Europe: After the Reformation: Prompts for Extended Thinking

Using our imaginations when looking at art can activate prior knowledge and spark curiosity. Ask students to recall their Evans DLP visit and try this activity.

One of the easiest ways to begin interpreting a work of art is to imagine you are the artist.

Revisit this painting.  Put yourself in the shoes of Mattia Preti. Consider how this artwork was created and what it took to make it.

Imagine, as this artist, you have been commissioned to make a reproduction of this piece. Consider:

• Where would you start?
• What would be your process?
• What materials might you need to have on hand?
• What kind of decisions would you need to make, and in what order would you make them?
• What prior knowledge would you need before you even began?
• To whom might you wish to talk about your ideas? Whose opinion might you need or value?

Share your ideas with a partner and the class.

Now imagine you could actually visit with Preti for an interview and the chance to share with him your ideas about the work.  What questions would you ask?  What insights would you share?