Selfies:
Musical
Portraits
3rd – 6th
Grades
Lesson 4 – Selfies Through Time
Objective
Students will explore self portraits throughout the history of art, using the same time periods as the Music Eras of
orchestral music; Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Contemporary (Modern). They will create self
portraits using artistic elements from each era and will identify the similarities between the elements of art and music
through time.
Suggested Materials
• Portraits Through Time graphics (provided)
• Assorted art materials
• Recordings of repertoire from the BPO concert (audio links can be found at youtube.com/user/BfloPhilharmonic)
• Classroom resources for research on visual artists
New York State Arts Standards
1 – Creating, Performing and Participating in the Arts
2 – Knowing and Using Arts Materials and Resources
3 – Responding to and Analyzing Works of Art
4 – Understanding the Cultural Contributions of the Arts
New York State Social Studies Standards
2 – World History
Common Core Learning Standards for ELA & Literacy
Reading, CCR 1, 2, 4 and 7
Writing CCR 1 and 4
Speaking & Listening, CCR 1, 2, 4 and 5
Language, CCR 1 and 6
Procedure
1) U
sing the Portraits Through Time graphics, ask students to look at the featured portraits in art from each era.
Ask students to notice the difference in styles between each of the portraits.
2) Then focus on two of the portraits: da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Picasso’s Self Portrait. Ask them to describe each
portrait and how they are different from each other. This could be a writing exercise or a class discussion.
a. What colors are used? (Warm or cool hues, bright or dark, etc.)
b. What types of textures and lines? (Smooth, rough, heavy, flowing, etc.)
c. What is the mood of the figure in each portrait? (Peaceful, happy, gloomy, angry, etc.)
EDUCATION
EDUCATION
Lesson 4 – Selfies Through Time ( c o n t i n u e d )
3) A
fter practicing this type of observation, share the remaining portraits from each era and ask students to select
one of them as their inspiration. If they have selected a different portrait than the da Vinci or the Picasso, ask them
to answer the same questions from number 2 to help determine the elements of style that are used in that portrait.
4) Using available art materials ask students to create their own self portrait in the style of the portrait they have
selected. Coach them to refer to the elements of style that they determined in number 2 as their guide.
5) Display all portraits in the classroom.
Extended Learning
When completing this lesson, you may choose to also compare the portraits to their
musical counterparts from the same era. For instance, for a focus on the Renaissance era,
you can play the recording of Gabrieli’s septimi toni a 8 no. 2 (from the BPO concert
repertoire list) while looking at the Mona Lisa. Ask students to describe the music.
Is it light, dark, warm, cool, flowing, bold, peaceful, free, heavy, smooth, happy,
gloomy, energetic, rough, etc. Then see if there are similarities between the music
and the art piece from the same era. You may do this with each era as time permits.
The BPO will be using the following composers’ pieces during the concert (audio links to
repertoire found at youtube.com/user/BfloPhilharmonic) :
• Gabrieli’s Septimi toni a 8 no. 2 (Renaissance)
• J.S. Bach’s Little Fugue in g minor (Baroque)
• Mozart’s “Un moto di gioia mi sento” from Figaro (Classical)
• Beethoven’s Symphony #5, first movement (bridge between Classical and Romantic)
• Smetana’s Moldau (Romantic)
• Debussy’s Afternoon of a Faun (Late Romantic – Impressionist)
• Stravinsky’s Firebird Infernal Dance (Contemporary - 20th Century)
• Copland’s Lincoln Portrait (Contemporary – 20th Century)
HANDOUT
EDUCATION
Portraits Through Time
Renaissance-
Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci
Baroque-
Autumn by Corrado Giaquinto
Portrait of Agnolo Doni by Raphael
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Portraits Through Time
Renaissance-
Anatomy Lesson by Dr. Culp by Rembrandt
Classical-
Napoleon Crossing the Alps
by Jacques-Louis David
Madame Raymond de Verninac
by Jacques-Louis David
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EDUCATION
Portraits Through Time
Romantic-
View of Prague with the Charles Bridge crossing the Vltava River (Moldau)
by Adam August Müller
Modern Rome
by J. M. William Turner
Niagara Falls
by William Morris Hunt
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EDUCATION
Portraits Through Time
Impressionist-
Portrait of Camille with a
bouquet of violets by Claude Monet
Self-Portrait with Grey Felt Hat
by Vincent van Gogh
Jeanne Samary
by Pierre Auguste Renoir
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EDUCATION
Portraits Through Time
Contemporary (Modern)-
Self-Portrait
by Pablo Picasso
Self Portrait
by Frida Khalo
Photograph of Thunder Cloud
by Frank Rinehart
The Son of Man
by Rene Magritte
HANDOUT
Portraits Through Time
Contemporary (Modern)-
Marilyn Monroe
by Andy Warhol
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