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Jacob Lawrence: Storyteller
Curriculum unit developed by the J. Paul Getty Trust

Lesson 3: Self-portraits: Telling Stories about Ourselves

Activity 3: Thinking Like an Art Historian

Overview:
Students will engage in art historical investigation, raising and selecting an art historical question and doing research to address it. They will share their findings and collectively craft a story about the life and work of Jacob Lawrence.

Have students create a list of what they know about the work of Jacob Lawrence. Ask:

From doing activities on the Tubman and Migration series, as well as Lawrence's self-portraits, what do we know about the work of Jacob Lawrence?

Create a second list of what students would still like to know about the artist and/or his work.

From our experiences with Jacob Lawrence's artworks, what do we still wish to know about his life and work?

Explain that when art historians investigate the life and work of a particular artist, they often begin their investigation by looking carefully at the artist's artworks. Art historians record what they know and what they would still like to know. They then select one or more questions to investigate further. Eventually, they share their findings with others.

Discuss with students the types of questions asked by art historians. Invite students to compare their own questions with the kinds of questions asked by art historians:
  • Questions about the artist's life, including possible influences on the artist's ideas, vision, and point of view.
  • Questions about the time and place in which the artist worked. For example, what was going on in politics, cultural life, religion, and other arts?
  • Questions about how people living at the time responded to the artist's work.
  • Questions about the major themes and ideas in the artist's work over time.
  • Questions about the style or consistent "look" of the artist's work.
  • Questions about the artist's way of working—the artistic process.
  • Questions about artistic influences: were there other artists who seemed to have an impact on the artist's work?
Have students individually, in pairs, or in small groups, select one or more of their own questions that they would like to investigate further.

For each question selected, invite students to offer their "best guess" answer, supported by their reasons. Ask them to brainstorm for ways that they can learn more.
  • Review with students the different types of research sources often used to find answers to these types of questions, such as magazines, newspapers, maps, journals, almanacs, the internet, textbooks, and other resource books. Refer them to the resources available through this site, including:
  • timeline
  • related sites (on the web)
  • Information on the Harlem Renaissance, the time following WWI and the Great Migration, when many black artists and writers flourished in Harlem.
If possible, supply other books and resources for their use. Remind students that information may be located in several sources, and that some sources may be more efficient than others for finding specific information.

Students will develop a research plan with their group before they begin their investigations. Explain that such a plan outlines how they will go about finding answers to their questions. They should think about all possible sources and consider what kind of information the resources might provide.

Have students share their research findings with the class. In reporting, they should make sure to mention:
  • the questions they sought to answer
  • what they learned
  • what questions are still unanswered
Discuss with students how they, as a class, will "tell the story" of Jacob Lawrence's life and work. Like art historians, they will share their findings with a larger audience. Brainstorm with the class ways the findings could be shared. From that list, select several possibilities, which might include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • a web site or power-point presentation
  • a bulletin board for display in the school or local community
  • an exhibit using three-sided posters like those often used in science fairs
  • a video presentation for viewing within the school, parent-teacher group or local community
  • a "live" presentation for another class, the whole school, or a parent-teacher group



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