Note to the teacher: Joshua Johnston is also sometimes called Joshua Johnson.

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1 LESSON 4 Museum Cnnectin: Art and Intellect Lessn Title: The Prtraits f Jshua Jhnstn Purpse: In this lessn students will becme acquainted with the artwrk and painting style f Jshua Jhnstn, a prtrait painter frm Baltimre, Maryland. Students will examine the time perid and culture in which this African American artist painted, and they will create a family prtrait mdeled after Jhnstn s style. Nte t the teacher: Please be sensitive t the fact that nt all students cme frm hme situatins where they are willing r able t create a family prtrait. In such situatins, cnsider having students create a prtrait f peple wh are imprtant t them. Explain that family can mean with whmever the student lives. Nte t the teacher: Jshua Jhnstn is als smetimes called Jshua Jhnsn. Grade Level and Cntent Area: Elementary, Art Time Frame: 3 5 class perids Visual Arts Essential Learner Outcmes: II.B.2 Inspired by the art f peple frm different times and cultures, create a wrk f art that reflects aspects f his r her daily life. Visual Arts State Curriculum: 2.3.b (Grade 4) Categrize attributes f theme, style, and frm that cnvey meaning in artwrks. 2.3.b (Grade 5) Use selected attributes f theme, style, and frm t cnvey meaning in visual cmpsitins. Crrelatin t State Reading and English Language Arts Maryland Cllege and Career Ready Standards: 1.E.3 (Grades 4 and 5) Use strategies t make meaning frm text (during reading). 1.E.3.h 1.E.3.i 1.E.3.j Visualize what was read fr deeper understanding. Use a graphic rganizer r anther nte taking technique t recrd imprtant ideas r infrmatin. Explain persnal cnnectins t the ideas r infrmatin in the text. 4 1

2 Objective: Students will demnstrate their knwledge f Jshua Jhnstn s artistic style by creating a family prtrait using his techniques and by cmparing what they create t ne f Jhnstn's prtraits. Vcabulary and Cncepts: Ablitin Ablitin is the act f putting an end t a cnditin r cause, as in the ablitin f slavery. Cmmissin A fee paid t an agent r emplyee fr transacting a piece f business r perfrming a service is called a cmmissin. Freedmen Peple wh had been freed frm enslavement were knwn as freedmen. Limner A painter r drawer f prtraits is smetimes called a limner. Manumissin The frmal release f a slave frm slavery was called manumissin and culd be perfrmed by an individual r by state law. Prtrait A prtrait is a drawing, painting, r sculpture f a persn. Pse A pse is an assumed psture r attitude, usually fr artistic purpses. Prps Anything used t create r enhance a desired effect is called a prp. Materials Fr the teacher: Teacher Resurce Sheet 1 Mrs. Thmas Everette and Her Children Fr the student: Student Resurce Sheet 1 Jshua Jhnstn Student Resurce Sheet 1b Jshua Jhnstn: Bigraphy Questins Student Resurce Sheet 2 Build a Prtrait Web Student Resurce Sheet 3 Sketch Yur Family Student Resurce Sheet 4 Painting Label Resurces Bks: Rugff, Miltn, ed. et al. The Britannica Encyclpedia f American Art. Chicag: Encyclpaedia Britannica Educatinal Crpratin,

3 Weekley, Carlyn J., et al. Jshua Jhnstn: Freeman and Early American Prtrait Painter. Baltimre: Maryland Histrical Sciety, Artwrk: Print f Mrs. Everette and Her Children (Maryland Histrical Sciety brchure cver) Tw advertisements by Jshua Jhnstn (Maryland Histrical Sciety) Web sites: AskART.cm Jshua Jhnstn: Freeman and Early American Prtrait Painter Maryland Histrical Sciety jhnsn manumissin recrd july (The Maryland Histrical Sciety has Jshua s Jhnstn s riginal manumissin papers.) The Metrplitan Museum f Art, New Yrk Natinal Gallery f Art, Washingtn, D.C. Teacher Backgrund Baltimre: During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Baltimre, Maryland, was a grwing and industrius city. Ships carrying wheat sailed frm the city s harbr t all parts f the glbe, and many shipbuilders, sailrs, labrers, warehusemen, and merchants made their hmes in the city. In 1800, ne fifth f the city s ppulatin was African American, and census takers reprted that half f them were free. Althugh there were many legally free African Americans living in Baltimre, the kidnapping and sale f African Americans was cmmn. This made it necessary fr the freedmen in Baltimre t carry freedm papers at all times. Enslaved African Americans in Baltimre were used as huse servants, unskilled labrers, and skilled labrers in trades such as shipbuilding. Mst f thse wh were free were unskilled labrers. Accrding t C. J. Weekley, wmen wrked as dmestics, laundresses, and cks, and men were carters, draymen, labrers, stevedres, sawyers, water men, and waiters. Only a small percentage wrked in skilled ccupatins barbers, blacksmiths, bt and she makers, gardeners, tanners, cpers, as well as the already mentined caulkers, ship carpenters, riggers, and brickmakers. (Weekley, 26) In 1789, 90 citizens frm all acrss the city f Baltimre frmed the Ablitin Sciety. Cmprised primarily f wealthy merchants and prfessinal men, the Ablitin Sciety 4 3

4 used its cllective wealth and pwer t fight against the institutin f slavery and t prtect the status f free African Americans. These sympathetic men and their families were the neighbrs and clients f prtrait artist Jshua Jhnstn. Jshua Jhnstn Jshua Jhnstn was brn a slave in Baltimre, Maryland, arund His father s name was Gerge Jhnstn, and his mther was an unknwn African American slave. Jhnstn s father purchased his sn s freedm in He wuld nt be free, hwever, until he cmpleted an apprenticeship with a blacksmith r until he turned 21, whichever came first. Jhnstn was freed in 1782, and that same year he began his career as a prtrait painter, als knwn as a limner. The camera had nt been invented yet, and business was gd fr Jhnstn. Baltimre was grwing rapidly at this time, and he was able t make his living painting the prtraits f his wealthy white neighbrs, as well as their friends, and families. In fact, during his lifetime, Jhnstn painted mre than 80 prtraits f lcal merchants, traders, and sea captains. Of all the limners in Maryland, he was the ne wh prduced the mst prtraits f children and their parents. Jhnstn spent his entire life in Baltimre, where many peple supprted the ablitin f slavery. Sme f the same peple als supprted Jhnstn s wrk as a painter. One f his first paintings was cmmissined by Mr. Jhn Male, a white man wh recgnized the legitimacy f Jhnstn s status as a freedman. Like Jhn Male, Jhnstn s neighbrs als std up fr his rights as a free black man. His name and wrd f his talent were spread arund Baltimre, and many lcal wealthy families cmmissined prtraits frm him. As a result, Jhnstn had a very successful career. At ne time during his life, Jshua lived nly ne blck away frm the first museum f art in the United States: the Peale Museum in Baltimre. The museum was funded by the Peales, wh were a family f painters, and sme peple think that they may have influenced Jhnstn s wrk because the style f his paintings was similar t theirs. Even if this is true, Jhnstn had n frmal training as a painter, and he always described himself as "a self taught genius. Jshua Jhnstn vercame many bstacles t becme the first prfessinal African American prtrait artist. Jhnstn was als the first prtrait artist in Baltimre wh wrked cntinually frm arund 1795 until With cnfidence and perseverance he made his dream cme true. Lessn Develpment: 1. Mtivatin: Ask students t think abut their families. Have them brainstrm a list f things that are unique t the members f their families. Individual students can share their ideas with the class. 4 4

5 2. Tell students they will be learning abut Jshua Jhnstn, a black prtrait artist wh was frm Baltimre and wh wrked there until his death in Distribute Student Resurce Sheet 1a, Jshua Jhnstn, and Student Resurce Sheet 1b, Jshua Jhnstn: Bigraphy Questins. Have students read the selectin and answer the accmpanying questins. Discuss their respnses. 4. Tell students that they will be examining the artistic style f Jshua Jhnstn in rder t create a family prtrait using his techniques. 5. Display Teacher Resurce Sheet 1, Mrs. Thmas Everette and Her Children. Have students bserve this prtrait fr several minutes, then participate in a class discussin using these questins: What d yu see? (Mrs. Everette is seated and hlding a baby girl with her lder daughter standing t her right. The lder daughter is placing her arm n her mther s arm. There are als three bys: tw are standing and ne is seated. The by in the center f the painting appears t be a tddler wearing a festive red jumpsuit.) What is happening? (They lk like they are dressed frmally and waiting t g smewhere special.) What did yu see first? (The faces f the peple are what I saw first.) Describe the peple and their clthing. (The peple are dressed in gd clthes, their faces are fresh, and their hair is cmbed neatly. Mrs. Everette is wearing a fancy white hat that matches her white lacy ruffled cllar. With the exceptin f the baby and the tddler, everyne is wearing a dark utfit with a white cllar. The tw daughters are wearing lng dresses; the baby s dress is a sheer white.) Describe the furniture. (There is a very dark, lng black cuch n little wheels with brass tacks utlining the seat. The lk is very frmal.) What else d yu see? (All the peple have a pleasant r mild expressin n their faces. There are n large smiles with teeth shwing, and there are n frwns. Their lips lk tightly clsed, their eyes have heavy lids, and all are facing with a three quarter view.) Are there any prps? (There are bks, a pen, strawberries, and rses in the hands f the children.) What is the relatinship f the peple? (It appears t be a lving, clse family with the bdies in clse prximity and with everyne dressed in crdinated utfits.) Is anyne missing? (Perhaps the father is missing.) What des it tell us abut their relatinship? (The mther is hlding the wealthy family tgether and wants a memry created f her well behaved, lving, successful, and educated family. She is prud f her psitin and family and wants thers t see her accmplishments and children.) 4 5

6 Has the artist used cntrast t make the peple and bjects stand ut? (Yes! The fregrund, mid grund, and backgrund are all dark. Mst f the clthing is dark, which emphasizes the pale faces f the peple.) What kind f music wuld be playing in this wrk f art? (Classical music wuld be playing.) What type f md des this picture prtray? (Smber) Is there a relatinship between this wrk f art and yur experiences? Hw is this like r different frm yur wn wrld? Hw culd yu change this wrk f art t be mre like yur wrld? What wuld the artwrk lk like? What des the artist want yu t think abut in this wrk f art? Is the painting successful because it is realistic? 6. Display Student Resurce Sheet 2, Build a Prtrait Web. Tell students that they will be cmpleting it using their family members. Wrk thrugh the fllwing questins with them: My family includes: (fill in all yur family members) Will yu include pets? What type f clthing best describes yur family? Hw will they be psed? What prps can yu use? Will their whle bdies shw? Is there furniture? What kind f values will be used in the backgrund? What is the md? 7. Next, display Student Resurce Sheet 4, Sketch Yur Family. Begin by sketching the furniture first, very lightly. Explain each step as yu g. Fr example: "I m sketching the furniture very lightly because the bdies will be in frnt f the furniture." Next add the family members in seated r standing psitins. Remember t have the arms drawn s they can hld prps r pets. Sketch the clthing and ther details f each persn. Add prps r pets. Next clr in the backgrund and fregrund, then the furniture. Clr the peple and their clthing. 8. Ask students t sketch a different family gruping and explain why their pse may be different frm that f their wn families, e.g., a family that lves camping and hiking. Help students decide n ideas fr establishing the family members, pets, clthing, pse, prps, furniture, backgrund, and md. 9. Let students take turns cming up t the verhead prjectr t draw examples f furniture (very lightly), family members in varius psitins, clthing, prps, pets, etc. As each student draws, he r she shuld explain why he r she is adding the elements. 4 6

7 10.Have students cmplete Student Resurce Sheet 2, Build a Prtrait Web, and then draw their family prtrait n Student Resurce Sheet 3, Sketch Yur Family. 11.Assessment: Have students cmplete Student Resurce Sheet 4, Painting Label. They shuld use this as an rganizer with which t write a paragraph that explains hw their prtrait used the techniques f Jshua Jhnstn. They will cmpare the similarities and differences in their prtrait t ne f Jhnstn's prtraits. 12.Clsure: Ask: What is unusual abut Jshua Jhnstn chsing t be a prtrait painter in the late 1700s? What made it pssible fr him t fllw his dream? Wh supprted him thrughut his career? Why was he able t paint fr 30 years in the Baltimre area? Name five characteristics f a Jshua Jhnstn painting. Thughtful Applicatin: Hw culd yu becme a better prtrait artist? Are there careers in prtrait painting tday? Hw culd yu advertise yurself as an artist? What is anther way yu culd capture smene s prtrait? Are there any ther careers assciated with ld paintings? Is there a way yu can ffer supprt t friends wh are trying smething new? Lessn Extensins: Visit the Reginald F. Lewis Museum f Maryland African American Histry and Culture. Plan a visit t the Maryland Histrical Sciety t see sme f Jshua Jhnstn s paintings, including Mrs. Everette and Her Children. Als n display are Jhnstn s riginal manumissin papers, as well as the newspaper ads that he placed in lcal newspapers. Visit the Natinal Gallery f Art in Washingtn, D.C., which has five f Jshua Jhnstn s paintings. The Westwd Children includes the Westwd s pet dg in the prtrait. See if yu can find smething missing in this prtrait. (Hint: Lk at their heads.) Visit the Baltimre Museum f Art, which als wns sme paintings by Jshua Jhnstn and is the hme f a grup called the "Jshua Jhnstn Cuncil." Cmpare Jshua Jhnstn s prtrait paintings t cntemprary wrks by Charles Wilsn Peale, Charles Peale Plk, Rembrandt Peale, and Raphaelle Peale. Can yu find similarities between their paintings and thse f Jhnstn? Differences? Use the Sketch Yur Family wrksheet as a plan fr a real prtrait painting. Try t use the technique f dark backgrund and illuminated faces in yur prtrait. Tape yur label t the back f the painting s art histrians will be able t identify it as yur prtrait. Use nline museum and web resurces fr virtual field trips. Create student narratives f family prtraits. Investigate the earliest knwn fine artwrk by African American Scipi Mrehead, which was a cpper engraving f Phillis ( sic) Wheatley and later nineteenth century 4 7

8 African American landscape painters Rbert Duncansn, Edward Bannister, and prtrait painter Henry Ossawa Tanner. Discuss the develping cntributins f African Americans in the fine arts. Teacher Resurce Sheet 1 Mrs. Thmas Everette and Her Children Mrs. Thmas Everette (Rebecca Myring) and Her Children, 1818, by Jshua Jhnsn, Oil n Canvas. The Maryland Histrical Sciety, Baltimre, Maryland. Student Resurce Sheet 1a Jshua Jhnstn Jshua Jhnstn was brn a slave in Baltimre, Maryland, arund His father s name was Gerge Jhnstn, and his mther was an unknwn African American slave. 4 8

9 Jshua s father purchased his sn s freedm in He wuld nt be free, hwever, until he cmpleted an apprenticeship with a blacksmith r until he turned 21, whichever ne came first. Jshua was freed in 1782, and that same year he began his career as a prtrait painter, als knwn as a limner. The camera had nt been invented yet, and business was gd fr Jshua. Baltimre was grwing rapidly at this time, and he was able t make his living painting the prtraits f his wealthy white neighbrs, as well as their friends and families. In fact, during his lifetime, Jshua painted mre than 80 prtraits f lcal merchants, traders, and sea captains. Of all the limners in Maryland, he was the ne wh prduced the mst prtraits f children and their parents. Jshua spent his entire life in Baltimre, where many peple supprted the ablitin f slavery. Sme f the same peple als supprted Jshua s wrk as a painter. One f his first paintings was cmmissined by Mr. Jhn Male, a white man wh recgnized the legitimacy f Jshua s status as a freedman. Like Jhn Male, Jshua s neighbrs als std up fr his rights as a free black man. Jshua s name and wrd f his talent were spread arund Baltimre, and many lcal wealthy families cmmissined paintings frm him. At ne time during his life, Jshua lived nly ne blck away frm the first museum f art in the United States: the Peale Museum in Baltimre. The museum was funded by the Peales, wh were a family f painters, and sme peple think that they may have influenced Jshua because the style f his paintings was similar t theirs. Even if this is true, Jshua had n frmal training as a painter, and he always described himself as a self taught genius. Jshua Jhnstn had a very successful career as a painter, and he vercame many bstacles t becme the first prfessinal African American prtrait artist. He was als the first prtrait artist in Baltimre t wrk cntinually frm arund 1795 until With cnfidence and perseverance Jshua was able t make his dream cme true. 4 9

10 Student Resurce Sheet 1b Jshua Jhnstn: Bigraphy Questins 1. List at least 3 f Jshua Jhnstn s struggles and 3 f his accmplishments. Struggles Accmplishments 2. Why is Jshua Jhnstn s wrk imprtant? 4 10

11 Student Resurce Sheet #2 Build a Prtrait Web Sketch Yur Family Student Resurce Sheet 3 Student Resurce Sheet 4 Painting Label 4 11

The Portraits of Joshua Johnston

E LESSON 4 127 The Portraits of Joshua Johnston MUSEUM CONNECTION: ART and INTELLECT Purpose: In this lesson students will become acquainted with the artwork and painting style of Joshua Johnston, a portrait