Subject Area:History and Social Science, Visual Arts
Grade Level:K-5
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!
Subject Area:Fine Arts, History and Social Science, Spanish, Visual Arts
Grade Level:k-5
This stirrup-shaped bottle was created by the Moche people who lived in South America on the north coast of Peru along the Moche River between 50 and 800 CE. The image on this vessel is of bean warriors, a common subject in Moche pottery. Learn more about this intriguing work of art!
Subject Area:History and Social Science, Visual Arts
Grade Level:K-5
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.
Subject Area:Foreign Language, History and Social Science, Visual Arts
Grade Level:K-12, college, adult, family
Design It! Create your own Chinese seal
First choose from a selection of icons inspired by VMFA’s collection of Chinese art. Next, add your initials or monogram to your design. Finally, “carve” your seal. You can save it, print it, or share it through social media.
Subject Area:Fine Arts, History and Social Science, Music, Visual Arts
Grade Level:K-12, college, adult, family
For thousands of years music has been an important part of Chinese culture, including religious and public ceremonies, scholarly pursuits, and entertainment. Bronze bells, called zhong in Chinese, were cast to produce two distinctly different tones. Hanging together from a wooden frame, the zhong were played by musicians in a seated or kneeling position striking the outside of each bell with a wooden mallet. In this section, make your own music in the style of ancient Chinese musicians. Touch virtual bells in the center and the side to hear two different sounds.
Subject Area:Fine Arts, History and Social Science, Visual Arts
Grade Level:K-12, college, adult, family
There are a variety of formats used in traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy. Typically, these works are created by artists on sheets of paper or silk laid on a flat surface and then mounted onto similar material with water soluble glue. Because of their fragility, most of these works of art are intended only for occasional display. In this section, virtually unroll and view works of art that are too delicate to handle in reality.
