Introduction to Portraiture and Identity #googlearts

The outside world forms an idea of who a person is, and that identity may be very different from the person’s own sense of identity. The world may see a person as a symbol, a representation of an idea or event, which is only one part of that person’s identity. And identity changes over time as a person interacts with the world and with other individuals. Using portraits from the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery we will examine how portraits reflect aspects of a person’s identity.

In this lesson, you will learn:
❖ How artists use portraiture to convey aspects of a subject’s individual, community, cultural, and national identity.
❖ Key components of a portrait and what one can learn about the subject through these components.
❖ The artistic choices that communicate an artist’s viewpoint and influence viewers’ understanding of the subject’s identity.
❖ Strategies for reading portraiture.

This lesson will take 30–45 minutes to complete.

This lesson can be used in the classroom or given to students to work through independently, with fellow students, or with another adult. The content is accessible to a wide range of ages, but is especially geared toward students aged 12 and over.

This lesson plan was created in association with ePublishingPartners and the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery