CARTT

Welcome to St. Thomas Aquinas' Catholic Art Traditions (CARTT) website!

The Catholic faith has a rich artistic tradition which comprises our identity as a Catholic people. To expose students to this aspect of their heritage, the Catholic Art Traditions program was created. Catholic Art Traditions presentations combine goals and objectives of each grade level's Art and Religious Education curriculums by guiding students in observations and discussions of religious masterpiece works of art. Students expand their critical thinking skills as they explore Catholicism through centuries of faith-inspired artwork. Opportunities for each grade level to work with certain media and in the techniques of traditional genres of Christian artwork are available throughout the school year.

Presentations in April & May, 2010

Institution of the Eucharist - 4th Grade

Symbols & Signs of Confirmation in Artwork - 4th Grade

St. Isidore - all Grades

DomenicoGhirlandaio, Last Supper, c. 1486, Fresco, 13.3' x 26.5', San Marco Convent, Florence

Institution of the Eucharist

As part of preparation for receiving First Communion, students in 4th grade explored the Last Supper fresco by Domenico Ghirlandaio. This composition captures the moment at the Last Supper when Jesus reveals that one of the Twelve would betray Him after having blessed and shared the bread and wine (Luke 22:17-22). The reactions of the Apostles range from sorrow to anger, while some gesture as if to say, "Surely, it is not I!" Judas has been placed on the opposite side of the table from Christ and the other Apostles, wearing yellow as a symbol of cowardice, sandals as a symbol of lacking in humility, with a cat seated near him as a sign of deceit. On the table are broken loaves of bread, grapes and glass decanters of wine- In the background, students learned about the meaning of the different trees, flowers and birds that the artist intentionally placed to signify both recent events leading up to this moment (the palm tree symbolizing Palm Sunday) and those foreshadowing the Passion (thistles), death (cypress trees), and Resurrection (peacock) of Christ.

Presentations in February & March, 2010

Original Sin and the Garden of Eden - all Grades

Parable of the Good Samaritan - 1st Grade

St. Joseph- all Grades

James Tissot (French, 1836-1902), Saint Joseph, 1886-1894, Opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper, 9 3/16" x 4 3/4", Brooklyn Museum, NY

St. Joseph

March 19th marks the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of Mary. Students Pre-K through Eighth grades viewed images of St. Joseph taken from Statuary at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Avondale, stained glass representations from St. Mary's Basilica in Phoenix and from a series of watercolors painted by James Tissot. Students learned that all we know of St. Joseph comes from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. His attributes often include one or more of the following: yellow garments- (yellow symbolizes revealed truth); bare feet- which symbolizes humility; carpenter's tools- Joseph's profession; a walking staff- symbolizing journey; and holding the Christ Child- joseph was the foster father of Jesus. Students also learned that Joseph sometimes is given attributes from apocryphal sources (legends) such as a flowering staff.

We focused on a several images of Joseph taken from a series of watercolors painted by James Tissot, The Life of Our Savior Jesus Christ. Students had to identify Joseph in all of the paintings based on the attributes that we had associated with him. Students also learned that James Tissot painted in a style known as Realism and had spent eight years (1886-1894) traveling through the Middle East studying the culture, people, landscape and architecture of that region to make his paintings as authentic as possible. You can view the entire series of paintings by James Tissot by connecting to the following web site of the Brooklyn Museum of Art: http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/search/?portfolio=The+Life+of+Our+Lord

+Jesus+Christ+%28La+Vie+de+Notre-Seigneur+J%C3%A9sus-Christ%29&type=object.

Benjamin West, The Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise, 1791, oil on canvas, 73 9/16” x 109 ½”, National Gallery of Art, Washington DC

Piola, Domenico, Immaculate Conception, 1683, Oil on canvas, 11.5’x7.3’, Church of Santissima Annunziata del Vastato, Genoa

Origins of Sin- Adam & Eve

As part of our Lenten observances, students in grades Pre-K- 8th are exploring the origins of sin- what lead Adam & Eve to disobey God and how it continues to influence us today. After reading from Genesis 2 (Creation of Adam & Eve) and Genesis 3 (the Fall of Man), students engaged in discussion of artwork depicting Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, their Expulsion from the Garden, and artwork of Christ and Mary overcoming sin. In Benjamin West's interpretation of The Expulsion (top left), students identify Adam & Eve (clothed with the garments that God gave them) banished from Eden with the serpent going before them. Behind them stands the angel "...to guard the way to the tree of life." The artist made evident the emotions that Adam & Eve must have felt and indicates the world of chaos and disharmony that they now must live in indicated by the dark clouds, barren landscape, and animals attacking one another.

Our discussion of Original Sin from Adam & Eve and our own choices which lead us into sin (turning away from God) moved to the many opportunities that God gives us to return to Him. Through the sacrament of Baptism we are cleansed of Original Sin and through the obedience of Mary and the sacrifice of Christ, the gates of Heaven are once again open to those that choose to turn to God.

In the painting of Immaculate Conception by Domenico Piola, students identified God the Father, flanked by cherubim, crowning Mary while the Holy Spirit (as a dove) bestows divine grace on her. At Mary's side is Jesus Christ using His cross to crush the head of the serpent of evil. Jesus' small foot unites with Mary's in standing atop the serpent symbolizing their triumph over sin. (Many depictions of Mary as the Immaculate Conception portray her standing on top of a serpent.) What is unique in this representation of the Immaculate Conception lies at the bottom of the painting. There we find Adam and Eve- Adam with a symbol of his toil (a hoe) resting on his shoulder, while Eve reaches for an apple that is clutched by the serpent. Despite the triumph of Christ and Mary over sin, it is still left to each individual to choose obedience to God, or to give in to temptation.

Students identified ways that we turn closer to God through acts of almsgiving, sacrifice and prayer especially during this season of Lent. Students also identified the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation, as gifts of grace from God that nourish us spiritually and aid us in resisting sin.

Vincent van Gogh, The Good Samaritan (After Delacroix), Auvers-sur-Oise, 1890, Oil on canvas, (29.2 x 24in), Rijksmuseum Kröller-Müller, Otterlo, Netherlands.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

Students in first grade are learning about the parables of Jesus. Students defined a parable as a short story that was told by Jesus to teach some truth, religious principle, or moral lesson. In telling the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus was challenged to define who falls into the category of being "our neighbor." He told a story of a man being beaten and left for dead by robbers and then rescued by an unlikely hero- a Samaritan (Samaritans were not thought of with respect by Jewish people at that time). Jesus' point was to say that no matter who we are or where we come from, we should consider all of humanity to be our neighbor. Students first looked at the painting by van Gogh and guessed which parable it was based on the clues that the artist gives us- the man helping another with a bandaged head onto his horse, an emptied chest on the ground, and the figures of two other people (the priest and the Levite) walking away in the distance. They learned how Vincent van Gogh had wanted to be a minister but instead chose to share his God-given gifts of painting colorful scenes to inspire people. Van Gogh's painting of the Good Samaritan was actually a copy of a composition by Eugene Delacroix which the students compared side by side and identified the similarities differences and of. You can do the same- check http://www.artbible.info/art/large/594.html for Delacroix's painting of the Good Samaritan.

Presentations in January, 2010

St. Thomas Aquinas in Music & Artwork - all Grades

Reconciliation & the Return of the Prodigal Son- 2nd Grade

Benozzo Gozzoli, Triumph of St.Thomas Aquinas, 1471, Tempera on panel, 230 x 102 cm, Musee du Louvre, Paris.

St. Thomas Aquinas

January 28th is the feast day of St. Thomas Aquinas, patron saint of academics, booksellers, scholars, schools, students, theologians & universities. Thomas became a Dominican friar much to the dismay of his powerful family and spent his life in pursuit of truth and proving the miracle of transubstantiation and Christian doctrine by using philosophy in conjunction with theology. He welcomed debate from people with opposing philosophies as he saw them as seekers of truth which he determined helps us all in finding truth.

Students listened to the hymn, Panis Angelicus, which was written by Thomas as celebration of the Eucharist.They looked at several representations of Thomas Aquinas in sculpture and in paintings and discussed the relevance of his major attributes which include: a sun on his chest that symbolizes sacred learning, books, Dominican Habit and tonsure, Dove of inspiration, quill pen in hand, and doctoral crown. In this painting, the artist, Benozzo Gozzoli, focuses our attention on Thomas showing us a passage from Proverbs 8:7- "My mouth will meditate on truth, and my lips will detest the impious man." He is flanked by the ancient philosophers, Aristotle and Plato, with the four Gospel writers, St. Paul, and Moses above him. Christ looks down upon Thomas with the words, "You have written well of me, Thomas" written in Latin between the Gospel writers. Beneath Thomas' feet lies defeated the Arab philosopher, Averroes, who had questioned the Eucharist and other Christian doctrines. Here, Averroes is admitting, "truly here is the light of the Church," and "here he found the entire way of discipline."

A papal council gathers at the bottom of the painting, no doubt making reference to the philosophy and theology of Thomas Aquinas.

Rembrandt van Rijn, The Return of the Prodigal Son, c. 1662. Oil on canvas 262 x 206 cm. The Hermitage, St. Petersburg

Reconciliation

The students in 2nd Grade are preparing for the Sacrament of Reconciliation and so they explored Rembrandt's painting of the Return of the Prodigal Son.

Rembrandt's painting captures the moment from the parable of the Prodigal Son where the father welcomes home and forgives his son who has squandered the inheritance given to him on sinful indulgences.

After the parable was read to the class from Luke 15:11-32, the students discussed the four traditional steps involved in Reconciliation and how the actions of the prodigal son compared to: 1)Contrition- acknowledging his sinfulness, 2)Confession- going home to his father and showing remorse for for his actions, 3)Absolution- the Father forgives the son and celebrates his return home. However, both the parable and the painting do not address the fourth step of Reconciliation, which is 4)Penance- How did the prodigal son reform his life and make amends for his sins?

*The second grade class was given the challenge of drawing a picture of what they believe the prodigal son went on to do as penance for what he'd done and how he reformed his life.

**Additionally, the students discussed the older brother of the prodigal son and his reluctance to forgive his younger brother. Jesus was reminding us that we need to forgive others that offend us just as we seek to be forgiven for our own sins.

Presentations in December, 2009

Artwork of Advent - all Grades

First two weeks of Advent- Prepare for Christ to come again

ANGELICO, Fra, Christ the Judge, 1447, Fresco, Chapel of San Brizio, Duomo, Orvieto, Italy

Advent- First two weeks

In preparation for Advent, students in grades Pre-K through 8th view artwork that reflects Christ's coming... In the Past, in the Present, and in the Future. Students discuss how we prepare for Jesus' Second Coming during the first two weeks of Advent by looking at Fra Angelico's fresco of Christ the Judge. The color purple on the candles of the Advent wreath remind us that this is a time of penance and preparing our souls for an eternal life with Christ.

Third week of Advent- Joyful in the ways that Christ comes to us in the present- Sacraments, Scripture & our Consciences.

Van der Weyden, Rogier, Seven Sacraments, 1445-50, Oil on oak panel, 119 x 63 cm, Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp

Advent- Third week

When we light the third pink candle on the Advent wreath, we are aware that we have now moved into the joy of Christ coming to us in the Present and preparing for the celebration of His birthday. Students think of all the ways that Christ comes to us in the present- through the seven Sacraments, Scripture, and in our consciences. This painting by Rogier Van der Weyden depicts all seven sacraments being administered within a Gothic church. Christ is central to all of the sacraments- represented by the Crucifix in the central panel.

Advent- Third & Fourth week

The Octave before Christmas, Dec.17-23

The “O Antiphons” are the seven prayers which come from the prophecies of Isaiah- each Antiphon addresses Jesus with a unique title: Wisdom, Lord of Israel, Root of Jesse, Key of David, Radiant Dawn, King of All Nations, God with Us. These Antiphons are the verses to the Christmas song, O Come, O Come, Emmanel.

Tiepolo, Giovanni Battista, Nativity, 1732, Oil on canvas, Basilica di San Marco, Venice

Christmas

Students viewed three paintings of the Nativity, comparing and contrasting how each artist represented the Birth of Christ. We read the Infancy Narrative from the Gospel of Luke, and students identified what elements of the painting came from what was written in the Bible, and the elements that came from the artist's imagination or from Sacred Tradition. In this depiction of the Nativity, Tiepolo chooses to show the Holy Family as realistically as possible- there are no halos and Joseph is taking an active part in cradling the Christ Child. Angels squeeze between Mary and Jesus in their rush to adore Him. Shepherds have not yet arrived. The Roman column in the background stands battered and broken as a symbol of the fall of paganism with the coming of Christ. The artist has also chosen to leave out a donkey, but includes the ox in the bottom left hand shadows of the painting. Although there is no mention of an ox or donkey at the Birth of Christ in the Gospel of Luke, it's thought that their presence does come from the Book of Isaiah, 1:3- "An ox knows its owner, and [a donkey], its master's manger; But Israel does not know, my people has not understood."

Presentations in November, 2009

Illuminated Manuscripts - 5th Grade

Book of Hours for Roman Use (Collins Hours), By the Master of the Collins Hours, active 1430s-40s. Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Philip S. Collins Collection, 1945-65-4, Vellum, 188 fols. Folio: 7-7/8 x 5-1/2 inches (200 x 140 mm); Text 4-3/8 x 2-3/4 inches (111 x 71 mm);Latin, Gothic Bookhand. Nativity, fols. 73v-74

Illuminated Manuscripts

Fifth grade students explore the history and artwork of Illuminated manuscripts as part of Christian tradition and education. They learned the parts of an illuminated manuscript- Miniature paintings, decorated margins, decorated and historiated initials, calligraphy writing and gold leaf to illuminate the pages. With the invention of the "book" (bound parchment leaves) vs. the use of papyrus scrolls, manuscript illumination flourished from around 2nd- 16th century a.d. Creating a bible, gradual, or book of hours required the efforts of several artisans (usually monks) weeks and months to prepare the parchment (animal skin), create the underdrawing or outline, a calligrapher to write the text, and artists who added gold leaf and painted the miniatures and margins.

Presentations in October, 2009

Guardian Angels - Pre-K- 2nd Grades

Rosaries, History and Making of - 3rd Grade

Rosaries, Mysteries of and Making of - 4th Grade

Multicultural Christian Artwork - 5th-8th Grades

Pietro da Cortona, The Guardian Angel, 1656, Oil on canvas, 225 x 143 cm, Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, Rome

Guardian Angels

In observance of the Feast of Guardian Angels on October 2nd, Pre-K through 2nd grade students explore artists' imaginative representations of Guardian Angels from the last five centuries of artwork. Students learn that every person has a Guardian Angel and our knowledge of them comes from the Bible (see Ex 23:20-22, Mt. 18:10, Psalm 91:11, etc...).

While our physical well-being is important to our Guardian Angels, their primary goal centers around our spiritual well-being and getting us to Heaven. That is why we all experience episodes of illness, accidents and injury at times in our life- Angels encourage us to draw strength from our faith in God during these challenges, therefore drawing closer to Him. Never doubt though, that sometimes our angels intervene in a very direct way on our behalf.

Guardian angels are commonly depicted with wings, standing or levitating in close proximity of a child or grown person. One hand usually rests on the person that they are watching over while the other points Heavenward.

After students view the masterpiece artwork of Guardian Angels, they then create a stained-glass interpretation of what they imagine their own Guardian Angel to look like.

Be sure to say a special "Thank you" prayer to your own Guardian Angel and their tireless efforts in encouraging you on the path toward God.

Students in 3rd & 4th grade are studying the rosary as part of their religion curriculum. They learn about the history of the rosary, the four sets of Mysteries of the rosary, and the establishment of the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary on October 7th, 1572, by Pope (St.) Pius V. Students view masterpiece works of art that depict each mystery of the rosary to help them better contemplate the birth, life, ministry, miracles, passion, death and resurrection of Christ, as well as the intertwined life, faith, and discipleship of Jesus' mother, Mary.

3rd Graders are currently making rosaries that they will have blessed and donated to the students of EENU as part of a Confirmation service project.

4th graders are continuing to study the mysteries of the rosary by creating one rosary for each set of mysteries. Beginning with the Luminous Mysteries, the students use clay to create symbols for each Luminous Mystery. They paint and string these beads into a Luminous Mysteries Rosary and will do the same to create Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious Mystery Rosaries over the course of the next six months.

Marcos Zapata, La Ultima Cena (The Last Supper), 1753, Cathedral of Cusco, Peru.

Multicultural Christian Artwork

Students in 5th-8th grade explore artistic interpretations of Christian themes in cultures throughout the world. Examples include Japanese, Ethiopian, Peruvian, and Southwest American architecture and artwork from the past 900 years. Differences include the obvious, such as the skin color of Biblical figures in Ethiopian frescoes and illuminated manuscripts, to subtleties such as the Incan-inspired meal at the Last Supper in the 18th century Peruvian painting by Marcos Zapata (see left). The Goal is for students to understand how different cultures have blended their own traditions with the teaching of Christianity.

Presentations in September, 2009

St. John Vianney & The Year of the Priest - All grade levels

Marek Czarnecki, Christ the Great High Priest, c.2002, Icon- egg tempera & gold leaf on woodpanel, 28”x22”, Ave Maria University, Ypsilanti, MI.

St. John Vianney & The Year of the Priest

Students began this exploration of the life of St. John Vianney as represented in artwork by looking at the icon of Christ the Great High Priest by Marek Czarnecki. Created as a "mirror" for priests to contemplate themselves in Christ and Christ in themselves, the icon includes the figures of Old Testament Melchizedek and 19th century (patron saint of priests) St. John Vianney. Students then explored the attributes of St. John Vianney represented in various images of him and his life of self-sacrifice in ministering to his parish of Ars, France. the confessional booth is one attribute of St. John Vianney's based on the fact that he would spend up to 17 hours a day hearing confessions of people hailing from all over Europe. Images of St. John Vianney have also included the symbols of St. Philomena, a palm branch, arrow, and anchor, as he had a great devotion to this virgin martyr.

Presentations in August, 2009

Assumption of Mary- All grade levels

Juan de Valdes Leal, The Assumption of the Virgin, c.1658/1660, Oil on canvas, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Assumption of Mary

Preparation for the Holy Day of Obligation- the Assumption of Mary on August 15th, students will discuss the difference between Assumption and Ascension, and Divine Revelation through Sacred Tradition (both written and unwritten).

In this baroque painting, Mary is assumed body & soul into heaven with angels carrying her toward God's beckoning light. Apostles are gathered below, some watching her departure, as others examine her now empty tomb.