The Rembrandt Teaching Project: Promoting Multiple Literacies in Teaching andLearning

Joseph M. Piro

Art Education, Vol. 54, No. 3, InterDisciplinary. (May, 2001), pp. 12-17.

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The Rembrandt Teaching Project: Promoting Multiple Literacies in Teaching and Learning

The name Rembrandtconjures up the image of an art historical monument, a master who personified the height of creative and artistic powers.

As with many human monuments, there is a tendency toward thinking of him and his works as remote, mysteri- ous, even unapproachable. This article will outline how Rembrandt became an accessible, admired, and beloved figure to a group of educators and their students in a large urban school district in New York City. It will discuss the genesis of the The Rembrandt Teaching Project, describ- ing how education generalists were drawn into the artistic world of 17th-century Europe, discovering how it could speak both to them and their students. It will also address multiple literacies (Eisner, 1998) that go beyond basic reading and writing as students learn to understand and decode an entire symbol system. A thorough mastery of this understanding process should include a spectrum of

linus, listing the names of shed European painters."

literacies, resulting in what Eisner calls " a vision of what our schools should seek to achieve." This mastery was the goal of the Rembrandt Teaching Project.

The impetus for the project came from an Arts Education Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Getty Center for Education in the Arts to design a discipline-based art education (DBAE) project (Dobbs, 1997).I proposed to study Rembrandt in the context of his culture, society, and historical time and produce a curriculum guide for teachers interested in teaching Rembrandt using the DBAE approach.

An important aspect of the NEA Fellowship required an on-site visit to the Netherlands to collect primary source material about Rembrandt. Included in this material were videos, books, maps, postcards, and art reproductions from such places as The Rijksmuseum and The Museum of the City of Amsterdam and the Mauritshuis in The Hague. I also visited Leiden, Rembrandt's birthplace. Much of this material was included in the curriculum guide that

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B Y J O S E P H M . P I R O

resulted. The blend of geography and art history in a slide presentation helped provide information about the l ie and times of Rembrandt for those teachers who became involved in the project.

The project's first task was the forma- tion of a curriculum-writing committee consisting of four classroom teachers and supervisors, either generalists or art specialists. After determining the format of the curriculum guide, the committee constructed a guide that presented a variety of teaching and learning activities about Rembrandt At the same time, they studied his art and lie. They also learned about the four curriculum content areas of DBAE, including art history, art production, art criticism, and aesthetics and reviewed the curriculum sampler (Alexander & Day, 1991) that served as the guide's template.

For the first task of curriculum writing, the committee members used the resources of three museums in New York to extend and enrich their knowledge about Rembrandt. The three sites, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Frick Collection, and the Morgan Library, all expressed a willingness to assist in the project. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is home to many great Rembrandt works including Man in Oriental Costume (1632), Aristotle with a Bust ofHomer (1653), and Woman with a Pink (c. 1662-63). The cumcu- lum team spent time at museum's library and studying the works with museum educator Rika Burnham. Additionally, they made multiple visits to the Frick Collection where they worked with Susan Galassi, Amy Herman, and Ashley Thomas. Using the additional resources of the Morgan

Library, the committee acquired an in- depth understanding of the works and l ie of the artist.

Equipped with basic knowledge of DBAE and Rembrandt, the cumculum committee began designing actual lessons for the guide now titled, From the Bmcsh of Rembrandt: Discoveries Through Discipline-Based Art Education (1999). The committee agreed that the teaching guide must be experiential and lead to the construction of knowl- edge. Inquiry-based lessons that involved hands-on learning experiences were developed. Lessons were

designed to promote problem-solving abilities and encourage interdiscipli- nary connections.

To illustrate the diversity of Rembrandt's talent, 18 of his works were selected for the guide. These included paintings, etchings, and draw- ings and featured works from museums in the New York City area. Lessons began with a preview and art historical background to each work, followed by the work's description. After this, the lessons presented suggestions for classroom instruction, enrichment, and assessment.

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The guide was discipline-based in structure and designed to include visual arts standards developed by NewYork State (1996). These standards were included to better inform, support, and guide teaching in the visual arts. This helped equip teachers with a knowledge base to clearly link instruction and didactic assessment (Beattie, 1997) to content standards. As an example, one of the State's standards recommends that "students will reflect on, interpret, and evaluate works of art, using the language of art criticism" (p. 19). Accordingly, suggestions as to how this process could occur were embedded in lessons.

As an example of construction, a lesson based upon The Polish Rider (c. 1655) is included. This work is a particularly interesting choice because questions have been raised about the accuracy of its Rembrandt attribution. Having been authenticated recently by the Rembrandt Research Project, a group of scholars asked by the Dutch government to determine the genuine- ness of works by Rembrandt, it raises questions about the artist and his works that can challenge students. These questions include issues in art history, aesthetics, and the process of authenticity.

The Polish Riderand some of Rembrandt's landscapes and portraits are replete with allegory and symbolism. By focusing teachers' attention on these aspects, we hoped to encourage an approach that would expand students' responses from just identifying names and dates to including more analytical readings of Rembrandt's work (Chanda, 1998). For instance, discussing the symbolism of the placement of light and rider in the painting promotes this type of analytical response, encouraging the engagement and application of higher- level thinking skills such as close observation, prediction, and hypothesis formation, in effect making students think like art historians.

To include the process of reflection about learning as students' exposure to Rembrandt's art increased, it was sug- gested that teachers use a Rembrandt Project Portfolio as an assessment tool. This portfolio not only contained extrinsic assessment evidence such as drawings, sketches, first drafts, and works-in-progress, but also written and spoken reflections about the entire learning process that permitted multiple validations of learning. This particular strategy was an extension of ideas expressed by Soren (1992) in which she refers to the daerence between "knowing that" and "knowing how," as explicated by Ryle (1949). In knowing that, students may increase their factual knowledge in various core competen- cies, whereas in knowing how, the entire cognitive repertoires of students are enhanced, enabling them to "find truths for themselves and their ability to organize and exploit truths" once discovered (p. 95). Throughout the

implementation of the Rembrandt Project, it was important to ensure that both these learning and performance outcomes were pursued and their success appropriately assessed.

Reflection, as described in the New York State Standards, allows both teacher and student to achieve what Bums (1998) described as "felt expres siveness." This phrase characterizes an aesthetic experience that begins in per- ception and ends in a personal reflection as these fuse into a single, enduring experience. This experience can then be related to further encounters that will deepen the individual's understanding and appreciation of a subject as this process evolves.

The first draft of the curriculum guide was field tested using a small group of the district's educational enrichment teachers who worked with students in grades 3-5. The targeted student population was diverse and included at-risk, English-as-a-second- language, and intellectually gifted students. Based upon their responses to the project's field testing, a customized plan for the project's first-year imple mentation was developed.

Implementation of the project began with a district-wide call for volunteer teachers in grades 58. They were asked to complete an application telling why they were interested in the project and how they would use the training in their individual classrooms. Conditions for participation-staff development, class- room implementation, and formative and sumrnative assessment-were outlined. After a group of teachers was selected, the next phase of the project commenced.

In order to capture a high level of teacher interest and continued motivation, the initial sta£E development session was in the form of a 2-day "Rembrandt Weekend." One day was

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Figure 2. Rembrandt, The Polish Rider, c. 1655,46x 53 '/8." (116.3 x 134.9 crn.). New York, The FrickCollection.

spent at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the next at the Frick Collection. At both sites, the program included pre sentations by art historians, curators, and other speakers, as well as talks by the project's director and curriculum writers. It served to introduce the guide to teachers in both a scholarly and enjoyable manner, while paralleling experiences some of the participants had in the district's previous school- museum collaborations (Piro, 1997).

and begin the continuing process of expanding their instructional role from that of teacher to teacher-docent This gave them insights into how to use a museum, effectively transforming the museum into an extension of their classroom, an anticipated by-product of the project.

It was also during this weekend symposium that teachers viewed the slide presentation about Rembrandt. This provided them with further contextual information about the artist Trainingteachersinamuseum andenabledthemtounderstandhim

has several unique advantages. theperswctive of time and It allows art to be viewed and dace. Avariety of materials was distrib taughtfirsthand,andithelpsto utedincludingthecumculumguide, model future "lookina" exoeri- related journal articles, laminated color

ences for teachers if ihey choose prints, slides of the works included in . . . .. . .

to return to the museumwith the curriculum, and additional museum reference publications. their students. Mostimportantly, During the symposium the question

it serves to provide teachers with 'Why teach Rembrandt?" was among greater "content command" of the art

"In keeping with the spirit of multiple literacies, it is suggested that knowledge of a certain number of books and authors would promote language literacy and also knowledge of artists and their works would promote visual literacy."

those that arose. Several responses were offered. First, because little or no time is spent in elementary classrooms teaching art history-what some art teachers call the "missing discipline"- introducing an artist of Rembrandt's stature could serve to promote the cultural intelligence of students and acquaint them with great works of art Second, it expanded the recent recom- mendation by the New York City Public Schools that all students should read 25 or more books per year. In keeping with the spirit of multiple literacies, it is suggested that knowledge of a certain number of books and authors would promote language literacy and also knowledge of artists and their works would promote visual literacy. Visual literacy would be served by familiarizing students with art masterpieces that they would readily identify and intelligently and critically discuss.

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WON< N, 2

Title: 7 k ~PousH R m E R (1655) Size 4 6 x 5 3 1 / 8 w Medmm. OILON CANVAS Location. TKEFRICKCOLLEC~ON,NEWYOFX

REMBRANDT A N D PORTRAITURE

Lesson Preview 7'hts work, a rare equeshan portrait, is imbued uath elements of mystey, drama and mood. 771% lesson dismsses these features also shouwg how Rembrandt cnn be considered a great storyteller through hts paintings.

REMBRANDT A N D PORTRAITURE

Background of the Work There is much speculation as to the

identip of the rider. Valentiner suggests the figure represents Gysbrecht van Amstel, a hero of Dutch medieval history and the subject of a play by Vondel. Others believe the rider represents a foreign soldier. The Polish schoia,Zygulski argues that the painting is a portrait of the Polish light calvap in the mid-se>enteenth centup Despite all the speculation, most would agee the form. mood and sening of The Polish Rider are quite unusual. It seems the artist intended something more than a mere description of an indixidual.

Description of the Work The Polrsh Rider is a portrait that

breaks with tradition. Equesuian pomaits are uncommon in seventeenth century Dutch an. The rider and his horse are like a painted

sculpmre placed on a mountain ledge. A young man rides dvough a shadowy landscape as the sun sets, In the upper left hand comer of the canvas light tinges the clouds with yellow. H e a y brownish clouds darken the center of the sky. His quilted three-quaner coat appears gray in the shadows and yellow in the light areas.

The coat's linlng is brown. The trousers are vermilion. The center of his cap matches the color of his pants. His cap is surrounded by a band of dark furwith a lighter fur trim His boots are a deep golden color. He holds a war hammer in his right hand behind which is his bow and a black qmver. filled with mows. Along the right side of the hone rests a sword under the rider's knee.

SUGGESTIONS FOR INSTRUCTlON

Developing the Lesson Display ?lie Polish Rider. Some questions for discussion may include the folloump.

(I) Identify the man. Locate the c o u n q of Poland on a map.

( 2 ) Compare the face of the rider to the face of the horse. Are their moods the same or different?

(3). How are the bodies of the rider and the horse the same?

(4). U%y do you think Rembrandt placed the sun on the leti side of the painting, while shadows prevail on the right side?

(5). Identify the deta~lsin the picture that suggest a more shs ter qualify.

.Extending the Lesson (1). Squint your eyes. It seems that the horse and rider are moving. Discuss how Rembrandt achieves this effect. (An Criricismj

(2). Draw a picture, or series of pictures (cartoon) depicting their journey. U'rite a caption under each picture describing the journey (Art Productionj

(3). Create a flip book of their journey. (Art Productioni

(4) The question of attribution of a painting refers to its authenticity Was it really painted by the artist? In this painting, attribution comes into question. It has been suggested that Rembrandt is not the work's artist. Discuss the question of attribution and its importance. Information on "the school of Rembrandl," "the sfyle of Rembrandt" and the "workshop of Rembrandt" can be discussed. (Arr Criricismj

(5). Show the class a pichlre of a Frederick Remington sculpture of a horse and rider. Have the class discuss the work. Have them note especially details of fonn and movement contained in the sculpture. Display The Pohsh Rider. Discuss the idea that although it is a painting, 17 contains some of the same characteristics of a sculphlre. (Art Criricrsm)

.Assessing the Lesson Have the students become pan of the story of the painting. Have them dramatize the events that preceded and followed this ride. Turn these Into a small playlet.

?lie Skeleron Rider c. 1655

I I I I

Figure 3. Lesson plan for The Polish Riderfrom The Rembrandt Teaching Guide.

Third, Rembrandt was a highly the-atrical painter. Many of his works tell wonderful stories. Children love to be told stories,and using Rembrandt's paintings to tell stories could bridge the gap between language and visual litera-cies.After all, children do not think only in written language but also in visual image (Broudy, 1987). For example, Rembrandt's history paintings Storm on the Sea of Galilee (1633) and Belshazzar's Feast (c. 1635)presentvivid representations of stories that appeal to children's imaginations. In the teaching guide, Rembrandt's use of chiaroscuro, or light/dark contrast, in these two works is discussed. Not only are students asked to describe the use of chiaroscuro in both paintings, but also how it is used to heighten the dramatic power of the storytelling.

Finally, the roots of much local histo-ry in New York are Dutch. Broadening the unit to acknowledge this fact was an

effectiveway to make interdisciplinary connections with social studies,further addressing geographic and historic literacies. Connecting DBAE content to social studies provides a richer, more resonant experience in art. As an exam-ple, the painting The Syndics of the Cloth Makers' Guild (1662) contains images of individuals dressed in what students might call "Pilgrim" clothing,the type undoubtedly worn by the citizens in the city of New Amsterdam, which later became New York. Also, a discussion stressing the historical background of the subjects is included in the teaching suggestions. Information about the role of guilds in 17th-centuryAmsterdam and how the painting has been used subsequently to sell commercial products could be included to develop economic literacy.

Throughout the 2-day symposium, teachers were encouraged to become more familiarwith both museums and

their holdings beyond the Rembrandt paintings. They also were encouraged to return with their classes, preferably on a multiple-visitbasis, and also to make "virtualvisits" to the collections using the museums' websites. Additionally,passes allowed teachers to return to both museums to explore them independently, ensuring that the museums would serve as a continuing agent of professional development.

An additional staff development session devoted to instruction in DBAE and other issues in art edu-cation occurred at the district's central office several weeks after the sympos i~m.At this session, the teachers received additional training literature, viewed videotapes, and heard presentations further explaining DBAE. They also were given classroom library books (more language literacy links) for

A P T E ? U C b T l @ l J M A Y 2001

their students and a bibliographic listing of information sources in the cumcu- lum guide for their own use that would increase their knowledge of Rembrandt. Prominent among these were technolo- gy-based resources such as CD-ROMs and laserdisks encouraging computer literacy and technological integration. A listing of websites for "cyber art"brows-ing was also included in the multimedia resource recommendations. Also, the cumculum guide contained Rembrandt Activity Sheets for teachers to use with their students. Activity sheets included crossword puzzles, games, mathemati- cal challenges, historical puzzles, and art activities. Suggestions on how to best maximize the potential of these to promote the teaching of multiple litera- cies were another component of the teacher training. Teachers were encour- aged to sample the exercises them- selves and then customize them for use with their students.

At present, the Project is operating in about half of the district's schools and is in the process of being formatively eval- uated. It also has the advantage of being connected to Project Arts, an initiative in New York City to establish intensive, comprehensive, and sustainable arts education programs in schools through- out New York. Project Arts has pennit- ted The Rembrandt Project to reach a large number of students and teachers who are introduced to the Rembrandt Project chiefly through curriculum and professional development. Plans are being formulated to continue staff devel- opment through a series of workshops for teachers at sites like the Frick Collection and discussions led by university art historians and professors.

Questionnaires, interviews, and an Aesthetic Assessment Inventory have been designed both for teacher partici- pants and students for the purpose of gathering feedback about the project's structure, implementation, and impact

in changing teaching to include multiple literacies. Once these data have been collected and reviewed, additional recommendations for increasing the scope of the project beyond the initial cohort of teachers will be made.

Rembrandt said, "a picture is finished when the artist has fulfilled his purpose in under- taking it." Muchlikeany picture composed by an artist, The Rembrandt Project has multiple purposes. Scholars, museum educators, teachers, and their students came together in like-minded community to explore the artof one of world's greatest painters. This success- ful collaboration makes the point that the path to unity of purpose-defining a vision of what our schools can achieve- can be a joyful and productive journey.

Joseph Piro is Coordinator of Cultural Artsfor School District 24 in the New York City Public Schools. E-mail: jpiro@nycboe. nycenet.edu

R E F E R E N C E S Alexander, K., &Day, M., Eds. (1991).

Discipline-bused art education: A cum'culum sampler. Santa Monica, CA: The Getty Center for Education in the Arts.

Beattie, D. K (1997).Assessment in art educa- tion. Worcester, MA. Davis Publications.

Broudy, H. (1987). The role of imagery in learn- ing. Los Angeles: The Getty Center for Education in the Arts.

Bums, E. J. (1998). When 1+1=1: An interartis-tic aesthetic for opera. Journal ofAesthetic Education, 21 (I), 49-58.

Chanda,J. (1998).Art history methods: The options for art education practice. Art Education, 51 (5), 17-24.

Dobbs, S.M. (1997). harning in and through art. Aguide to discipline-based art education. Los Angeles: The Getty Center for Education in the Arts.

Eisner, E. (1998). The kind ofschools we need. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

From the brush ofRembrandt: Discoveries through discipline-bused art education. (1999). New York, NY: School District 24.

New York State Learning Standards for the Arts (1996), New York State Education Department, Albany, NY.

Piro, J.M. (1997). School-museum collabora- tion: Apassage to Asian study. Education aboutAsia, 2 (2), 14-20.

Ryle, G. (1949). The concept of mind. New York: Barnes and Noble.

Soren, B. (1992). The museum as curricular site.Journal ofAesthetic Education, 26 (3), 91-101.

A U T H O R ' S N O T E Special acknowledgment is given to Mark Conn, Georgi Gelalles, Roseann Napolitano, and Helen Paladino for their work on The Rembrandt Project.

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The Rembrandt Teaching Project: Promoting Multiple Literacies in Teaching and LearningJoseph M. PiroArt Education, Vol. 54, No. 3, InterDisciplinary. (May, 2001), pp. 12-17.Stable URL:

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References

Art History Inquiry Methods: Three Options for Art Education PracticeJacqueline ChandaArt Education, Vol. 51, No. 5, Critical Lenses. (Sep., 1998), pp. 17-24.Stable URL:

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