Junior Docent School Program - Milwaukee Art Museum

Flinck, Govaert, Portrait of a Man and Portrait of a Woman &
Victors, Jan, Portrait of a Man and Portrait of a Woman
Compare and contrast Flinck‟s portraits to Victors‟ portraits.
Men –
Background: Victors - no background, more mobile; Flink – in a room by a table
– Why is the tablecloth red? – sign of love, kindness
Pose: Victors – looking right at us – very direct, holding a glove – sign of
friendliness; Flink – open hand – more welcoming
Women –
Clothing: Victors – lace – very wealthy
Use of line: Victors – diagonal lines used for movement; repeating color used for
rhythm; Flink – diagonal lines for movement
Victors – more lace, plucked hair to show intelligence, book to show she reads,
gold for wealth, very rigid pose. How did our eye move through the portrait?
Color and line.
Flinck – background, less lace, holding a fan, softer look on face, kinder. How do
our eyes move through the portrait?
Which would you like to get to know? Why?
Cotes, Francis, Miss Frances Lee
o What do we know about this girl? She is about six, wealthy [a lot of lace].
Dressed in pink – someone loves her [red] family, background is green [sign of
youth]. Many nails in the chair [the more the nails, the wealthier the
person/family].
o
o
o
Why isn‟t she smiling?
What is she holding? Have someone hold a handkerchief folded like a bunny.
Why is she holding this?
How does your eye move through the artwork? Why? What elements of art did
the artist use? If the background or the dress was a different color, how would
the portrait change in feeling or meaning?
Meidner, Ludwig, Portrait of a Young Man
o What is the mood of this person? How is it different from the other portraits we
have seen so far? [The style of painting and technique – does this help us to
understand the person?]
o Do you think this man had a suit this color?
o How does your eye move through the painting? – use of color, line, and shape.
Why is there green in the forehead?
o Would you like your portrait painted this way or like the little girl? Why?
Henri, Robert, The Art Student & The Rum & Dutch Boy
Compare the three portraits. Discuss subject, technique, color, movement, and
personality. What clues are there in each portrait?
Various Artists, Portraits in American Galleries
o Some homes have a portrait wall – all the family pictures. We have many
portraits here. What do these portraits have in common? [All these portraits were
painted by American artists.]
o Compare the portraits. What do you see? What clues are present to tell us
something about the subject? The society in which they lived?
o How is this group of portraits different from the portraits you saw earlier/upstairs?
Johnson, Jonathon Eastman, Portrait of Frederick Layton
Let‟s play a game. You tell me what you can about the man depicted in this portrait, and
then I will tell you who he is and why he is important to the Museum. Have someone
stand in the same pose as Mr. Layton. Why is he posed this way? Have the children look
for clues in the portrait that tell them about who this person may be.
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JDSP – Docent Packet
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