“Reading” Portraiture
Guide for Educators
Portrait “reading” encourages the visual analysis of
a piece of art as if it were a historical document.
Here at the National Portrait Gallery, we use the visual clues found in our objects
(painting, photography, drawing, and sculpture) to learn about the individual featured in
the artwork. Do you want your students to learn about John Brown? Your first inclination might be to have them read something about Brown, and this is certainly a valid
way for them to gain information. But we are asking that you turn that notion on its
side and have students “read” a portrait prior to reading an essay or biography. This
guide will encourage you and your students to look at the visual image first. Although
you will want to supplement the visual reading with some actual reading, we are confident that this new technique of “learning to look” will produce a richer—and possibly
more memorable—examination of the individual.
This simple exercise revolves around asking students, “What do you see?” Below you
will find some probing questions to familiarize students with the concept of “reading”
portraits and some follow-up questions to ask after they have exhausted the looking
exercise.
Use the “Learning to Look” strategies in this exercise to direct all conversations back to
the object and to what the observations might say about the sitter’s life and the era in
which that person lived.
Before asking the questions, define “portrait,” “sitter,” and “symbol” with your students.
Portrait: A likeness or image of a person that is created by an artist.
Sitter: The person or people who are in a portrait.
Symbol: Something representing something else by association; objects, characters, or
other concrete representations of an abstract idea, concept, or event.
Please note: As the facilitator of this activity, you will want to be well versed with the
sitter’s identity and accomplishments, as well as what you want your students to take
away from the exercise.
“Learning to Look” Strategies
Thirty-Second Look
s(AVESTUDENTSLOOKATTHEPORTRAITFORTHIRTYSEConds. Then have them turn away from the image.
Conduct a conversation with students about what
they saw.
What am I thinking?
s (AVEYOURSTUDENTSCONSIDERWHATTHESITTERMIGHT
be thinking as he or she is sitting for the portrait.
s !SKTHEMWHATTHESITTERMIGHTBEGETTINGREADY
to say.
s"ESURETOASKPROBINGANDOPENENDEDQUEStions.
What Do You See?
s!SKEACHPERSONINTHECLASSTONAMESOMETHING
they see in the portrait, saying, “I see a
.
What do you see?” Each person must name the
previous observations and add a new one: “I see
a
and a
. What do you see?”
s (AVEEACHSTUDENTMAKEAHYPOTHESISABOUTTHE
use and meaning of objects pictured in a portrait.
The Object Race
s 0REPAREALISTOFOBJECTSFOUNDINTHEPORTRAITFOR
your students to find.
s 4ELLTHESTUDENTSTHATTHEIROBJECTIVEISTOBETHE
first to find all the objects listed on their object
card.
Puzzles
s -AKEAPHOTOCOPYOFAPORTRAIT
s #UTTHECOPYINTOnPIECESMAKINGSUREEACH
piece contains a significant symbol. Give each
student/pair of students a piece of the puzzle.
s (AVESTUDENTSDISCUSSWHATISINTHEIRPIECETHEN
tell them to complete the puzzle.
Jumping into a Portrait (pre–K to
third grade)
s (AVEYOUNGPEOPLELOOKATAPORTRAITTHATCONtains a scene. Ask them where they would like to
be in that portrait. Direct young people to use
their imagination and “jump” into the portrait.
s !SKQUESTIONSRELATEDTOTHElVESENSESSIGHT
touch, smell, taste, hearing.
National Portrait Gallery
What would you ask the sitter/
artist?
s !SKSTUDENTSh)FYOUCOULDASKTHEARTISTORSITTER
a question about the portrait, what would it be?”
s (AVESTUDENTSIMAGINEASTORYBETWEENTHESITter
and the artist.
What Do You Wonder?
s (AVESTUDENTSCONSIDERTHEQUESTIONh7HATDO
you wonder about this portrait?”
s !FTERASTUDENTHASASKEDAQUESTIONASKTHE
other students to respond with their opinion.
Strike a Pose
s (AVESTUDENTSPOSELIKETHESITTERINTHEPORTRAIT
s !SKSTUDENTSTOCONSIDERWHATITFEELSLIKETOpose
like this sitter, to wear those clothes, and be in the
setting of the portrait.
s (AVESTUDENTSWRITEAlRSTPERSONLETTERTOA
friend describing their portrait experience.
Compare and Contrast
s #HOOSETWOPORTRAITSOFTHESAMEINDIVIDUALAND
have students compare and contrast them.
s $ISCUSSWHATISSIMILARANDWHATISDIFFERENT&OR
what purpose were each of the portraits created?
s )FLOOKINGATPORTRAITSFROMTWODISTINCTPERIODSin
a person’s life, discuss how the likeness of the individual has changed and what occurred between
the years of the portraits.
Questions to Ask While looking at a Portrait
s7HATDOYOUSEETeacher: Be sure to elicit only visual observations with this question, rather than interpretations.)
s7HATISTHESITTERDOINGINTHEPORTRAIT
s7HATSYMBOLSAREUSEDTOGIVEUSCLUESABOUTTHELIFEOFTHESITTER
s7HATISTHELOCATIONOFTHESITTERINTHEPORTRAIT)STHELOCATIONORBACKGROUNDREALORIMAGINED7HATCLUESHELP
us to determine that?
s(OWDOESCOLORSETTHETONEANDMOODOFTHEPORTRAIT
s7HATISTHEMEDIUMOFTHISPORTRAIT
s$ESCRIBETHESITTERSCLOTHING(OWDOESITREmECTTHISSITTERSPLACEINSOCIETY
s,ISTADJECTIVESTHATDESCRIBEBOTHTHESITTERANDHISORHEREMOTIONS7HATMAKESYOUSAYTHAT
After you have exhausted “straight on” looking questions, consider
these for follow-up, to expand the “reading” exercise.
s What are the similarities and differences between a portrait and a written biography?
s .AMETHREETHINGSYOUMIGHTINFERABOUTTHESITTERFROMTHISPORTRAIT
s 7HOISTHESITTER7HYISTHISSITTERIMPORTANT7HATISTHESIGNIlCANCEOFTHISPERSONTO!MERICANHISTORY
(These questions may need to be answered after students have read the label or as follow-up questions after
you have supplied additional information.)
s Who is the artist? Why is that significant?
s 7HATPERSONALQUALITIESDOYOUATTRIBUTETOTHESITTERBASEDONTHEPORTRAIT
s .AMETHREETHINGSYOUTHINKTHEPORTRAITISTWANTEDTOSAYABOUTTHESITTER
s 7HEREWASTHEPORTRAITCREATED7HATISTHESIGNIlCANCEOFTHAT
s 7HENWASTHEPORTRAITDONE(OWOLDWASTHESITTERATTHETIMEOFTHEPORTRAIT
s &ORWHATOCCASIONWASTHISPORTRAITDONE
s 7HATPURPOSESDIDTHEPORTRAITSERVE
s )SITALIFEPORTRAITTHESITTERSATFORTHEARTISTORAMEMORYPORTRAITCREATEDAFTERTHEDEATHOFTHESITTER7HAT
is the significance of that?
s What does the portrait say about American life during this era?
s 7HATWASGOINGONINHISTORYDURINGTHECREATIONOFTHISPORTRAIT
s 7HATQUESTIONSDOESTHEPORTRAITRAISEFORYOU
Education Department
“Reading” Portraiture at a Glance
The two key elements to reading portraits are looking and analyzing.
Looking
Analyzing
Sitter
Describe the sitter’s
pose.
Sitter
Who is the sitter?
Symbols
What objects are seen
in the portrait?
Adjectives
Use adjectives to
describe sitter.
Clothing
What clothing is the
sitter wearing?
Medium
What medium was
used to create the
portrait?
Setting
What is the setting of
the portrait?
Symbols
What do the objects
tell us about the
sitter?
Artist
Who is the artist?
Date
When was the portrait created?
History
What was going on in
history when the portrait was created?
Biography
What is the sitter’s
contribution to
history?
0RODUCEDBYTHE.ATIONAL0ORTRAIT'ALLERY%DUCATION$EPARTMENT¥3MITHSONIAN)NSTITUTION
Image: Thomas Sully by Auguste Edouart (detailINKCHALKANDCUTPAPERONPAPER.ATIONAL0ORTRAIT'ALLERY
3MITHSONIAN)NSTITUTIONGIFTOF2OBERT,-C.EIL*R
Alvin Ailey
Deborah Feingold
Getty Historical Image Collection
01-01-1988
Caption: 1988: Close-up studio portrait of American choreographer and modern dancer
Alvin Ailey holding his hands up to his temples. (Photo by Deborah Feingold/Getty
Images) Keywords: colour; format portrait; male; The Stage; Choreographer;
Personality; American; G2294/071
Copyright 2005 Getty Image, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Deborah Feingold. Alvin Ailey. Getty Images. 01 Jan 1988. eLibrary. Web. 15 Dec 2009.
Alvin Ailey
Archive Photos
01-01-1968
The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, featuring Alvin Ailey (R), perform at the
Edinburgh Festival in 1968. Ailey was a choreographer noted for his fusion of classical
style with freer form expression which altered the path of dance in the 1950s.
dancers. choreographers. African Americans. dance. performances. performing. dancing.
troops. groups. ensembles. companies. modern dance. Alvin Ailey American Dance
Theater.
The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, featuring Alvin Ailey (R), perform at the
Edinburgh Festival in 1968. Ailey was a choreographer noted for his fusion of classical
style with freer form expression which altered the path of dance in the 1950s.
Copyright Archive Photos
Alvin Ailey. Archive New Media. 01 Jan 1968. eLibrary. Web. 15 Dec 2009.
Ailey, Alvin
http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC?vrsn=149&OP=contains&locID=va_s_007_
0162&srchtp=name&ca=1&AI=U13003641&NA=alvin+ailey&ste=4&tbst=prp
12-15-2009
The choreographer Alvin Ailey was an important contributor to the American dance
idiom of the latter part of the 20th century. His work includes Revelations (1960), set to
traditional African American music; Flowers (1971), set to music by Pink Floyd and
Janis Joplin; The Lark Ascending (1972), with music by Ralph Vaughan Williams; and
For Bird—With Love (1984), a tribute to the great jazz musician Charlie "Bird" Parker.
The Bettmann Archive
http://gme.grolier.com/page?tn=/article/media.html&assetid=da01&uid=10143578
12-15-2009
Alvin Ailey, Jr., 1960.
Courtesy of Zachary Freyman
Ailey, Alvin, Jr.. Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition. Web.
<http://school.eb.com/eb/art-8223>.
12-15-2009
http://www.texas-on-line.com/graphic/alvinailey.htm
12-15-2009
Alvin Ailey
By Ben Heine
http://benheine.deviantart.com/art/Alvin-Ailey-Choreographer-91817322
http://www.biography.com/articles/Alvin-Ailey-9177959
12-15-2009
(Credit: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Carl Van Vechten
Collection, [LC-USZ62-114551])
Alvin Ailey by Carl Van Vechten, 1955 (LOC)
CALL NUMBER: LOT 12735, no. 9 [P&P]
REPRODUCTION NUMBER: LC-USZ62-114550 (b&w film copy neg.)
For publication information see "Carl Van Vechten Photographs (Lots 12735 and 12736)"
(http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/079_vanv.html)
MEDIUM: 1 photographic print : gelatin silver.
CREATED/PUBLISHED: 1955 Mar. 22.
CREATOR: Van Vechten, Carl, 1880-1964, photographer.
NOTES:
Title derived from information on verso of photographic print.
Van Vechten number: XIII MM 11.
Also available on microfilm.
Gift; Carl Van Vechten Estate; 1966.
Forms part of: Portrait photographs of celebrities, a LOT which in turn forms part of the Carl Van Vechten photograph
collection (Library of Congress).
Alvin Ailey in Revelations
http://www.africanafrican.com/negroartist/BALLET%DANCE/slides/ALVIN%20AILEY
Alvin Ailey in Revelations
Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation
http://latimesblogs.latime.com/culturemonster/images/2008/12/29ailey_3.jpg
Alvin Ailey
http://top-people.starmedia.com/art/alvin-ailey_17133.html
Alvin Ailey
http://blogs.courierpress.com/artsbeat/archives/2009/01/tribute-to-alvin-aileycelebra.html