Faces of Wales Exhibition, 3 June 24 September 2006 National Museum Cardiff Teacher s notes This is an exhibition of portraits of people who have contributed to life in Wales over the past 500 years. The portraits range from those that have been commissioned to more personal observations of individuals. Henry VII, the first of the Tudor monarchs was born at Pembroke Castle. The Welsh were very happy when he became king. Many of the wealthy families in Wales became even wealthier. Some of the very early portraits in the museum are of these families. The portrait of the 1 st Earl of Pembroke and of Katheryn of Berain can be seen in the exhibition. During the 18 th and 19 th century many of the middle classes in Wales became wealthier and they in turn wanted to have their portraits painted. The Industrial Revolution also resulted in a number of rich industrialists commissioning portraits. By the 19 th century the development of photography transformed the nature of portraiture. It became cheap and instant and as a result many more people could commission a photographic portrait. However painted portraits did survive into the 20 th century. The portrait of the poet Dylan Thomas by the Welsh artsis Augutus John forms part of this exhibition. Activities for Children Pupils could walk past the portraits in this exhibition and think about them as merely pictures of people. The human face is something that is so easily recognised. Each portrait could be dismissed as being very ordinary. The aim is to encourage children to look closely at the portraits and to think about any hidden messages. What is the artist or the sitter trying to reveal through the portrait? Six activity sheets have been designed to be used in the exhibition with pupils. Each activity looks at one aspect of a portrait. People and props Body Language Clothing The background Light and shadow Patterns in Portraits
You could choose to focus on one or split your class into smaller groups. The following notes accompany each activity. Information has been provided about each portrait featured in the activity. The questions could be asked to help the children to direct their looking. People and props This activity guides pupils to look at the portraits in the exhibition and to realise that objects in the portrait are important. Pupils will be asked to think about the meaning behind these objects. The following two portraits feature in the activity. Netherlandish School: William Herbert (c.1565) William Herbert (1507-1570), the first Earl of Pembroke, was an important sixteenth century figure. He was a wealthy landowner, and an important political and military figure of his time. He has been painted here at the end of his military career, posing in a suit of Italian armour. Look at his suit and the sword he is wearing. Describe it Do you think it was used for fighting, or is it a decorative object? Why do you think that? Anton Raphael Mengs: Richard Wilson (1752) Richard Wilson (1713-1782) was an eighteenth century painter from Wales, who made his name painting Welsh and Italianate landscapes and mythological subjects. He is shown here at his easel, painting one of his landscapes. What is Richard Wilson holding? How do we know he is an artist? Look at some of the other portraits in the exhibition. Are there any objects in the other portraits? Think about why the objects have been included. What do they tell us about the sitters? Do they give us clues about their personality, career, wealth or social status? Body language This activity focuses on the pose of the sitter in the portrait. Pupils are asked to think about how the way someone is sitting or standing contributes to the meaning behind the portrait. The following three portraits feature in the activity. Johann Zoffany: Henry Knight of Tythegston with his children (c. 1770) Henry Knight, the Glamorgan landowner and military man, is shown here against a seascape with his three children, Henry, Robert and Etheltreda. The eldest
son is shown trying on a helmet of the 15 th Light Dragoons, with whom Henry Knight probably served. Look at this boy s face talk about his expression? What do you think he s looking at? Describe his pose is he standing or sitting? Does he look formal or playful? Do you think he s behaving himself? Compare his pose to his brother and sister s. How are they standing and where are they looking? Harold Knight: Dame Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies (1922) Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies was a renowned stage actress in the twentieth century. Her first major success came by playing the lost Princess Etain in The Immortal Hour, a choral drama in 1922. This painting shows her in that actual production. Describe her pose. Try to mimic the way she s standing. Describe the expression on her face? Does she look confident, afraid or happy? Where do you think she is? What is she looking at? What is she doing with her arms do they give us any clues about how she may be feeling? John Lavery: David, 1 st Earl Lloyd George (1935) David Lloyd George was painted here after retiring from his career in politics. He was Prime Minister from 1916-1922. He became known as The Man who Won the War after leading Britain to victory in the war years. He defended Welsh rights and his views were often considered radical. Describe this man. What does he look like, what is he wearing? What is he doing with his hand? How do you think he s feeling? Look at his clothes and the way he s sitting. Does he look comfortable? Is he enjoying himself? What do you think he s thinking about? Clothing This activity focuses on the clothing in the portraits. Pupils are asked to think about how the way someone is dressed contributes to the meaning behind the portrait. The following two portraits feature in the activity. Martin Archer Shee: Sir Thomas Picton (c. 1812) Sir Thomas Picton was born in Pembrokeshire, and at a young age he joined the army. He was considered one of the most talented officers working for the Duke of Wellington, and was promoted to Lieutenant General in 1811. He displayed outstanding bravery in a battle in 1812, and soon after, this portrait was painted.
He stands here in full uniform, holding a sword in one hand and a hat in the other. Margaret Lindsay Williams: Clara Novello Davies (1915) Cardiff-born Clara Novello Davies is perhaps best known as the mother of Ivor Novello, whose musical career she encouraged. She came from a very musical family and became a renowned singing teacher and choral conductor. She toured internationally with her Welsh Ladies Choir. Describe the costumes. What occasion do you think they were worn for? Do they suggest anything about the sitters? Why do you think these portraits are full-length? Look at the way they are standing how do you think they feel wearing these costumes? Are they proud, ashamed or confident? How would you feel wearing these costumes? Background This activity encourages pupils to study the background of a painting. Some backgrounds are plain, while others are patterned, textured, or have objects in them. Pupils are asked to think about why artists choose to paint particular backgrounds, and how these backgrounds contribute to our overall understanding of the portrait. Pupils can then select any portrait from the exhibition and re-draw it with a different background. The following portrait features in the activity: George Roilos: William Goscombe John (1902) William Goscombe John (1860-1952) was a highly respected artist and sculptor. Today he is especially renowned for his public sculptures and portrait busts. He contributed to the formation of the collections of the National Museum of Wales. He is shown here painting in a studio, with a bronze plinth and a sculpture in the background, which points to his talent as a sculptor. Look at the background. Where is William Goscombe John? What is he doing? List the objects you can see in the background. Why do you think the artist painted these objects? Do they tell you anything about Goscombe John? What do you think his interests were? Imagine if this portrait had a plain, empty background. Does this change the meaning of the portrait? How much would you be able to tell about Goscombe John without this background?
Light and Shadow This activity focuses on the use of light and shadow in the portraits. Pupils are asked to think about how tone has been used to create solid, real looking faces. The following portrait features in the activity. Ask the pupils to also look at the use of light and shadow in other portraits. Johann Zoffany: Henry Knight of Tythegston with his Children (c.1770) Henry Knight was a landowner and military man from Glamorgan. He has been painted here with his sons, Henry and Robert, and his daughter Etheltreda, on a beach between Bridgend and Porthcawl. This painting was possibly commissioned to celebrate his status as a single parent, after he separated from his wife in 1769. Look at the shadows on all of their faces. Where are the lightest and darkest areas? Which direction is the light shining from? What is producing the light? Look at the background are they inside or outside? Look closely. What colours can you see in the shadows on their faces? Patterns in Portraits This activity focuses on the use of pattern in portrait painting. A pattern is made up of shapes and colours that have been repeated. Ask the children to think about patterns that they may have seen in nature. Artists sometimes use areas of pattern to draw our attention to a particular part of the work. This activity asks pupils to find patterns in three of the portraits and to design their own pattern inspired by one of the paintings in the exhibition. The following three portraits feature in the activity. Adriaen van Cronenburgh: Katheryn of Berain (1568) Katheryn of Berain was the wealthy daughter of Tudur ap Robert Vychan from North Wales. She became known as The Mother of Wales because of the many children and step-children she had from her four marriages. She is painted here with a locked book (possibly a prayer book) in one hand, and her other hand is resting on a skull, a common symbol of mortality. Her black velvet costume was at the height of sixteenth century Netherlandish fashion, and the decorative ruff around her collar was a sign of her aristocratic status.
Cornelius Johnson: Sir Thomas Hanmer (1631) Sir Thomas Hanmer was a page and a cup-bearer at the court of Charles I. He became MP for Flint in the seventeenth century. He was also a horticulturalist who studied French gardens and introduced the Agate Hamner tulip to Britain. British School: Thomas Mansel and his wife Jane (1625) Thomas Mansel was an MP for Glamorgan, and belonged to one of the wealthiest families in South Wales, the Mansels of Margam Abbey. Thomas and his wife Jane commissioned this double portrait possibly as a sign of their social status and family wealth. Double portraits such as this were common in seventeenth century portraiture, although to depict the sitters holding hands was unusual. Jane holds a marigold in her right hand, which is thought to symbolise her daughter Mary. These costumes were considered fashionable at that time. Would you wear these clothes today? Look at the patterns on your own clothes are they different to the ones shown here? Look at the patterns closely. How would you describe them? Are they simple, intricate, detailed or bold? Look at the individual shapes in each of the patterns. Do they remind you of anything? List the colours used in the patterns. Think about other places these patterns could be used. Where may you have seen similar patterns before?