READ A WORK OF ART AS
YOU WOULD READ A BOOK
Art is a powerful pathway into the Hawai‘i Common Core

Observe

Describe

InterpretConnect

Look closely and quietly.

What do you see?

What do you think thispainting is about andwhat makes you say that?

What does this remind you of?
Why? What more do you wantto know? Why?

Learn more at

HawaiiPublicSchools.org

ON THE COVER:

Hubert Vos
American (1855–1935)
Kolomona: Hawaiian
Troubadour (detail),ca.1898
Oil on canvas
40 x 35 in.

The Artist:

Observe, Describe, Interpret, Connect(ODIC)
Four simple steps to engage with art:
The key to this looking strategy is to prompt
students to describe and report as much as theysee, with evidence from within the artwork.
You may be surprised what they come up
with given the opportunity to just look.
The hardest part is allowing time to look on
their own—resist the urge to share what you seeor what you think they should see.
OBSERVE: Start by taking a minute or two to do

Hubert Vos

some silent, close looking.

1855, Hubert Vos wanted to be an artist
from the time he was a young boy. In1893, Vos attended the Chicago World’s
Fair and it was life-changing. Fascinatedby the diversity of people he saw there,Vos traveled the world and painted many
portraits of the people he met. Eventually
he attained American citizenship. Vos
met and married his second wife—
Eleanor Kaikilani Coney Graham. She
was a descendant of Kamehameha, bornon Kaua‘i in 1867, and a travel companionof Queen Lili‘uokalani when she met Vos
in New York. Vos went on to paint rulers
and heads of state throughout Asia,including his most famous subject, theDowager Empress of China. When he andhis wife traveled to Hawai‘i, Vos painted
a number of works, including Kolomona:
Hawaiian Troubadour and Study ofHawaiian Fish, both in the permanentcollection of the Honolulu Museumof Art.

using evidence from within the artwork.

BORN IN MAASTRICHT , the Netherlands, inThe Artwork:

Kolomona: Hawaiian
Troubadour
A troubadour is a singer or one whowrites verse to music — a type of poet.
Vos’s portrait captures Kolomona with his
instrument and an engaging look on hisface. The Pacific Commercial Advertiser
newspaper described the painting shortly
after it was completed as “a strong piece ofwork, brimful of life and action.” Kolomona
wears the distinctive red shirt of the po‘ola,or professional stevedore, who unloads
cargo from ships. He also wears a widebrimmed straw hat and large kerchief
around his neck, indicative of a livelihood
spent under the sun. Vos’s portrait is morethan just a visual snapshot of the person atthat time; it captures Kolomona’s presence.
Portraiture dates back to ancient Greeceand Rome (800 BC) with artists’ depictionsof individuals appearing on coins and insculpture. Vos painted in a style calledrealism. In this case he used layers of oilpaint to create vibrant, jewel-like tones.
These techniques helped him painteveryday life in realistic detail. What does
Vos’s portrait tell us about Kolomona?

The museum offers:
Free guided school tours
Teacher resources
Lending Collection
Outreach programs
Art School classes

To learn more, go to honolulumuseum.org andclick on Learn

DESCRIBE: Have students describe what they see,
What is the first thing you notice? Where do you see that?
Think about the elements of portraiture (facial expressions,eyes, gesture, clothing, setting and objects) as you describe
what you see. Use quantity, size, and color words to better
describe the elements

INTERPRET: Have students interpret what theysee by thinking about the time, place, mood,intention, and content of the painting.
CONNECT: Have students connect the artwork to theirown lives to make it relevant.
Does this remind you of something from your own life? Can
you relate to what’s going on in this picture? What more do youwant to know? If you could ask the artist one question about theimage, what would it be?

A Brief History of the ‘Ukulele
When many people think about Hawai‘i they
imagine warm beaches, sunshine and thebeautiful sounds of an ‘ukulele. It wasn’t always
that way. The ‘ukulele was first introduced toHawai‘i by Portuguese immigrants in 1879.
The instrument we now call an ‘ukulele is acombination of several instruments brought toHawai‘i from Europe by sailors and plantationworkers. When Hawaiians first saw the ‘ukulele
being played they marveled at how themusician’s fingers jumped like fleas all over thefingerboard. This is how the ‘ukulele got its name,which in Hawaiian translates to “jumping flea.”
By the late 1800s the popularity of the ‘ukulele
had spread wildly. Hawai‘i’s King David Kalākaua
became a champion of the instrument, including
it in performances at royal gatherings andlearning to play himself. (1120 Lexile)

Portraits
Portraits can be used as visual texts filledwith symbolism to make the study of people,
characters, and biographies more meaningful.
Much like photography, portraits can be used tocapture and preserve a moment in time.

Six elements of portraiture:• Facial expression: What mood or feeling does
the person’s face express?
• Eyes: Where are the person’s eyes looking?
• Gesture: What is the action or the pose ofthe body?
• Clothing: What is the person wearing?
• Setting: Where is the person? What is the time
period? What is the time of day?
• Objects: What else is in the portrait?
(Steps from Focus 5, Inc. www.artsintegrationconsulting.com)

Connecting to Standards

Integrate and evaluate content presented indiverse formats and media, including visuallyand quantitatively, as well as in words.
Hawaii Common Core ELA-Literacy Standard (CCRA.R7)

Understand and apply art materials, techniques
and process in the creation of works of art andunderstand how the visual arts communicate
ideas, feelings and experiences.
Hawaii Content and Performance Standards III
Fine Arts-Standard 1: Visual Arts

After examining and discussing the portrait
using the Observe, Describe, Interpret, Connect(ODIC) process, read about the history of the‘ukulele and its significance to Hawai‘i. You may
choose to read the short excerpt in the center,or find something on your own. (resourcesavailable at http://honolulumuseum.org/5151teacher_resources). You may ask students toread the history independently or read it aloud,depending on their grade level.

Ask students to respond to the following:• Considering when (1898) and where(Hawai‘i) the portrait was done, what
do you think the artist was trying tocommunicate? What purpose does
this portrait serve? Be sure to include
evidence from the portrait and thetext in your answer.
• Examine some of Vos’s otherpaintings from the late 1800s donein Hawai‘i (Study of Hawaiian Fish,1898; Iokepa, Hawaiian Fisher Boy,1898). What do you think Vos may
have been trying to capture orcommunicate about Hawai‘i throughKolomona and his other works?

Visit honolulumuseum.org,
click on Learn in the menu
and go to Teacher Resources.