How to Do Picture Study the Charlotte Mason Way
What is a Picture Study
A picture study is simply art appreciation. It is a beautiful way to introduce your child to great works of art. It will not take up a significant amount of time and it is easy to implement.
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Picture Study the Charlotte Mason Way
Let’s look at what Charlotte Mason said about how to conduct a picture study in Home Education:
They should take one artist after another, term by term, and study quietly some half-dozen reproductions of his work in the course of a term…The children should study a subject quietly for a few minutes; and then, the picture being removed, say what they have seen in it…. Something definite [of the content of the picture] remains with a child after his studies, but this is the least of the gains.
Now, let’s apply this to your homeschool in a practical way.
Part 1: Artist Introduction
During your first lesson, you will introduce your child to the artist you picked. You may want to consider picking an artist from the time period you are studying in history. Tell your child about the artist’s background and history. Once you are finished, have your child narrate the artist’s background. The introduction and narration need not last more than 10-15 minutes.
Part 2: First Picture
Now introduce the image by telling your child the title and allowing him to look at the picture silently for 3 to 5 minutes. Instruct your child to pay attention to every detail. After the child has time to study the picture, take the picture away and ask the child to narrate the picture. The final step is to show the picture gain and have a talk about the picture. Ask your child several questions to get the discussion started.
Questions to Ask
What would you call this picture?
Do you like it?
How do you feel about it?
What color or colors dominate the picture?
What time of day is it?
Add in questions that specifically pertain to the picture.
Display the picture in your home until the next week, when you chose another picture by the same artist. Go over the same process until you completed at least six pictures by the same artist. Exposing your child to six pictures will give the child sense of the artist’s style. Finally, keep in mind that lesson is intended to be no more than 10 to 20 minutes depending on your children’s ages and abilities.
As you can see fitting in a picture study is easy and will fit in with any curriculum or homeschool method you employ.
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Our Favorite Picture Study Resources
Vincent’s Starry Night by Michael Bird
Awaken to Delight Charlotte Mason Morning Time (each set of plans includes 1 artist study)
Thrifted art books for specific artists/styles/museums
For upper forms:
Rembrandt is in the Wind by Russ Ramsey and the DVD to go with it
Theology and the Arts by Richard Viladesau
