activity Directions
As a class, examine Pilgrims Going to Church. Have students select one Pilgrim in the painting and write
a story from that person‘s perspective. The story should convey what the person might have encountered
while walking to church. Students should consider how the person could have interacted with the other
Pilgrims in the painting. Encourage students to look closely at the Pilgrims‘ surroundings and consider
how they might feel physically and emotionally, what they might smell, and what sounds they might hear
in the distance. Refer to the following passage from William Henry Bartlett‘s The Pilgrim Fathers for a
better understanding of what the Pilgrims had to endure:
Soon after, on the 12th of January, the little community was thrown into distress
by the disappearance of two of their number, who had strayed away into the
pathless woods. After long wandering, they were overtaken by night, and in frost
and snow ―were forced to make the earth their bed, and the elements their
covering.‖ Moreover, mistaking the cry of wolves for the roaring of lions, they
were seized with the most terrible apprehensions. Not knowing what to do, they
resolved, like Robinson Crusoe, to climb into a tree, ―though that would prove an
intolerable cold lodging.‖ But, to use their own expression, ―it pleased God so to
dispose that the wild beasts came not.‖ So, after passing a bitter night at the foot
of the tree, they resumed their weary way, till at noon, to their infinite joy, from a
high hill they discovered the islands in the bay; and at night, half-perished with
cold and hunger, succeeded in rejoining their companions. (129)
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Art Trunk Activity: Expanded Drawing
Materials



11 x 17 in. drawing worksheet
graphite pencils
erasers
Objectives
Analyze Pilgrims Going to Church, using your understanding of early American settlers to expand upon
the narrative within the painting.
Vocabulary
narrative
Image
George Henry Boughton, Pilgrims Going to Church, 1867
Book to Read
The Early Family Home, by Bobbie Kalman, pages 4–5 and 60–61
Educator Note
Participants consider the event depicted in Pilgrams Going to Church and react to the artwork through
visual analysis, group discussion, and creation of an expanded drawing to consider the environment
beyond what is presented.
Activity Directions
1) Display Pilgrims Going to Church. Allow participants a moment to view the image and develop an
initial reaction.
2) Present group discussion questions to contextualize and create a narrative for the painting.
 What time of year is it?
 What time of day?
 Who is in the picture?
 Where are they?
 What is happening?
 What do you think the rest of the surroundings look like?
3) Distribute image worksheets and explain that participants will be responding by drawing what
they imagine is happening outside of the painting.
4) Participants draw the Pilgrims‘ surroundings in pencil, indicating the time of day as well as
introducing other elements, such as buildings, animals, or people who might be nearby.
5) When the students finish, ask them to explain what they have chosen to depict.
6) Display the artwork at your organization.
8
EUROPE’S AESTHETIC INFLUENCE
Guiding Question
Why was the Neoclassical style adopted by American artists like Samuel Morse and Benjamin West?
Vocabulary
aesthetic
allegorical
Neoclassical
Importing the Grand Manner
In 1814, the young artist Samuel F. B. Morse wrote about the difficulty of cultivating a viable fine art
culture in the United States. He asserted that taste could be acquired only through the close study of the
Old Masters, such as David, Raphael, or Poussin. Morse was then studying with Pennsylvania-born
Benjamin West in England, where West had risen to the positions of both historical painter to King
George III and president of the Royal Academy of Arts. West‘s success attracted many aspiring American
artists to London, where they learned the rules governing hierarchies of technique and subject matter in
such styles as the Baroque, Neoclassicism, and Romanticism. Employing these styles, they produced
artworks of Europe‘s mythology, history, and literature, in hopes of elevating what they perceived were
the coarse tastes of the American audience.
When these artists returned to the United States, they were discouraged by the lack of appreciation for
their ideals. Their efforts to transplant Old World aesthetics were countered by a resistance to elitism, a
distrust of connoisseurship, and a rejection of market patterns based on European patronage, with its
class divisions.
Samuel Finley Breese Morse (1791–1872). Landscape
Composition: Helicon and Aganippe (Allegorical Landscape
of New York University), 1836. Oil on canvas. The New-York
Historical Society, Purchase, The Louis Durr Fund, 1917.3

For this unusual allegorical work, Samuel F. B.
Morse created an imaginary vista merging
ancient Greece (represented on the right by
Helicon and Aganippe, the mountain and spring
sacred to the Muses) and New York City
(identified at left by the recently erected
University Building on Washington Square).
Presiding over the scene is a statue of Athena,
the Greek goddess of wisdom, whose central
position overlooking the water situates her as the
mediator between the Old World and the New.
Morse extolled the superiority of American
educational and political institutions over their
European counterparts while insisting that the
classical tradition provide the foundation for the
culture developing in America.
How might Morse‘s painting have influenced the way 19th-century Americans thought about their
country compared to other parts of the world?
9
Benjamin West took inspiration from The Iliad by the ancient Greek
poet Homer to show the helmeted hero Odysseus returning Chryseis
to her elderly father, Chryses, a priest of Apollo. The reunion takes
place beneath a statue of Apollo, who had answered Chryses‘s
prayers for his daughter‘s release from captivity at the hands of King
Agamemnon. When Benjamin West painted this work and its
pendant, Aeneas and Creusa, in London, these Neoclassical
paintings represented the height of artistic taste. When they were
shown in New York in 1863, however, Neoclassicism had fallen out
of fashion and West‘s art ―had for years lurked in the seclusion of
drawing rooms and private galleries.‖
Benjamin West (1738–1820). Chryseis
Returned to Her Father, ca. 1771. Oil on
canvas. The New-York Historical Society,
Gift of William H. Webb, 1865.1


The Iliad, which inspired West‘s painting, was set during the
Trojan War, a ten-year siege against the city of Troy by a coalition of
Greek states.
Benjamin West‘s painting was completed over ninety years before it was shown at a New York
exhibition organized to benefit the Union cause during the Civil War. How might the moment
depicted in Chryseis Returned to Her Father have been relevant to Americans living in the North
during the Civil War?
Europe’s Aesthetic Influence
Why was embracing the European aesthetic tradition important to artists like Samuel F. B. Morse and
Benjamin West? What did they hope to accomplish as Neoclassical artists?
10
Educator Activity: Retelling it Live! Chryseis’s Return
Language Arts | Theater Arts
Objectives
Students will analyze Homer‘s account of a single dramatic moment in his epic poem, The Iliad, and
collaborate to act out their own account.
Vocabulary
acquiesce
Apollo
marauding
pestilence
Introduction
Observe Chryseis Returned to Her Father, a painting by Benjamin West. The story of Chryseis is in Book
1 of Homer‘s epic poem The Iliad. Read the following synopsis, and then compare it to the painting and
the excerpt from Homer:
Chryseis, the daughter of Chryses who was a priest of Apollo, was taken prisoner by
marauding Greek warriors in the ninth year of the siege of Troy. She was given as a
gift to the Greek king Agamemnon, who kept her as a prized concubine, ignoring her
father‘s efforts to ransom her. The old priest prayed to Apollo for the return of his
daughter. Apollo, who took Agamemnon‘s resistance as an insult, punished the
Greeks with nine days of pestilence before Agamemnon acquiesced and allowed
Chryseis to return to her father. West placed the moment of reunion below a statue of
the god Apollo, as the helmeted Odysseus delivers the grateful Chryseis into the
hands of her elderly father. (Gallati 303)
Homer‘s narration from The Iliad:
They straight strook sail, they roll‘d them up, and them on th‘ hatches threw
The topmast by the kelsine laid, with cables down they drew,
The ship then into harbour brought, with oars, they anchor cast,
And ‗gainst the violent sway of storms make her for drifting fast.
All come ashore, they all exposed the sacred hecatomb
To angry Phoebus, and withal, fair Chryseis forth did come,
Who wise Ulysses to her sire, that did at th‘ altar stand
For honour lead, and with these words resign‘d her to his hand
―Chryses, the mighty king of men, great Agamemnon, sends
Thy loved daughter safe to thee, and to thy god commends
This holy hecatomb, to cease the plague he doth extend
Amongst the sigh-expiring Greeks, and make his power their friend.‖ (Chapman 542)
Activity Directions
Examine as a class Chryseis Returned to Her Father and Homer‘s account of the same moment in the
Iliad. Assign groups of four to six students to collaborate, write, and perform skits to bring the moment to
life—perhaps in a modern day setting!
11
A REFLECTION OF EARLY AMERICAN CULTURE
Guiding Question
How did American art reflect and influence 19th-century American culture?
Vocabulary
ambiguous
Manifest Destiny
marginalized
paternalism
stock characters
subservience
Genre Paintings
Scenes from everyday life appealed to an audience who appreciated direct storytelling in an
uncomplicated manner. Appearing frequently were stock characters—the devout and hardworking
family, the shrewd Yankee, and the itinerant peddler—who conveyed messages of virtue and faith,
practicality, and the importance of commerce. These were attitudes and behaviors that would strengthen
the foundation of the young nation. While appearing to be simple slices of life, paintings of everyday
scenes often contained coded messages about topical matters of politics, religion, and economics.
Farmers Bargaining, described by a contemporary reviewer as
―an image of pure Yankeeism,‖ portrays two men negotiating
the sale of a horse. By 1835, William Sidney Mount had
committed himself to focusing only on American subjects,
fearing that the ―splendor of European art‖ would somehow
taint his vision. He strove to create pictures that ―speak at
once to the spectator, scenes that are most popular—that will
be understood on the instant.‖ This approach was not
universally applauded, and, as one critic wrote, ―The genius of
this artist is of a most eccentrick kind, delighting in the
ludricous [sic] scenes of a rustick life.‖
William Sidney Mount (1807–1868). Farmers
Bargaining (later known as Bargaining for a Horse),
1835. Oil on canvas. The New-York Historical
Society, Gift of The New-York Gallery of the Fine
Arts, 1858.59

How did Mount‘s style and subject matter help him reach his contemporary audience? How did
this approach differ from the Neoclassical approaches of Benjamin West and Samuel F. B.
Morse?
Picturing the Outsider
America‘s history is marked by a rift between its ideology of equality and the realities of genocide and
racism. Works in this section reveal a deep ambivalence regarding the treatment of the racial ―outsider,‖
even among socially progressive white Americans. While hinting at the difficult conditions that
marginalized people endured, these works also reinforce prevailing notions of the inevitability of the
demise of Native American cultures, the self-congratulatory paternalism of white Northerners toward
12
blacks, and the subservience of African Americans as a natural condition. These messages could be
construed as racist or sympathetic, depending on the perspective and beliefs of the viewer. In either case,
they tell how a culture‘s perceptions—and misperceptions—are reinforced by art. The information we
know to be left out is as revealing as that which is shown.
Painted two years after the phrase ―Manifest Destiny‖ was
coined to justify white America‘s westward expansion, The
Last of the Race centers on the plight of Native Americans as
they were eradicated or stripped of their lands and pushed to
the edge of the continent. While Tompkins Matteson‘s
depiction shows the Native American family as stoic and
dignified, it also affirms a common belief of the era that their
days were numbered. The visual metaphor of the sunset
implies that this was part of an inevitable natural cycle.
Tompkins Harrison Matteson (1813–1884). The Last
of the Race, 1847. Oil on canvas. The New-York
Historical Society, Gift of Edwin W. Orvis, 1931.1

Our interpretation of history sometimes depends on the perspective of those telling the story. How
might the story of this painting differ if told by the Native American family depicted?
Negro Life at the South depicts a yard behind slave quarters in
Washington, DC, a city in which the issue of slaveholding was
highly contested in the 1850s. Its message is ambiguous—the
image of slaves at leisure may have been meant to assuage
the consciences of slaveholders, while the decrepit barn may
have symbolized the poor conditions in which slaves lived. Yet
most critics missed these readings, imagining the work to
simply portray plantation life—an assumption that led to the
painting‘s popular title, The Old Kentucky Home.
Eastman Johnson (1824–1906). Negro Life at the
South, 1859. Oil on linen. The New-York Historical
Society, The Robert L. Stuart Collection, the gift of his
widow Mrs. Mary Stuart, S-225

Negro Life at the South was a depiction of the life of slaves in the 19th century. Observe the
composition and the stories within the work. What do we know by looking at the painting? What
elements of slavery are left out of this painting?

How might the story of this painting be different if told from the perspective of a slave?
A Reflection of Early American Culture
Each work featured in this section tells a story. How do the stories shared in Farmers Bargaining, The
Last of the Race, and Negro Life at the South differ? How are they similar? Think about the topics
addressed in each, whose story is being told, who is telling the story, and the intended audience.
13
Educator Activity: Telling Tales and Telling Truth
Language Arts | U.S. History
Objective
Students evaluate and discuss attitudes toward slavery reflected in a painting by Eastman Johnson,
Negro Life at the South, 1859.
Vocabulary
decrepit
ostensibly
temperate
Activity Directions
Students examine and discuss the details of Negro Life at the South. Have them consider the following:

How does the artwork tell a story?

Does this painting seem to be pro-slavery or anti-slavery?

Which perspective from the passage below do you most agree with? Explain why:
Johnson‘s uncommon look into the private life of a group of slaves as they make
music, court, play, or simply relax evoked a variety of responses, depending on
the individual writer‘s point of view. It has been suggested that Johnson intended
the painting to be ambiguous to broaden the appeal of the already highly
politicized image. Thus, for some viewers, the ostensibly temperate vision of
slaves at leisure may have justified the continuation of slavery or at least
lessened the sting of guilty consciences. For others, the decrepit structure and
its unkempt yard (in contrast to the neatly maintained property next door)
signaled the inevitable decay of the cruel system of enslavement. (Gallati 234)
How might this painting serve as a ―story within a story?‖ Consider incorporating a chapter or excerpt from
Slavery As It Is, by Theodore Dwight Weld, or Uncle Tom’s Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe, to add to
the conversation. What story does it tell to you? Do you think it is an honest story? Why or why not?
14
Art Trunk Activity: Whittling Talk—Telling Your Own Tale
Materials




bars of soap
handkerchiefs
horse template worksheet
plastic carving tools




rubber bands
paintbrushes
styluses
wire tools
Objective
Introduce and explore the craft of whittling as a means of early American social engagement.
Vocabulary
low-relief
whittle
Image
William Sidney Mount, Farmers Bargaining, 1835
Books
Carving in Soap, by Howard Suzuki
The Early Family Home, by Bobbie Kalman, pages 40–41
Educator Note
Participants are prompted to engage in group conversation while whittling like the subjects of William
Sidney Mount‘s painting Farmers Bargaining.
Educator Prep
Display Farmers Bargaining and discuss the following questions:
 Who do you think the people are?
 What is the setting of this painting?
 What is taking place in the painting?
 How might urban life compare to the rural farming scene depicted in the painting? Identify
animals and products found in the city versus those found on a farm.
As a class, look closely at the two men in the painting who are whittling. They are in conversation as they
negotiate the sale of a horse. Whittling was more common in the 19th century than it is today, but it was
often done while people talked and shared stories.
Activity Directions
1) Pair participants in sets of two.
2) Distribute to each participant one bar of soap, a handkerchief, a set of horse template
worksheets, plastic carving tools, a stylus, a wire tool, and a paintbrush.
3) Instruct participants to place handkerchiefs in their laps to catch excess soap.
4) Provide rubber bands so participants can secure the horse template worksheet around the bar of
soap.
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5) Using the horse template worksheet and a stylus, participants are to etch all the patterns (top and
sides) onto the bar of soap, poking holes along the outlines.
6) Participants remove templates from all sides as the outlines are completed.
7) Demonstrate proper use of the wire tool and plastic carving tools, showing participants how to
safely carve away from bodies and fingers.
8) Using the tools, participants carve into the soap with the pattern as a guide, revealing a basic
form of a horse.
9) Participants continue shaping the body of their horses, using a flat carving tool to smooth out the
head, legs, and undersurface. Ask participants to engage in conversation at this point in the
activity (see Educator Note on the previous page).
10) Instruct participants to gently carve out the face, using the stylus, and then to smooth over the
surface with a flat tool.
11) Participants may choose to incorporate low-relief, decorative designs using the various carving
tools or stylus.
12) To finish, participants use a soft paintbrush to dust away any small particles of soap, and toss the
carved-off soap pieces into trash.
13) Once complete, ask participants to share what they discussed with the larger group.
 What did you learn about the other person?
 How did their story make you see them or your own world differently?
 Did you finish your carving project?
Suggested adaptation for K–4th grade participants:
Instead of carving a three-dimensional horse, younger participants can use the horse template
worksheet to outline the form of the horse into the soap and lightly carve away enough of the
background to leave a low-relief (i.e., slightly raised) image of the horse.
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Art Trunk Activity: Story Quilt
Pre-K–4th Grade
Materials









6 x 6 in. quilt square
Sketch-a-Story worksheets
pencils
scissors
Tales of Wonder I & II DVD
multicolored felt scraps
fabric glue
fabric markers
yarn
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
B1
B2
B3
B4
B5
C1
C2
C3
C4
C5
D1
D2
D3
D4
D5
Objectives
Introduce participants to an early American story, discuss the story‘s meaning, and contextualize themes
of American storytelling. Use early American quilt-making techniques to create a visual representation of
the story.
Vocabulary
sketch
quilt
Image
Tompkins Harrison Matteson, The Last of the Race, 1847
Book
The Early Family Home, by Bobbie Kalman, pages 42–46
Watch
Tales of Wonder I and II. Performed by Gregg Howard
Activity Directions
Watch the Cherokee story of ―Rabbit and the Bear‖ on the Tales of Wonder I DVD.
Discuss and outline the events that take place in the story.
Distribute Sketch-a-Story Worksheet, pencils, and erasers.
Using those items, participants sketch a specific part of the story to fit on an individual quilt
square.
5) Each participant then copies their drawings from the worksheet onto colored felt.
6) Distribute scissors to participants and have them cut out their drawings from the colored felt and
arrange them on a quilt square.
7) Hand out fabric glue, and glue pieces to quilt square.
1)
2)
3)
4)
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8) Finally, have participants use fabric markers to add details like eyes and mouths. For children
younger than 5 years of age we recommend having them draw with fabric markers directly into
the quilt square.
9) Once quilt squares are completed, instructors use yarn to tie them together according to the quilt
grid to create the final story quilt.
10) Display finished quilt(s) at your organization!
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Art Trunk Activity: Story Quilt
5th Grade–Adult
Quilting Grid Poem Sample
(for 20 participants)
Materials










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6 x 6 in. quilt squares
A1 A2 A3
Sketch-a-Story worksheets
pencils
B1 B2 B3
scissors
safety tape
C1 C2 C3
felting needles
foam working surface
D1 D2 D3
yarn
roving wool balls
written excerpts of the poem ―An Indian at the Burial-Place of His Fathers‖
audio CD of the poem ―An Indian at the Burial-Place of His Fathers‖
A4 A5
B4 B5
C4 C5
D4 D5
Objectives
Introduce participants to a poem by William Cullen Bryant, discuss the poem‘s meaning, and
contextualize themes of American storytelling. Use early American quilt-making techniques to create a
visual representation of the poem.
Vocabulary
needle felting
roving
sketch
Image
Tompkins Harrison Matteson, The Last of the Race, 1847
Educator Prep
Display The Last of the Race and listen to a reading of the poem ―An Indian at the Burial-Place of His
Fathers.‖ Discuss the poem as a class. Consider the following questions or come up with your own:
 What is the poem about?
 What events took place in the poem?
 What is the tone or mood of the poem?
 What images came to mind as you listened to this poem?
Activity Directions
1) After listening to ―An Indian at the Burial-Place of His Fathers,‖ distribute written excerpts of the
poem. Participants read these short passages and reflect on the meaning of their part of the
poem.
2) Distribute Sketch-a-Story worksheets, pencils, and erasers.
3) Participants sketch a visual representation of their section of the poem onto the provided
worksheet.
4) Once the sketch is created, hand out a 6 x 6 in. quilt squares to each participant and have them
copy their images by lightly drawing them onto the squares.
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5) Distribute safety finger tape and demonstrate properly wrapping it around the end of the index
finger and thumb to prevent puncture wounds.
6) Demonstrate how to use and handle felting needles and how to properly peel the roving wool.
7) Distribute needle felting materials: one white quilt square, a needle, roving wool to share
between participants, and a foam working surface.
8) Have participants place quilting square on top of their foam working surface.
9) Have them unroll the roving wool and gently peel off small amounts of wool fiber to start. Add
more as needed.
10) Participants hold down wool fiber with their fingers and start carefully poking the felting needle
straight up and down to blend the fibers together. They should avoid twisting or bending the
needle as they poke.
11) Continue to add pinches of roving wool as needed until design is finished.
12) Once felt blocks are completed, mark the back of each square with each participant‘s
corresponding poetry card number. Following the quilting grid provided, arrange the quilt squares
in order. Complete the quilt by tying all the squares together with yarn in each corner.
13) Display the finished quilt(s) at your organization!
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THE STORY OF AMERICA CONTINUES
What is an oral history?
An oral history is a collection of personal stories and historical information passed down by word of mouth
or gathered and preserved through transcripts and recorded interviews. We have seen how artists used
their talents in the 19th century to share and reinforce important stories in American history, but in the
21st century, we do not have to rely on others to tell our stories.
In response to Nashville‘s growing and diverse immigrant population, the Nashville Public Library invited
its newest residents to tell the stories of where they are from in their program, New Faces of Nashville—a
partnership with StoryCorps at your library.
Listen
Listen to stories told by Nashville‘s immigrant population at digital.library.nashville.org/, or hear excerpts
from StoryCorps interviews with immigrants all over the United States at
nashvillepubliclibrary.org/storycorpsatyourlibrary/listen-to-stories/. Have students consider the following
questions:

Which stories stand out most to you?

The paintings in this guide tell stories, as do the interviews. How are the paintings similar to the
oral histories? How are they different?

How are the stories of Nashville‘s immigrant population a continuation of America‘s story?

How are these stories different from the mainstream perception of Nashville?
Activity
As a class, consider interesting questions students can ask one another. Have students pair off and
interview each other. If you would like to archive the stories, make audio or video recordings to document
the interviews. Ask participants the following questions:

How did you feel as you shared your story?

How does it feel to know that your story may be heard by someone several years from now?

Why is it important to tell your own story rather than having someone else tell it?
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GLOSSARY
acquiesce: To reluctantly accept something.
aesthetic: The nature and value of art objects and experiences. It is concerned with identifying the clues
within works that can be used to understand, assess, and defend judgments about those works.
allegorical: Describing a work in which its literal content stands for abstract ideas, suggesting a parallel,
deeper, symbolic meaning.
ambiguous: Open to more than one interpretation; having a double meaning.
Apollo: Son of Zeus; a deity worshipped by the ancient Greeks.
decrepit: Worn out or ruined because of age or neglect.
epochal: Characterizing a period of time in history marked by notable events or particular characteristics.
low-relief: A very slight extension of a sculptural form out of the two-dimensional background.
Manifest Destiny: An attitude prevalent during the 19th-century period of American expansion, reflecting
the belief that the United States was destined to stretch from coast to coast. This attitude helped fuel
western settlement, Native American removal, and war with Mexico.
marauding: Going about in search of things to steal or people to attack.
marginalized: A person or group treated as insignificant or peripheral.
narrative: Art that represents elements of a story. Genre and history painting are each types of narrative
art. While genre paintings depict events of an everyday sort, history paintings depict famous events.
needle felting: Using a single, barbed needle, wool fibers are tangled and compacted by repeatedly
jabbing the needle into the fibers to form two- and three-dimensional felt images or sculptures.
Neoclassical: An 18th- and 19th-century art movement that sought to revive the ideals of ancient Greek
and Roman art.
ostensibly: Apparently or supposedly, but not definitely.
paternalism: Behavior, by a person, organization, or state, that restricts the freedom of one person or a
group for that person‘s or group‘s own good.
pestilence: A fatal epidemic disease.
quilt: A bed coverlet of two layers of cloth filled with padding (as down or batting) held in place by ties or
stitched designs.
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roving: A long, narrow bundle of fiber for spinning or specialized knitting, or the process of making these
fibers.
sketch: A quick drawing that loosely captures the appearance or action of a place or situation. Sketches
are often done in preparation for larger, more detailed works of art.
stock character: A fictional character based on a common literary or social stereotype. Stock characters
rely heavily on cultural types or names for their personality, manner of speech, and other characteristics.
subservience: The condition of serving or acting in a subordinate capacity without question.
temperate: Gentle, mild.
trompe l‘oeil: A French term literally meaning ―deceive the eye.‖ A style of painting that gives the
appearance of three-dimensional or photographic realism.
whittle: To carve into an object by repeatedly cutting small slices from it.
23
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Bartlett, W. H. The Pilgrim Fathers. 2nd ed. London: Arthur Hall, Virtue & Co., 1854.
Bryant, William Cullen. ―An Indian at the Burial-place of His Fathers.‖ In Poetical Works of William Cullen
Bryant, 58–60. Household ed. Charleston, SC: BiblioBazaar, n.d.
Bryant, William Cullen. ―The Disinterred Warrior.‖ In Poetical Works of William Cullen Bryant, 106.
Household ed. Charleston, SC: BiblioBazaar, n.d.
Chapman, George, trans. The Iliad, by Homer. Ware: Wordsworth Classics, 1995.
Fagles, Robert, trans. The Iliad, by Homer. New York: Penguin, 1990.
Gallati, Barbara Dayer, ed. Making American Taste: Narrative Art for a New Democracy. New York: NewYork Historical Society, 2011.
Greenberg, Amy S. Manifest Destiny and American Territorial Expansion: A Brief History with Documents.
Boston: Bedford/St. Martin‘s, 2012.
Kalman, Bobbie. The Early Family Home. New York: Crabtree, 1982.
Levine, Ellen. Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad. New York: Scholastic,
2007.
Stowe, Harriet Beecher. Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Edited by Jean Fagan Yellin. Oxford: Oxford University
Press, 1998.
Suzuki, Howard K. Carving in Soap: North American Animals. Atglen, PA: Schiffer, 2001.
Tales of Wonder I and II. DVD. Performed by Gregg Howard. United States: Rich-Heape Films, 2004.
DVD.
Weld, Theodore Dwight. Slavery in America: Theodore Weld’s “American Slavery as It Is.‖ Edited by
Richard Orr Curry and Joanna Dunlap Cowden. Itasca, IL: F.E. Peacock, 1972.
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February 27–June 7, 2015
Telling Tales: Stories and Legends in 19th-Century American Art is adapted from Making American Taste: Narrative
Art for a New Democracy, organized by the New-York Historical Society.
The exhibition was organized and the accompanying volume published with generous support from Michael Reslan,
the National Endowment for the Arts through the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act, the Walter and Lucille
Rubin Foundation, Richard Gilder and Lois Chiles, the Mr. and Mrs. Raymond J. Horowitz Foundation for the Arts, the
New York Community Trust Joanne Witty and Eugene Keilin Fund, Larry K. Clark, and the Barrie A. and Deedee
Wigmore Foundation.
The Frist Center for the Visual Arts gratefully acknowledges our Picasso Circle Members as Exhibition Patrons.
2015 Education and Outreach Sponsor
Lynn and Ken Melkus
2014–2015 Teacher and School Program Sponsor
Supporting Sponsor:
Art Trunks Sponsor:
The Frist Center for the Visual Arts is supported in part by:
Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts is a 501(c)3 nonprofit art exhibition center
dedicated to presenting and originating high-quality exhibitions with related educational programs and community outreach
activities. The Frist Center offers the finest visual art from local, regional, national, and international sources in a program of
changing exhibitions that inspire people through art to look at their world in new ways.