In this activity, you will:

• compare and contrast portraits painted in two different styles
• examine and write a descriptive paragraph from the perspective of a person in a portrait

• 30 – 60 mins

Compare Two Portraits

Look closely at the two paintings below. Discuss or write your answers to the following questions.

• What looks similar in both paintings?
• What looks different?
• How does each artist use color, light, and brushwork differently?
• What mood does each painting create? How does the painting style contribute to that mood?

The artist Franz Xaver Winterhalter, who made the Portrait of Leonilla, Princess of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn, painted in the “academic style,” which is very polished and detailed. The artist Edgar Degas, who made the portrait of The Convalescent, painted in the Impressionist style, which is looser and more relaxed.

• Which style do you prefer? Explain your preference with supporting details.

Explore How Artistic Style Effects Portraits

Think about how the painting style shapes your experience looking at a portrait. Write or discuss your responses to these questions.

• Which portrait feels more formal? Which one feels more intimate? Why?
• Which portrait makes you feel closer to the subject? How does the painting style effect how you see the subject?
• Which style do you prefer? Support your preference with specific details from the paintings.

Speak for the Subject

Choose ONE of the two paintings. Imagine you are the woman in that painting. Write a paragraph in her voice. What would she say to you if she could speak? Consider:

• What does her expression tell you about how she feels?
• What does her body language say?
• What might she want you to know about her?

Be sure to use first-person language throughout.

In late 19th-century France, some artists painted pictures that look like they were quickly sketched, using lots of small dots and strokes of color to create scenes that capture feelings and moments, like the way sunlight looks on water or the colors of a garden.