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Spring
Semester 2000,
Vol. 11, no. 1
Lesson IV: Liberty?s Symbols
Rationale
In
order to continue developing an understanding of the Statue of Liberty as a symbol, students will investigate the
individual symbols found on and within the sculpture itself.
They will work in groups to discover and interpret the symbols they
find in their own way. Students will work independently to match interpretations
developed by art historians with the physical parts of the statue that
correspond with those interpretations. They will compare and discuss the
similarities and differences between their own interpretations and those
of the art historians. Students
will consider what the statue means to them and how the statue?s
physical form supports that meaning.
They will compare the Statue
of Liberty with another artwork that attempts to communicate the idea
of freedom or liberty, focusing on the symbols in each artwork that convey
those ideas. Students will develop an understanding of how artists use
symbols and how those symbols affect people differently.
Overview
In
this lesson students will examine how an artist?s use of symbols affects
the viewing audience. They
will look at the statue in groups and come up with symbols they see in the
statue, regardless of what the artist intended or what art historians may
think. They will link
physical parts of the statue with the ability of art to communicate
meaning. They will be exposed to the opinions of art historians and
work independently to connect the art historian?s symbolic
interpretation with physical parts of the statue.
Each of these activities will encourage students to consider what
the statue means to them as a work of art and as a symbol of liberty.
Finally, students will use this knowledge to compare and contrast
the Statue of Liberty with Liberty
Leading the People by Eugene Delacroix.
The activities in this lesson include elements of art history,
aesthetics, and art criticism. Suggestions
for art production are provided in Extensions.
Objectives
Students
will:
-
collaboratively
analyze the symbols found in the
Statue of Liberty.
-
connect
the interpretations of others to physical parts of the statue.
-
compare
and contrast the statue with Liberty
Leading the People.
Materials
and Resources
Materials
Reproductions
-
large
images of the Statue of Liberty
for each group and to display around the classroom while students work
independently.
-
at
least one image of Delacroix?s Liberty
Leading the People (try http://sanat.bilkent.edu.tr/wm/paint/auth/delacroix/liberte)
Planning
and Preparation
-
Familiarize
yourself with Delacroix?s painting.
The website listed above provides some historical information, but
also examine the work for symbols the class could discuss.
-
Examine
the symbols found in the Statue of
Liberty.
Vocabulary
Freedom:
the state of being free; exemption from the power and control of another;
liberty; independence; the power to act or speak or think without
externally imposed restraints.
Liberty:
the state of a free person; exemption from subjection to the will of
another claiming ownership of the person or services; freedom; opposed to
slavery, serfdom, bondage, or subjection.
Line:
an element of art that refers to the continuous mark made on some surface
by a moving point. It can define a space, create an outline or contour,
define a silhouette, create patterns, create movement, or create the
illusion of mass or volume. It may be two-dimensional (as with pencil on
paper) three-dimensional (wire/sculptural) or implied (the edge of a shape
or form).
Monument:
a building, pillar, stone, or the like, erected to preserve the
remembrance of a person, event, action, etc.; as the Washington monument;
the Bunker Hill monument; a tomb with memorial inscriptions.
Sculpture:
the art of carving, cutting, or hewing wood, stone, metal, etc., into
statues, ornaments, etc., or into figures of people, or other things
whether in plastic or hard materials; carved work modeled of, or cut upon,
wood, stone, metal, etc.
Shackles:
Something
which confines the legs or arms so as to prevent their free motion;
specifically, a ring or band inclosing the ankle or wrist, and fastened to
a similar shackle on the other leg or arm, or to something else, by a
chain or a strap.
Shape:
an element of art, it is an enclosed space defined and determined by other
art
elements
such as line, color, value, and texture.
Statue:
the likeness of a living being, animal, or other object sculptured or
modeled in some solid substance, as marble, bronze, or wax.
Style:
an artist's characteristic manner of expression; works of art by different
artists
may have certain features in common; have a group style.
Symbol/Symbolism:
a visible sign or representation of an idea; anything which suggests an
idea, quality, or another thing by resemblance or by convention; a
representation; a type; a figure; as, the lion is the symbol of courage;
the lamb is the symbol of meekness or patience.
Instruction
Part One: The statue?s symbols
In
this activity, students find out about how artists use symbolism in
artwork. They will be looking
closely at the Statue of Liberty,
so they will need access to a large reproduction for use both in group and
individual activity. It may
be helpful to begin this activity with an examination of the statue?s
parts. Ask the students to
look at the Statue of Liberty and
call out the names of parts. List
these parts on the blackboard and contribute some of your own ideas if you
feel it is necessary. Once
they are focused on the idea of breaking an artwork into parts, put them
into groups. Inform students
they will be considering what each part of the statue communicates to the
viewer as a symbol. Encourage
them to develop many ideas for each part, whether the ideas are serious or
silly or personal or historical. You
may want each group to have a ?recorder? to write down the group?s
ideas, or you may want each student to write down the ideas to keep with
them for the individual exercise. After
the groups have finished, ask them to share their interpretations either
completely or selectively. Engage
students in a discussion about how they came up with their interpretations
and whether they think the artist wanted them to see the statue in that
way.
After
the discussion, ask students to work individually on Worksheet 8.
They will be presented with interpretations of art historians and
be asked to match those interpretations with specific parts of the statue.
Once students have completed the worksheet, talk with them about
how their interpretations differed from those of art historians.
Part Two: Comparing symbols
In
this activity, students will compare the
Statue of Liberty to Liberty
Leading the People. Allow
students to look at both images for a few minutes.
You may use the worksheet included in this packet, or you may want
to draw a Venn diagram on the blackboard to get students talking about the
differences and similarities between the two artworks.
Encourage them to address not only basic visual elements, but also
the artist?s use of symbols in each piece to communicate the idea of
liberty or freedom. Suggest
that they consider how each image functions as a work of art, if either of
them was intended as a work of art and how the universal recognition of
the Statue of Liberty affects its role as an artwork.
Extensions/Interdisciplinary Connections
Art
Production: Ask
students to choose an everyday object in the classroom or an object from
their home and draw a picture of it, adding elements and symbols that
would turn the object into a representation of ?liberty? or
?freedom.?
Worksheet 7
Worksheet 8
Worksheet 9
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