Lady Lever Art Gallery
TEACHERS’ NOTES
Introduction to the Lady Lever Art Gallery
The welcoming and intimate atmosphere of the Lady Lever
Art Gallery (LLAG) makes it an ideal venue to introduce
students to decorative and fine art. The gallery houses the
personal collection of William Hesketh Lever, including a
fabulous collection of Victorian and Pre-Raphaelite
paintings, British new sculpture, Wedgwood jasperware,
Greek and Etruscan vases, sculpture from ancient Rome,
Chinese porcelain, tapestries and embroideries as well as
Masonic regalia, ethnographic items and African textiles.
Contents
These resources have been created to facilitate your visit
to the gallery. It provides ideas for preparation for your
visit, points of discussion when you are at the gallery, a
series of practical activities you can lead, and follow up
activities that can be done back at school. The contents
have been developed in line with the National
Curriculum, attainment targets, and schemes of work for
Art and Design and History from Key Stage 1 to 3.
Your group’s visit to the gallery should be complementary to
their classroom learning. This out-of-classroom learning
opportunity is a chance to increase student’s levels of
attainment through analysis of artefacts and primary source
material.
Essential information for group leaders
Before visiting the gallery, you must first book your visit by
contacting our group bookings administrator:
Art Galleries Learning Department, Walker Art
Gallery, William Brown Street, Liverpool L3
8EL. Tel: 0151 478 4178
You will need to provide the following information in order
to complete your booking:
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your name and contact phone number
school name and mailing address
date of visit
number of students and leaders
Key Stage group and age of students
special requirements or educational needs
resources that will need to be available (i.e.
clipboards, trails, etc.)
We also encourage you to attend one of our Teachers’
INSET courses before your visit to familiarise yourself with
the gallery and its facilities. Please call the bookings line for
more information or check the latest issue of Learning Live
for dates. Learning Live is our brochure for teachers and is
sent to schools every term. Its three versions describe our
resources for Early Years and KS1, KS2, KS3 – Post 18.
Information is also available on our website
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk.
Please note that we are constantly making improvements to
the gallery and its facilities. Capital developments are
underway and certain objects listed in the teachers’ notes
may be in different locations. Ask the group bookings
administrator for updates to be sure you know the location
of the artworks you intend to look at with your group.
Resources available
There are a series of resources available for school groups at the gallery. These continue to be developed, so please ask when
you make your booking if there is something specific you are looking to cover with your group.
쐍 Gallery trails and activity sheets
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People & Places
Seasons & Animals
Lever – Soot & Soap
Ancient Civilisations – Myths & Meaning
Pre-Raphaelites
Merchant Palaces
쐍 Handling boxes
• Soap – includes various types of soap, spot
the difference game, bubbles pipe, clothes
pin and washing basket
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Clipboards
Drawing paper
Pencils
Tours with Learning Officer are available on
Table of contents
Learning targets for Key Stage 1, 2 and 3
1-2
Section 1: Lever: Entrepreneur, Collector, and Philanthropist
3-6
Section 2: The Victorians & British Studies
Section 3: Ancient Civilizations
7-10
11-14
Practical activities
15
My Visit website
16
A Dream of the Past, Sir Islumbras at the Ford by John Everett Millais
Learning targets for Key Stage 1, 2 and 3
Introduction
and feel. They can develop their work related learning
In order to make your visit to the gallery more relevant
to your schemes of work and provide evidence to your
Head of Department or Headteacher, the key learning
targets achievable during your visit are outlined
below. Although these will already be evident in your
daily teaching practice, the targets are summarised in
context of a gallery visit.
by beginning to understand what an artist does, as
well as the diverse roles and functions in the cultural
sector.
History
The study of history is important in understanding the
Art and Design
contemporary world and the place of the individual
The curriculum for Art and Design across all of the key
stages seeks to develop the spiritual, moral and
cultural knowledge of the students. These targets are
achieved in the classroom through the exploration of
ideas, feelings and meanings both in how artists
represent these issues, but also how artefacts influence
people through icons and advertising. Primary source
examples of artist’s representation and the influence of
artefacts can be explored at the gallery to
complement this classroom learning.
student. Across all of the key stages, the History
Students can investigate the elements of art at the
gallery, including the use of colour, form, texture, and
pattern in order to communicate what they see, think
and its knock on effects on today’s industry can also
Bubbles by John Everett Millais (on loan from Unilver ???)
W. H. Lever by Samuel Luke Fildes
curriculum seeks to stimulate the curiosity of students.
Beginning with local history, national history and then
expanding to the wider world, students should begin
to learn how the past influences the present.
The local history of Port Sunlight Village and the trade
throughout Wirral and Merseyside can be looked at
through the resources and primary materials at the
gallery. The national impact of this trade, production
be explored in order to develop the student’s ability to
research a topic, provide evidence and argue a point.
1
Key Stage 1
Art and Design
Histor y
쐍 Development of creativity and imagination through
쐍 Learn about peoples lifestyles and identify significant
exploration
men, women and events
쐍 Begin to understand how to utilise colour to express their
쐍 Listen and respond to questions
쐍 Be able to place events and objects in chronological
feelings
쐍 Represent observations, ideas and feelings through their
order
artwork
쐍 Use common words relating to time (i.e. before, after)
쐍 Identify differences between the way of life during
쐍 Learn about colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form
and space
different periods in history
쐍 Use a range of materials and processes
쐍 Investigate different kinds of art and design
Key Stage 2
Art and Design
Histor y
쐍 Increased critical awareness of role of art
쐍 Increased confidence in using art to express
쐍 To look at history in a variety of ways, including
political, social, religious, cultural and aesthetic
쐍 To understand that the past can be represented and
observations, ideas and feelings
interpreted in a variety of ways
쐍 Ability to question and make thoughtful observations and
쐍 Characteristic features of periods and societies and their
collect visual information
diversity
쐍 Compare ideas, methods and approaches to their works
쐍 How to research events through varied sources and
and others
communicate their knowledge in different ways
쐍 How to combine the elements of art
쐍 Roles of artists linked to Western Europe
쐍 How the local area has changed or was affected by a
significant event or individual
쐍 Investigate art and design within its locality (i.e. museum,
gallery, sculpture park)
Key Stage 3
Art and Design
Histor y
쐍 Develop creativity through sustained activity
쐍 Use of visual language to communicate observation,
쐍 Explore history from the Middle Ages to 20th century
쐍 Compare the structure of societies and their diversity
ideas and feelings
쐍 Identify trends within and across different historical
쐍 Ability to analyse and evaluate artwork
쐍 Ability to discuss and question critically in order to
periods
쐍 Communicate knowledge and understanding of history
develop ideas
from a variety of perspectives
쐍 Identify codes, symbols and conventions in artworks and
쐍 Learn about the ideas of people in Ancient Civilizations
how they are used to represent ideas and values in
artwork
and how these concepts have influenced the world
today
쐍 Investigate art in both a historical and social context
쐍 Look at Britain from 1750 to 1900, particularly at
expansion, trade, Napoleonic wars, industrialisation of
local area, legislation to improve working conditions
and impact of industrial and cultural developments
2
Section 1
Lever: Entrepreneur, Collector, and Philanthropist
Introduction to Lever – applicable to all Key Stage groups
manoeuvre, he moved his business from Warrington to
the Wirral, building a new factory at what was to
become Port Sunlight.
William Hesketh Lever was born in 1851 in Bolton,
Lancashire. He was the son of a wholesale grocer
who joined the family business at sixteen years of age
and was a partner by the age of twenty one. Lever
expanded the firm in 1886 under the name of Lever
Brothers as a soap manufacturer, then in 1888 moved
to the site of Port Sunlight.
He obtained the land very cheaply, had his own dock
to unload raw material such as palm oil, and did not
have to pay harbour fees to the Port of Liverpool. The
presence of the railway line was also important as it
allowed for distribution throughout the country. Lever
was also deeply committed to social reform, including
shorter working days, opportunities for training,
education, and increased standards in working class
housing.
Lever realised the importance of a brand name and
began to collect paintings to advertise his Sunlight
Soap, a laundry soap that was expensively packaged
like toilet soap. This led to an extremely successful
branding campaign. In a significant business
Key Stage 1
P R E PA R AT I O N W O R K
POINTS FOR DISCUSSION
쐍 Visit the gallery website at
쐍 In the soap pictures display within the Lower Floor
gallery, ask your students to sit facing The New Frock
and Girl with Dogs.
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/ladylever and go to
the collections web page. In on-line gallery three,
there are three examples of paintings used by Lever
for soap advertisements
• The New Frock by William Frith (1889)
• The Wedding Morning by John Bacon (1892)
• Girl with Dogs by Charles Barber (1893)
쐍 Pictures used for advertising soap were often cheerful,
domestic scenes of working class people in humble
surroundings.
쐍 These are two paintings that Lever used to advertise
his soap.
쐍 Discuss what kind of advertising students now see in
쐍 What do they notice about the colours in the
relation to the type of adverts used by Lever and
Sunlight Soap
paintings? Are they bright or dark?
쐍 What do you think these children in the paintings are
쐍 Discuss what type of life Lever may have led
feeling?
쐍 How many dogs can you see in this picture?
쐍 What can you notice about the clothes in these
pictures?
쐍 Dressing up clothes are available in the Education
Room and may be used by children to model
characters in the paintings such as This is the Way
we Wash our Clothes.
쐍 The soap handling box is also available for use in this
gallery. Please see instructional notes at the end of
this section.
FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES
쐍 For an Art and Design activity, ask the students to choose a
painting from the gallery. What colours can they change?
Can they modernise the clothes on the figures?
쐍 For a History activity, ask the students to look at the soap
pictures and decide what has happened before and after the
painting was finished. What happened to the dogs after the
artist finished the painting? Why did the girl want to show off
her new dress?
The New Frock by William Firth
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Key Stage 2
P R E PA R AT I O N W O R K
POINTS FOR DISCUSSION
쐍 Visit the gallery website at
쐍 In the soap pictures display within the Lower Floor
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/ladylever and go to
the collections web page. In on-line gallery three,
there are three examples of paintings used by Lever
for soap advertisements
• The New Frock by William Frith (1889)
• The Wedding Morning by John Bacon (1892)
• Girl with Dogs by Charles Barber (1893)
gallery, ask your students to sit facing The New
Frock, Girl with Dogs and Blue & White.
쐍 All of the figures in these paintings seem to be well
dressed, but placed in a domestic setting. Why do
you think Lever would have chosen these pictures as
advertisements?
쐍 What type of houses do you think these people lived
쐍 Discuss Port Sunlight and the Wirral. How would
in? Do you think they would they have worked in
Lever's factories?
Lever affect the area with his factory? What impact
do they think this would have had for residents in the
surrounding area? Where did he get his workers
from?
쐍 Do you think that the women in Blue & White by
Louise Jopling (1896) would normally be doing the
washing up? Why or why not?
쐍 Discuss the development of advertising throughout the
쐍 Lever wanted to emphasise the importance of good
ages. What were advertisements like 100 years
ago, 50 years ago, 25 years ago and today?
clothes, personal appearance and cleanliness to his
consumers.
쐍 Now, ask the students to face Street Arabs at Play
by Dorothy Tennant (1890).
쐍 What differences do you notice about these figures
and the ones in the other paintings?
쐍 Do you think these children lived in the city or the
country?
쐍 Lever built his factory in Port Sunlight, which was a
village he created from scratch. What effect do you
think this had on the surrounding countryside?
쐍 Do you think the children in Street Arabs at Play
would have rather lived in Port Sunlight or in
London?
쐍 How do you think using these paintings as
advertisements helped Lever's business to grow?
쐍 Using the ‘Spot the Difference’ cards from the soap
handling box, ask students to identify the changes
that Lever made to the artworks.
쐍 Feel free to use other items from the soap handling
box. Instructions are at the end of this section.
Girl with Dogs by Charles Burton Barber
FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES
쐍 For an Art and Design activity, discuss what artists may have
thought about their work being used as an advertisement by
Lever. Ask students to choose one of the paintings from the
gallery and reproduce it as an advert for another product.
Encourage them to choose a painting that has imagery
reflecting the idea or concept behind their product.
쐍 For a History activity, ask students to research the area that is
now Port Sunlight. What was it like before Lever bought the
land and built the village and his factory? What changes have
been made to the village in recent times? Ask students to
present their findings in a variety of ways, perhaps including
a pictorial timeline or group presentation.
The Wedding Morning by John Bacon
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Key Stage 3
P R E PA R AT I O N W O R K
POINTS FOR DISCUSSION
쐍 Visit the gallery website at
쐍 In the soap pictures display within the Lower Floor
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/ladylever and go to
the collections web page. In on-line gallery three,
there are three examples of paintings used by Lever
for soap advertisements
• The New Frock by William Frith (1889)
• The Wedding Morning by John Bacon (1892)
• Girl with Dogs by Charles Barber (1893)
gallery, ask your students to sit facing The New
Frock, Girl with Dogs and Blue & White.
쐍 Using the reproduction of the advertisements in the
soap handling box, ask students to identify the
changes that Lever made to the painting.
쐍 Why would Lever have brightened the colours in
Girl with Dogs? What purpose would this serve in
his advertising of soap?
쐍 Discuss the working conditions of employees at
factories around England in the Victorian era so that
they can be compared to Lever's practices
쐍 If you were the artist how would you have felt if your
painting had been altered and mass produced?
쐍 Discuss copyright laws and how they have changed
쐍 Do you think its right that the purchaser of an artwork
over the years. Think about what reactions artists
may have had to their work being used as
advertisements for soap
had exclusive rights?
쐍 Stricter copyright laws were introduced in 1911.
This meant that artists, writers and other makers
would exclusively own the work. Do you think this is
more appropriate or should you be able to change
an artwork once you own it?
쐍 William Frith was outraged at the treatment of his
painting The New Frock. He argued that his art had
been degraded after being used as an advert.
However, because no agreement about copyright
had been reached and no laws were in place, Lever
was completely within his rights to alter the picture
for his own purposes.
쐍 The packaging of inexpensive laundry soap was a
revolutionary idea by Lever. What other products
may have changed in the last 100 years to become
more appealing to consumers?
쐍 Lever also ran reward schemes, people collected
soap wrappers and exchanged them for prints of the
paintings. Can you think of any gimmicks that
companies now use to get you to buy their products?
How much does this differ from Lever's practices?
Lady Lever by
Samuel Luke Fildes
FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES
쐍 For an Art and Design activity, discuss the moral and social
issues of basing work on the work of another artist. Provide
guidance on copyright issues and ask students to adapt an
artwork that they saw on their visit to the gallery. They can
change colour, line, shape, texture, or add figures and elements
to the work. Another possibility is to adapt one of the two
dimensional works into a three dimensional work and vice versa.
쐍 For a History activity, ask students to research and discuss
what it would have been like to work in Lever's soap factory.
Ask them to trace the day in the life of a factory worker,
including what life at home would have been like. Students
can either present their findings in a written format, as a short
narrative, or as a timeline.
This is the Way we
Wash our Clothes
by George Dunlop
Leslie
5
Hands on: soap handling box instructions
If you wish to use the soap handling box, please request it
when you make your booking. The box will be available
at the information desk when your group checks in.
How to use the soap & washing
materials
쐍 First, pass around the carbolic soap to give students
a chance to smell, touch and see what soap used to
be like. This was cut with a soap cutter (displayed in
a case in the Lower Floor gallery) and sold at local
grocers
Contents
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Carbolic soap
Pears soap
Clothes pegs
쐍 Sunlight soap
쐍 Lifebuoy soap
쐍 Bubbles pipe
쐍 Second, pass around the Sunlight, Pears and
Lifebuoy soap for students to compare the scent,
texture, and packaging with the carbolic soap
Reproductions of The Family Wash advertisement
with original Girl with Dogs on reverse side x 3
쐍 Discuss how the wash used to be done, what tools
쐍 Large reproduction of The Family Wash and
would have been used (e.g. tin wash basin,
washboard, agitator, clothes pegs)
Blue & White
쐍 Images of Sunlight Soap advertisements
쐍 Images of the factory at Port Sunlight
쐍 How long do students think it would have taken to
do the laundry before the invention of the washing
machine?
쐍 Which soap do they like the smell of? What do they
think about the carbolic soap?
How to use the images
쐍 Pass out The Family Wash reproductions and ask
students to get into small groups
쐍 In groups, students should identify the five things that
are different from the original painting
1. Sunlight Soap branded at the top
2. Replacement of the chair with the wash basin
3. Addition of Sunlight Soap bar on the carpet
4. Brightening of colours in the advert
5. Addition of Her Majesty's seal at the bottom
쐍 Look at the images of the factory to get a sense of
what it looked like. Discuss what differences there
might be between factories from the Victorian era to
factories of today
쐍 Look at other images of the advertisements. Why do
you think Lever chose these paintings?
Blue & White by Louise Jopling
Please ensure that all
items are placed back
in the handling box
and returned to the
information desk.
Street Arabs at Play by Dorothy Tennant
6
Section 2: The Victorians and British Studies
Introduction to Victorian Painting – applicable to all Key Stage groups
Lever collected some 18th century British painting, but
focussed his collecttions on Victorian and Edwardian
paintings. In addition to the earlier Victorian
masterpieces, Lever also collected contemporary
works by artists from the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood
most of which are found in the main hall (Room 10).
came from the collection of George McCulloch, which
was sold in 1913 following McCulloch’s death. It is
no coincidence that after three weeks of acquiring the
group of paintings, Lever commissioned the building
of the Lady Lever Art Gallery as his residences were
already full of grand works of art. The McCulloch
collection included Frederic Leighton’s The
Daphnephoria, which was said to have dictated the
size of the main hall (Room 10).
The collection has excellent examples of 18th century
portraits and landscapes by such noted artists as
Joshua Reynolds, Thomas Gainsborough, and John
Constable. Many of Lever’s larger Victorian pictures
Key Stage 1
P R E PA R AT I O N W O R K
POINTS FOR DISCUSSION
쐍 Visit the gallery website at
쐍 In the main hall (Room 10), look at the portraits of
William Hesketh Lever and Lady Lever, painted by
Samuel Luke Fildes (1897).
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/ladylever and go to
the collections web page. Click on paintings, which
will take you to the Victorian & Edwardian Art section.
쐍 How has the artist represented the Levers? What can
• The Black Brunswicker by John Everett Millais
(1860)
쐍 What is Lever holding in his hand? What is Lady
students notice about the background of the pictures?
Lever holding in her hand? What do you think this
says about them?
• The Last Muster by Hubert von Herkomer (1875)
• A Dream of the Past: Sir Isumbras at the Ford by
John Everett Millais (1857)
쐍 How do you think Lever would have represented
himself if he were painting a self-portrait?
쐍 Discuss self portraiture versus portraiture. How do they
쐍 Both the portraits were commissioned by Lever.
think a portrait would be different if the model painted it?
Explain what this means.
쐍 What differences in colour do you notice in the two
portraits?
쐍 Port Sunlight Village has a rich history. It was built by
Lever for his factory workers as he believed in good
housing for his employees.
쐍 Do you think the village has changed much since it
was built? What modern conveniences do you think
were missing from the houses?
쐍 Ask students to compare and contrast the houses with
their own.
쐍 In one of the sculpture galleries, (Room 2 or 19)
discuss ‘what sculpture is’ with the students.
쐍 What materials do you think are used? How do you
think the sculptures were made?
Lingering Autumn by John Everett Millais
FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES
쐍 For an Art and Design activity, ask students to create a
쐍 For a History activity, ask students to look at what items might
have been in the homes in Port Sunlight Village when they
were first built. Split them into groups and ask each to make
a list of things that they have in their homes that were not in
the village houses. Each group can be assigned a different
room (e.g. kitchen, bathroom, living room, and bedroom).
Images of typical interiors can be provided upon request. This
activity can also be complemented by a trip to Sunlight Vision
Museum located across from the gallery. You can contact
their learning department by calling 0151 644 6466.
relief or rubbing of several other materials they find both at
home and at school. This can be done by rubbing a pencil,
crayon or graphite over drawing paper covering the object.
Create a display either as individuals, groups or as a class
of the textures of all the different materials. This could also
be done with the names of the materials hidden so that
students could either guess or write about each of the
patterns.
7
Key Stage 2
P R E PA R AT I O N W O R K
POINTS FOR DISCUSSION
쐍 Visit the gallery website at
쐍 In the main hall (Room 10), look at The Black
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/ladylever and go to
the collections web page. Click on paintings, which
will take you to the Victorian & Edwardian Art section
• The Black Brunswicker by John Everett Millais
(1860)
• The Last Muster by Hubert von Herkomer (1875)
• A Dream of the Past: Sir Isumbras at the Ford by
John Everett Millais (1857)
Brunswicker. The painting depicts a young German
soldier and his English sweetheart before he goes off
to the battle of Quatre Bras at Waterloo.
쐍 What kind of relationship do you think these two
people have? What do you think she is feeling?
Why does she have her hand on the doorknob?
쐍 Look at the texture of the paintings. Compare the
쐍 Discuss relationships in paintings and how they are
texture of his uniform and her dress. How are they
similar or different?
portrayed by the artist. Looking at examples on the
gallery website, begin to look at the way figures
interrelate in the paintings
쐍 Each of the figures was modelled separately to
maintain the modesty of the woman because the
figures are depicted as being very close together
쐍 Discuss the status of children in Victorian times and
the difference in their way of live to the present day.
Explain that Lever helped to improve the life of
children by building an excellent school in Port
Sunlight Village and providing several learning
opportunities. Why was this school different from
others in the district?
쐍 Look at The Last Muster. The scene takes place in the
Chapel of the Royal Hospital in Chelsea, which is a
home for veteran soldiers.
쐍 The gentleman in the second row is holding the wrist
of the man next to him. What do you think has just is
happened?
쐍 Discuss how the way of life changed in the Victorian
times due to industrialisation and increased
transportation by rail. How do they think their locality
changed? How would the residents of Port Sunlight
Village feel renting their homes from their employer?
쐍 What do you think the relationship is between the
two men considering they are both Chelsea
pensioners?
The Black Brunswicker by John Everett Millais
Queen Victoria in Robes of State by Sir David Wilkie
8
Key Stage 2
(continued)
쐍 Look at Fidelity by Briton Riviere. The painting
쐍 Look at A Dream of the Past: Sir Isumbras at the
depicts a man after he has been caught poaching
with his dog.
Ford. The theme of rescuing children in art was very
popular in Victorian art and medieval chivalry, all of
which are displayed in this work.
쐍 Laws against poaching were very strict in Victorian
쐍 Do you think the boy and girl are related? What
times. Until 1853 a poacher could be transported
to Australia or sent to jail and fined.
kind of relationship do they have with the knight?
How is this represented?
쐍 How do you think this man is feeling? How is his
쐍 What do you think about the size of the horse in
dog feeling?
쐍 Lever made colour reproductions of this picture,
relation to the figures and the background?
쐍 What figures can you see in the background? What
which could be exchanged for soap wrappers or
coupons as part of his advertising campaigns.
do you think their relationship is to the people on the
horse?
쐍 In Room 30, look at Queen Victoria in Robes of
쐍 Look at Bubbles by John Everett Millais (1885) and
State by Sir David Wilkie (1840). Work began on
this portrait in 1837 when she became queen. How
old was Victoria when she was crowned?
Quite Ready by Philip Richard Morris (1884).
쐍 Both depict middle to upper class children. What
쐍 The portrait was highly criticised when it was
similarities and differences do you notice about the
two paintings?
exhibited and even Queen Victoria disliked it. What
do you think about the painting, its colour,
composition and texture?
쐍 Bubbles was used by Pears Soap as an advert, but
Quite Ready was acquired by Lever for his collection
of Victorian artwork.
쐍 What objects and clothing allow you to identify this
woman as a queen?
쐍 What social class do you think these children were a
쐍 Queen Victoria led Britain through vast amounts of
part of? What did the children of lower classes do?
change to both industry and society. What form of
transportation was introduced in the Victorian era?
쐍 Many children in the lower and middle classes had
to work from a very young age until the Education
Act of 1870 which made education mandatory for
all children aged 5 - 13 years.
쐍 There were also many changes to industry. Lever
was responsible for bringing industry to this area of
the Wirral. What effect do you think this had on the
local population?
쐍 This change was made in the middle of Queen
Victoria’s reign. What other differences do they think
there were between 1841 and 1891?
쐍 Lever picked the current location of Port Sunlight
because of its proximity to the railway and the river
Mersey.
FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES
쐍 For an Art and Design activity, using the theme of
relationships and either building on sketches made at the
gallery of paintings or creating poses back in the
classroom, ask students to begin to work on a final piece
that is larger and builds up layers of paint. Ask students to
consider the clothing, positioning of figures and direction of
gaze, which will inform the viewer about the relationship
they are portraying. Students could write a journal while
they are at the gallery to summarise their visit and feelings
about the paintings and subjects discussed.
쐍 For a History activity, ask students to look at other images of
Queen Victoria and portraits. Ask them to find out which of
the portraits Queen Victoria liked the most and which they
prefer. Students should make note of the artist, title, date it
was painted, and Queen Victoria’s age. Ask students to
compare the life of children in the lower, middle and upper
classes. What were their daily lives like?
The Last Muster by Herbert Von Herkomer
9
Key Stage 3
P R E PA R AT I O N W O R K
쐍 Look at The Last Muster. The scene takes place in the
쐍 Visit the gallery website at
Chapel of the Royal Hospital in Chelsea, which was
a home for veteran soldiers.
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/ladylever and to to
the collections web page. Click on paintings, which
will take you to the Victorian & Edwardian Art section
쐍 What personal event do you think this is portraying?
Much of 19th century art depicted personal, social
and historical events. What other paintings in the
gallery can you find that depict these events?
• The Black Brunswicker by John Everett Millais
(1860)
• The Last Muster by Hubert von Herkomer (1875)
쐍 Look at The Black Brunswicker. The painting depicts
• Lingering Autumn by John Everett Millais (1890)
a young German soldier and his English sweetheart
before he goes off to the battle of Quatre Bras at
Waterloo.
• Spring (Apple) Blossoms by John Everett Millais
(1859)
쐍 Discuss the landscape and how it is represented by
쐍 What was the Battle of Waterloo? When did it take
various artists including Millais. How does it come
across when it is the predominant subject matter of a
painting versus the background?
place?
쐍 Is this painting effective in capturing the concerns of
쐍 Discuss the documentation of events through
the people about the battle? Is it effective in
capturing the event? Why or why not?
paintings such as The Last Muster and The Black
Brunswicker
쐍 This was Napoleon Bonaparte’s last battle. Ask
students to go and look at the Napoleon room and
discuss the opulence of his furnishings and the copy
of the death mask.
POINTS FOR DISCUSSION
쐍 In the main hall (Room 10), look at Lingering
쐍 Look at Fidelity by Briton Riviere. The painting
Autumn. Millais spent each September and October
in Scotland and this painting depicts Perthshire.
depicts a man after he has been caught poaching
with his dog.
쐍 It is successful in portraying the subtle variation in the
쐍 Laws against poaching were very strict in Victorian
landscape between the foreground, middle ground,
and background.
times. Until 1853 a poacher could be transported to
Australia or sent to jail and fined.
쐍 Millais visited this place every year and his wife also
쐍 How do you think this man is feeling? How is his
grew up in Perthshire. How would this affect his
representation of the landscape?
dog feeling?
쐍 Lever made colour reproductions of this picture,
쐍 Look at Spring (Apple) Blossoms. Ask students to look
which could be exchanged for a number or soup
wrappers or coupons as part of his advertising
campaigns.
at the brushwork in both Millais paintings. What
comparisons can you make between the brushwork
of the landscape in both paintings? Why do you
think he made this change? Which do you think is
more successful?
쐍 This painting depicts young women in Victorian times
FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES
쐍 For an Art and Design activity, ask students to reinterpret
relaxing in an orchard. What object do you notice
on the right hand side of the painting? What do you
think this represented?
Lingering Autumn. What would they add or take away from
the landscape? Ask students to depict their own landscape in
the style Millais uses in either Spring (Apple) Blossoms or
Lingering Autumn. Ask students to portray an event in their
own life in the style of 19th century art.
쐍 Millais sought to represent the transience of youth
and beauty, as well as the inevitability of death
through the scythe and blossoms.
쐍 For a History activity, ask students to compare the leisure life
쐍 Look at Boulter’s Lock by Edward John Gregory
of the Victorians to that of their own. What differences can
they find? To what extent has industrialisation and technology
affected our leisure time today? Ask students to look at other
depictions of the Battle of Waterloo and have students
compare them to The Black Brunswicker. Analyse what
aspects of the battle are depicted: personal, social and
historical.
(1897). What is happening in this painting?
쐍 It depicts the boating craze that took over the river
Thames at the end of the 19th century. What do you
think this can tell us about the Victorian middle and
upper classes?
10
Section 3
Ancient Civilizations – Greeks & Romans
Introduction to Antiquities Collection – applicable to all Key Stage groups
Ancient Greece has had an enormous influence on the
art and culture of many civilizations, particularly in the
areas of sculpture and architecture. The artefacts in
the gallery date from two periods within Ancient
Greece. Some of the sculptures are Roman copies,
which are reflective of the Classical period from 500
BC to 400 BC. The Greek vases date from the
Geometric period between 900 and 700 BC.
Lever began collecting antiquities in 1913 at the same
time as he commissioned the gallery because he
believed in the educational value of classical art. So
much so that he even put photographs of classical
sculptures up in classrooms in the Port Sunlight school.
Myths from Greek and Roman societies provide strong
themes for paintings and sculpture and this is evident
in Lever’s collection. There is also evidence of
inspiration of Greek vases on Wedgwood in Room 5.
Key Stage 1
P R E PA R AT I O N W O R K
POINTS FOR DISCUSSION
쐍 Visit the gallery website at
쐍 In the south sculpture dome (Room 2), gather around
Cephalus and Aurora. In Greek myths, there were
many gods and goddesses as well as human beings
or mortals who roamed the earth. Aurora, the
goddess of the dawn, was doomed by Aphrodite, the
goddess of love, to fall in love with mortal men.
Aurora fell in love with Cephalus.
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/ladylever and go to
the collections web page. Click on Classical
Antiquities, which will show some examples of
pottery, a cinerarium, and sculpture
• Antinous, Roman (c 130-138 AD)
쐍 Click on Sculpture, which will have examples of
쐍 What do you think the sculpture is made of? Do you
several sculptures in the gallery
• Cephalus and Aurora by John Flaxman (1790)
think the sculpture looks real? What do you think it
would feel like if you could touch it?
쐍 Discuss sculpture and the variety of materials that can
쐍 How do you think the artist made it look like it is
be used
moving? Does it look like her clothes are real?
쐍 In the north sculpture dome (Room 19), gather around
쐍 Discuss how it is good to think about what sculptures
Antinous. This sculpture was done by a Roman
sculptor who would have copied it from the Greek
Classical period. Antinous was a mortal until he
drowned in the Nile River and then was worshiped
as a god.
are made of and what they feel like, but students will
not be able to touch any of the sculptures in the
gallery. Ask why they think this is
쐍 Ask students to research the difference between black
and red figure pottery from Greece. Which technique
is more advanced?
쐍 Do you think this is made from the same material as
Cephalus and Aurora?
쐍 Why do you think there are cracks in parts of the
sculpture? What does the hair look like?
쐍 What kinds of tools do you think the sculptor used?
FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES
쐍 For an Art and Design activity, in order to give students the
opportunity to touch materials used for sculpture, ask each
student to bring in a rock, stone, or other hard natural material.
Ask them to think about what this feels like in comparison to
what marble would feel like and ask students to write a
description of the material and how they would sculpt it. Set up
a display of the rocks and descriptions for the classroom.
쐍 For a History activity, as there are no specific curriculum links to
Ancient Civilizations for Key Stage 1, you can introduce Greek
and Roman myths to the class through storytelling. It would be
especially useful to find the stories relating to sculptures in the
gallery such as Cephalus and Aurora or Pandora.
Krater, mixing bowl, Greek
11
Key Stage 2
P R E PA R AT I O N W O R K
POINTS FOR DISCUSSION
쐍 Visit the gallery website at
쐍 In room 5, look at the Greek vases that show
examples of both black figure and red figure
painting. Black figure painted vases feature figures
painted in black silhouette with ‘slip’, a solution of
clay and water. They were dominated by animal
scenes with occasional mythological depictions. Red
figure painting is the reverse. The background and
details on the figures were painted with ‘slip’. The
reddish orange colour was achieved through a
series of firing or baking of the clay.
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/ladylever and go to
the collections web page. Click on Classical
Antiquities, which will show some examples of
pottery, a cinerarium, and sculpture
• Krater, mixing bowl, Greek (c 500 - 475 BC)
• Psykter, Greek (c 525 - 500 BC)
• Antinous, Roman (c130 -138 AD)
쐍 Click on Sculpture, which will have examples of
쐍 Look at Krater. The mixing bowl shows three young
several sculptures in the gallery
• Cephalus and Aurora by John Flaxman (1790)
men dancing, but shows no sign of them being
warriors or athletes.
쐍 Click on Paintings and find some of the works, which
쐍 Which technique was used for this vase? What do
you think the bowl was used for?
illustrate Greek myths
쐍 Wine was always drunk diluted with water. Why do
• The Daphnephoria by Frederic Leighton (1874-6)
you think the Greeks would use a decorative bowl
not an ordinary one?
• The Garden of Hesperides by Frederic Leighton
쐍 On the other side of the vase is an image of
(1891-2)
Dionysus. What was he the god of?
쐍 Discuss black figure and red figure pottery. Explain
쐍 Look at Psykter. This type of pot was used as a wine
why so many different forms of pottery were made
cooler. Wine was placed in the Psykter and then put
into a Krater filled with ice or cold water.
and were useful as well as decorative
쐍 Discuss the use of mythology in painting and
쐍 Do you think this is red or black figure painting
sculpture. Ancient sculptors used it as a record of
technique? How can you tell?
쐍 There is an image of a god in the middle of the
historical event, but many painters since have used
vase. Which god do you think it is? Can you find
any other examples of Dionysus in the room?
myths to inspire their subject matter
쐍 Discuss the Greek gods and myths. Where did the
쐍 In the north sculpture dome (Room 19), look at
gods live? What was their relationship with mortals?
Pandora by John Gibson (1862). Does anyone
know the story of Pandora?
쐍 Pandora was the first woman and was given a
casket with a lid by Zeus that contained the evils
and diseases of the world. They all flew out of the
box – when she gave into temptation and lifted the
lid. All that was left behind was Hope.
쐍 What do you think she is thinking before she opens
the box?
쐍 What kind of shapes can you find in the sculpture?
What do you think the surface of the sculpture feels
like?
쐍 In room 30, look at Prometheus by William Etty
(c1820). Does anyone know the story of
Prometheus?
쐍 After giving fire to mankind, he was punished by
Zeus and carried to Mount Caucasus where he was
to have his liver pecked at by an eagle for 30,000
years.
쐍 There is something inaccurate about Etty’s depiction;
can you see what it is? Why do you think the artist
chose to do this?
The Garden of Hesperides by Frederic Leighton
12
Key Stage 2
(continued)
FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES
쐍 Why was Prometheus punished by Zeus for giving
쐍 For an Art and Design activity, building on the discussion
fire to mankind?
about the decorative versus functional uses of Greek vases,
ask students to think about functional items they use everyday
that could become decorative as well. How have objects
changed since ancient times? Have them design a decorative
version of a functional item. Using examples of Pandora,
Prometheus, and Andromeda ask students to create a painting
or maquette illustrating a Greek myth.
쐍 Look at Andromeda by William Etty (1833). Does
anyone know the story of Andromeda?
쐍 Andromeda was chained to a rock after the king,
her father, boasted about her beauty to Poseidon.
Poseidon sent in a sea monster to attack his lands,
until Andromeda was given up to it. She was
chained to a rock by the sea and eventually rescued
by Perseus.
쐍 For a History activity, students should find out about the giving
쐍 Do you think this painting adequately portrays the
of decorated amphora as prizes at the Pan-Athenian Games.
Using examples of the black and red figure painting ask them
to portray the Games pictorially. A written statement should
accompany their picture in order to explain what task, sport or
event they are showing. What other information can be gained
about the Greek way of life from pottery? Discuss this with your
class to come up with other ideas for depiction on the vases.
myth of Andromeda?
쐍 How would you show this story in a picture?
쐍 What do you think she’s looking at? How do you
Psykler, Greek
Andromeda by William Etty
The Daphnephenia by Frederic Leighton
13
Key Stage 3
쐍 Compare this sculpture with Antinous. What
P R E PA R AT I O N W O R K
differences can you see? How do you think sculptors
have improved skills over the years? Do the tools
affect this progression? What do you notice about
Aurora’s clothing?
쐍 Visit the gallery website at
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/ladylever and go to
the collections web page. Click on Classical
Antiquities, which will show some examples of
pottery, a cinerarium, and sculpture
• Krater, mixing bowl, Greek (c 500 - 475 BC)
• Psykter, Greek (c 525 - 500 BC)
• Antinous, Roman (c130 -138 AD)
쐍 How do you think artists begin to design a
sculpture? Do you find it easier to draw from life or
to take a painting or drawing and make it three
dimensional?
쐍 In the main hall (Room 10), look at The Garden of
쐍 Click on Sculpture, which will have examples of
Hesperides. The Hesperides were given the task of
guarding the immortality-granting golden apples,
which were given to Hera on her wedding day.
Hercules stole the apples as one of his challenges.
There was also a dragon put in the garden as an
additional safeguard.
several sculptures in the gallery.
• Cephalus and Aurora by John Flaxman (1790)
쐍 Click on Paintings and find some of the works, which
illustrate Greek myths
• The Daphnephoria by Frederic Leighton (1874-6)
• The Garden of Hesperides by Frederic Leighton
(1891-2)
쐍 The dragon does not appear in this painting; what
instead do you think represents this mythical figure?
쐍 Does the story remind you of any others? What do
쐍 Discuss the influence of ancient civilizations, in
you find interesting about the ties between biblical
and mythical tales?
particular the Greeks. What advances did they make
in science, philosophy, art and politics?
쐍 Look at The Daphnephoria. The largest painting in
the gallery, it is likely that the width of this painting
dictated the size of the main hall (Room 10). It
shows the parade during a festival to honour Apollo,
the sun god.
쐍 Discuss classical sculpture and how many existing
sculptures from ancient civilizations are Roman copies
of Greek originals. What can artefacts and sculpture
tell us about these times in history?
쐍 Leighton made clay models for the first time in his life
쐍 Discuss the work of artists in terms of their ideas.
to help with the figures in this painting. Why do you
think that would have helped him?
Many artists are inspired by other works, literature,
poetry and mythology. How is this evident in the
paintings viewed on the website? How are artists
being inspired to produce work today?
쐍 Do you think it is easier to paint a two dimensional
image after a three dimensional modelor vice versa?
쐍 You can also notice that he used the same model for
several of the figures in the background.
쐍 Do you think this painting is successful in recreating
POINTS FOR DISCUSSION
a Greek landscape? What features define it as
being in a different era?
쐍 In the north sculpture dome (Room 19), gather around
쐍 How is this painting affected by its scale? What do
Antinous. This sculpture was done by a Roman
sculptor who copied it from the Greek Classical
period. Antinous was a mortal until he drowned in
the Nile River and was then worshipped as a god.
you think it would be like if it were much smaller?
FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES
쐍 This sculpture is a Roman copy of a Greek original.
쐍 For an Art and Design activity, taking inspiration from The
Why do you think the Greek sculptures were
replicated?
Daphnephoria, ask students to illustrate a contemporary
festival in a similar way. This could be done as a group
project to make a large mural to illustrate a festival or
celebration at your school. Alternatively, ask students to
design a sculpture on paper and then translate it into a three
dimensional piece. After the piece is complete, have them
draw it from life to see how it has changed.
쐍 Why do you think there are cracks in the sculpture?
Are they joints? Why is conservation of these works
important?
쐍 In the south sculpture dome (Room 2), gather around
쐍 For a History activity, ask students to research Greek
Cephalus and Aurora. In Greek myths, there were
many gods and goddesses as well as human beings
or mortals who roamed the earth. Aurora, the
goddess of the dawn, was doomed by Aphrodite,
the goddess of love, to fall in love with mortal men.
Aurora fell in love with Cephalus.
philosophers, particularly Aristotle and Plato. They should
analyse how their theories have altered the way our society
functions today. What differences were there between
practical and political science? How do we view science
today? Discuss conservation and its importance to preserve
cultures around the world. How might this impact on the work
of museums, galleries and heritage sites in the future?
14
Practical Activities
To complement the learning targets and activities
outlined in each of the sections, a series of practical
activities for the gallery are outlined below.
Clipboards, paper and pencils are available to
groups that book in advance. There are also gallery
trails that can be set up prior to your arrival in order
to make the most of your visit. These activities could
be adapted to any Key Stage group.
D R AW I N G F R O M PA I N T I N G S
OR SCULPTURE
TRIANGLES, CIRCLES AND SQUARES
Please note that only dry drawing materials – pencils,
charcoal, graphite, pencil crayons – can be used on
gallery.
In either of the sculpture galleries (Room 2 or 19), separate
students into pairs. Provide each pair with a clipboard, two
pieces of paper and a pencil. Students should find their
favourite sculpture in the gallery and the first student should
stand in this pose. The second student must draw the pose,
but only using triangles, circles and squares. This activity is
ideal for students that do not enjoy drawing, but does teach
them about the simple shapes and composition that form an
artwork.
Ideal for students able to work independently. Materials can
be provided on request. Ask students to find their favourite
piece of work or assign a specific genre or material and
draw it with line, shading or colour. This could be used to
create a more detailed work back at school.
RELIEF FROM MOSAICS
In order for students to explore texture and pattern, provide
paper and pencils to the students. Students are invited to do
a rubbing of the mosaic tiles of the floor in the sculpture
gallery (Room 2 or 19). Instruct students to only use the
centre area of the page in order to avoid pencil marks on
the floor. These rubbings can then be used back at school
to form a larger mosaic or to compare with other patterns
and textures.
RULED LINES
Provide each student with a clipboard, paper, pencil and a
ruler. (Rulers are available on request.) Ask students to find their
favourite piece of work or assign a specific genre or material.
They should draw the artwork using straight lines only. This
activity is ideal for students that do not enjoy drawing, but does
teach them about the artistic elements of line and shape.
I N T E R P R E T I V E T H E AT R E
PUT YOURSELF IN THE PICTURE
Ancient Greece was the origin of Western theatre and used
a half circular space, such as the Theatre of Dionysius in the
Acropolis. Using the setting of the circular domes in the
sculpture galleries (Room 2 or 19), put students into groups
and give them a specified amount of time to formulate a
short play about one of the sculptures in the gallery. This
could centre on the myth behind the piece or be their own
concept. Perform and share with the group. Performances
could be improved and worked on back at school.
Provide students with clipboards, paper and pencils. Ask
students to find a painting in the main hall (Room 10) that
they would like to see themselves in. Students should draw
the elements in the artwork, but then either replace one of
the elements with a self portrait or insert themselves
somewhere in the scene. This can be used as an example
of how some artists place themselves in their work and can
be used to do a larger more detailed work at school. You
can mention that the artist of Boulter’s Lock, Edward
Gregory, painted himself in the picture. He is the man
leaning back in the boat at the extreme bottom right corner
of the painting.
SPEAKING AND LISTENING
Separate the students into pairs in the main hall (Room 10).
Provide each pair with a clipboard, two pieces of paper
and a pencil. Ask the first student to find their favourite
painting in the main hall (Room 10) and ask them to sit
facing the painting. The second student should sit with their
back to the painting so they cannot see it. The first student
must describe the artwork to the second student so they can
draw it. This exercise challenges not only students’ ability to
draw, but strengthens their speaking and listening skills.
W R I T E Y O U R O W N G A L L E RY L A B E L
Provide students with clipboards, paper and pencils. Ask
students to find a painting, sculpture, or other item in the
collection that they can identify with. Students should study
the label for the piece and the work itself before writing
their own version of the gallery label, which reflects their
own feelings and thoughts about the piece. This could be
used to write a short story or essay in school.
15
The My Visit website
My Visit is an evaluation website for children at KS2
& KS3 allowing them to tell friendly character reporter
Natalie Newsworthy about their experience visiting
the Lady Lever Art Gallery. Through a series of openended, age appropriate questions, it seeks pupils’
responses to their museum visit in five areas:
쏋
Knowledge & Understanding
쏋
Enjoyment, Inspiration & Creativity
쏋
Skills
쏋
Activity, Behaviour & Progression
쏋
Attitudes & Values
The information gained from this website is being
used to help us improve our programme for schools.
We invite your class to participate following their visit.
The website can be accessed at
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/learning/links.asp
Prometheus by William Etty
Fidelity by Briton Riviere
Cephalus and Aurora by John Flaxman
Boulters Lock by Gregory
Spring (Apple) Blossoms by John Everett Millais
16
Art Galleries Learning Department
Walker Art Gallery
William Brown Street
Liverpool L3 8EL
Tel: 0151 478 4178
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk