Let works of art inspire you. Creative writing is like painting with words—imaginative, descriptive, and original. Writing forms a story or picture in your mind. Look at works of art and respond with similes, sensory inventories, and haikus. This teacher-directed gallery activity is designed to inspire your students to unleash their creativity by responding to works of art in writing.
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What does leadership look like? Visit VMFA’s African Art gallery to see how different cultures define and visualize the qualities of a leader.
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This activity will enhance student observation, analysis, and communication skills through descriptive writing exercises that use visual works of art as writing prompts.
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A landscape is a picture of natural scenery that includes landforms, trees, flowers, weather, and the other elements within a particular environment. Art depicting British country life, including sporting activities, served as historical documentation of a particular time period and way of life. Explore two landscapes by English artist William Williams: Farm Scene in Summer and Farm Scene in Winter.
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The scene on this amphora depicts two Greek warriors, Ajax and Achilles, taking a break from the action during the Trojan War to play a board game. Athena, goddess of war, stands over them. Although Achilles and Ajax are playing a game, they both seem ready to jump back into action at anytime: they are still holding their spears. Learn more about this ancient Greek vase.
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This Roman mosaic panel is part of a larger continuous composition illustrating the four seasons. The seasons are personified as erotes (er-o’-tees), small boys with wings who were the mischievous companions of Eros. (Eros and his mother, Aphrodite, the Greek god and goddess of love, were known in Rome as Cupid and Venus.) Erotes were often shown in a variety of costumes; the one in this panel represents the fall season and wears a tunic with a mantle around his waist. He carries a basket of fruit on his shoulders and a pruning knife in his left hand to harvest fall fruits such as apples and grapes. Explore more about Roman mosaics!
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George Catlin traveled the North American continent from 1830 – 1838 chronicling native people and their ways of life in paintings and prints. His adventures resulted in more than six hundred portraits and scenes of rituals. Explore this portrait of the Crow Chief Ba-da-ah-chon-du.
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The Bamana (bah-mah’-nah) people, one of many ethnic groups in Mali, are an African farming and hunting culture living on the western edge of the Sahara Desert. Tunics such as this Hunter’s Shirt traditionally play an important part in rituals and ceremonies occurring before a hunt. Learn more about this special Hunter’s Shirt.
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Celebrate the art of China. In Chinese and other Asian cultures, red envelopes are given during holiday gatherings for the Lunar New Year as well as for birthdays, weddings, and graduations. Make your own red envelope to give to a friend or family member.
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Ancient Egyptians worshipped many gods. Often these deities were pictured as part animal–part human. Thoth, the god of wisdom and writing, was represented with the head of an ibis (a large water bird with a long curved beak). Print, make, wear your mask and have fun!
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