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

Observe

Describe Interpret Connect

Look closely and quietly.

What do you see?

What do you think thispainting is about and whatmakes you say that?

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

Learn more at

HawaiiPublicSchools.org

Common Core Teaching Ideas

The Artist:

On the cover:

Hubert Vos
American(1855–1935)
Study of
Hawaiian Fish,ca.1898
Oil on canvas
36 ½ � 72 ⅝ in.
(92.1 � 184.5 cm)

Hubert Vos
Born in Maastricht , the Netherlands, in 1855, Hubert Vos

wanted to be an artist from the time he was a young boy, often
sketching portraits of his classmates and teachers. He continued
his education in Europe and opened a studio in London, where
he taught art and painted. In 1893, Vos had the opportunity toattend the Chicago World’s Fair—it was a trip that changed hislife. He was fascinated by the diversity he saw and painted
portraits of many of the people he met. He decided to create
portraits as he traveled the world. But first he moved to theUnited States, where he became a citizen and met and married
his second wife—Eleanor Kaikilani Coney Graham. She wasa descendant of Kamehameha, born on Kaua‘i in 1867, andacting as a travel companion to Queen Lili‘uokalani when she
met Vos in New York. Vos went on to paint rulers and heads ofstate throughout Asia, including his most famous subject, theDowager Empress of China. When he and his wife traveled toHawai‘i, Vos painted a number of works, including Study ofHawaiian Fish and Kolomona: Hawaiian Troubadour, both onview at the museum.

The Artwork:

A Study ofHawaiian FishOn April 26, 1898, thePacific Commercial
Advertiser reported thatHubert Vos was working
on a “large painting of
Hawaiian Fishes represented in various positions on a marble slab.”
He purchased actual
marine specimensfrom the Honolulu
Fish Market and madedetailed renderings of the57 varieties of fish andcrustaceans that can beidentified in his painting.
They are labeled on
the corresponding key.
Beyond painting in accurate detail, the artist’s goal
was to capture traditional
life in Hawai‘i, even as
it was changing due toWestern intervention.
An academic realist
painter, Vos adapted his
Hawaiian subject to the
Dutch or Flemish tradition of still life painting.
Realism in Dutch painting
can be traced back to theNorthern Renaissance(1430 to 1580), a time
when vibrant international trade created awealthy middle class
who commissioned(paid artists to create)
artwork for them. At thesame time, Dutch artists
perfected the use of oilpaint, using layers ofpaint to create translucent, jewel-like tones.
These techniques helped
them paint everyday lifein astonishing, realistic
detail.

Have students imagine what the man in thepainting might say to them if they could jump into
the painting.
Who might the man in the painting be? What do
you think he will do with all of the fish? Are there
any fish you can recognize and name?
Discuss the traditional Hawaiian implements inthe painting (i.e., calabash, lauhala basket, net).
Have students research one of these traditional
artifacts and write a short informative paragraphabout the artifact, to include what they know
from both what they have read and from thedepiction of the artifact in the painting. Accessother media such as photographs or video to add
to the students’ understanding of the implements.
Ask students to identify a fish in the painting,research that fish, and write an informative paragraph integrating the information found with thatfrom the painting and the key.
What can be conveyed in paragraph format that is
not conveyed by the painting or the key?
Discuss the painting using the ODIC process on
this poster (see right), then have students analyze
the online corresponding key (see left).
Are there any fish you can recognize and name?
What information does the key add to the painting?
What does the painting capture or share that thekey alone does not? How do the painting and key
complement each other to provide a more complete
understanding of the marine life?

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 and understand how the visual arts
communicate a variety of ideas, feelings andexperiences.

3533234

33281011121430

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50
51
3729155253

38

28

1716474467134645364594256

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241820192122272325

Black triggerﬁsh,
Melichthys niger,
humuhumu‘ele‘ele
2. Unknown
3. Unknown
4. Hawaiian squirrelﬁsh,ala ‘ihi
5. Mullet, ‘ama ‘ama
6. Halfbeak, ihe ihe
7. Brick soldierﬁsh, ‘ū‘ū
8. Leatherback, lae
9. Mullet, ‘ama ‘ama
10. Marlin (Bill), a‘u
11. Halfbeak, ihe ihe
12. Halfbeak, ihe ihe
13. Pearl wrasse, ‘ōpule
14. Peacock wrasse, laenihi
15. Scorpionﬁsh, nohu
16. Brown Surgeonﬁsh, mā‘i‘i‘i
17. 7 11 Crab, ‘alakuma
18. Yellowﬁn goatﬁsh,weke‘ula
19. Goldring surgeonﬁsh, kole
20. Mullet, ‘ama ‘ama
21. Raccoon butterﬂyﬁsh,kikakapu
22. Moorish idol, kihikihi
1.

39

41

40

26

Milletseed butterﬂyﬁsh,lau wiliwili
24. Hawaiian dascyllus,‘ālo‘ilo‘i
25. Hawaiian sergeant,maomao26. Threadﬁn butterﬂyﬁsh,kīkākapu
27. Lei triggerﬁsh,humuhumu lei
28. Hawaiian hogﬁsh, ‘a‘awa
29. Peacock wrasse, laenihi
30. Flying ﬁsh, malolo
31. Pinktail triggerﬁsh,humuhumu hi‘ukolu
32. Surge wrasse, hou
33. Barred ﬁleﬁsh, ‘ō‘ili
34. Multibar goatﬁsh, po‘ou
35. Stingray, hīhīmanu
36. Octopus, he‘e mauli
37. Regal parrotﬁsh, lauia
38. Bird wrasse, hīnālea ‘i‘iwi
39. Whitesaddle goatﬁsh,kūmū
40. Saddleback wrasse,
hīnālea lauwili
23.

57Whitesaddle goatﬁsh,kūmū
42. Mustache conger eel,puhi ūhā
43. Unknown
44. Giant trevally, ulua aukea
45. Bluespine unicornﬁsh,kala
46. Boneﬁsh, ‘ō‘io
47. Lined coris, mālamalama
48. Bonito, Polamis
euthynnus, kawakawa
49. Redlip parrotﬁsh, Scarus
rubroviolaceus,paluka luka
50. Bonito
51. Hawaiian hogﬁsh, ‘a‘awa
52. Unknown
53. Cigar wrasse, Cheilio
inermis, kupoupou
Unknown
54. Unknown
55. Unknown
56. Spiny lobster, ula
57. Glass eye squirrelﬁsh,
Heteropriacanthus
cruentatus, ‘aweoweo
41.

Visit honolulumuseum.org,
click on Learn in the menu and go to Teacher Resources to find:
Printer-friendly key of painting labeled by fish species, as well as
information on opportunities to visit and learn more about loko i‘a(ancient Hawaiian fishponds).

Free guided school tours
Teacher resources
Lending Collection
Outreach programs
Art School classes
To learn more, go to honolulumuseum.org
and click on Learn

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 by 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
see or what you think they should see.
OBSERVE: Start by taking a minute or two

to do some silent, close looking.
DESCRIBE: Have students describe what theysee, using evidence from within the artwork.

Hawaii Content and Performance Standards III
Fine Arts–Standard 1: Visual Arts
1

The museum offers:

Understand that science, technology,and society are interrelated.
Hawaii Content and Performance Standards IIIScience–Standard 2: The Scientific Process: Nature of Science

What is the first thing you notice? Where do you see that?
How is the artist showing you that? What more can you find?
INTERPRET: Have students interpret what theysee, by thinking about the time, place, mood,intention, and content of the painting.
What is the story? How do you know that?
Who are the main characters? What is the mood of thepainting? Where is the story taking place? Could this be
taking place today or is it a long time ago?
What might be going on just beyond the edge of theframe? Where does the story go next? Are there clues in
the painting that make you think that?
CONNECT: Have students connect the artwork
to their own 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 you want to know? If you could ask the artist onequestion about the image, what would it be? If you couldchange one thing about this work of art, what would it beand why?

Connecting to Standards

The Artist:

On the cover:

Hubert Vos

Hubert Vos
American(1855–1935)
Study ofHawaiian Fish,ca.1898

Born in Maastricht, the Netherlands, in 1855, Hubert Vos wanted to

be an artist from the time he was a young boy, often sketching portraits of his classmates
and teachers. He continued his education in Europe and opened a studio in London,
where he taught art and painted. In 1893, Vos had the opportunity to attend the Chicago
World’s Fair—it was a trip that changed his life. He was fascinated by the diversity he saw
and painted portraits of many of the people he met. He decided to create portraits as hetraveled the world. But first he moved to the United States, where he became a citizen
and met and married his second wife—Eleanor Kaikilani Coney Graham. She was adescendant of Kamehameha, born on Kaua‘i in 1867, and acting as a travel companion
to 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, the Dowager
Empress of China. When he and his wife traveled to Hawai‘i, Vos painted a number ofworks, including Study of Hawaiian Fish and Kolomona: Hawaiian Troubadour, both onview at the museum.

Oil on canvas
36 ½ � 72 ⅝ in.
(92.1 � 184.5 cm)

the 57 varieties of fish and crustaceansthat can be identified in his painting. They
are labeled on the corresponding key.
Beyond painting in accurate detail, theartist’s goal was to capture traditional lifein Hawai‘i, even as it was changing due toWestern intervention.
Vos was an academic realist painter,and he adapts his Hawaiian subject tothe Dutch or Flemish tradition of still life
painting. Realism in Dutch painting can be

A Study of Hawaiian FishOn April 26, 1898, the Pacific Commercial
Advertiser reported that Hubert Vos wasworking on a “large painting of Hawaiian
Fishes represented in various positions
on a marble slab.” He purchased actual
marine specimens from the Honolulu fish
market and made detailed renderings oftraced back to the Northern Renaissance(1430 to 1580), a time when vibrant international trade created a wealthy middle
class who commissioned (paid artists tocreate) artwork for them. At the sametime, Dutch artists perfected the use of oilpaint, using layers of paint to create translucent, jewel-like tones. These techniques
helped them paint everyday life in astonishing, realistic detail.

Visit honolulumuseum.org, click on Learn in the menu and go to Teacher Resources to find:
Printer-friendly fish species key • Opportunities to visit and learn more about Loko I‘a, ancient Hawaii fishponds

3433

2332

544

6
7

830

31

10

9

14

1351
37

29

1552

56

38

28

4255

43

20

19
21

27

39

23

22

1. Black triggerfish, Melichthysniger, humuhumu‘ele‘ele

2541

40

26

17. 7 11 Crab, ‘alakuma18. Yellowfin goatfish, weke‘ula57

31. Pinktail triggerfish,humuhumu hi‘ukolu

46. Bonefish, ‘ō‘io
47. Lined coris, mālamalama

2. Unknown

19. Goldring surgeonfish, kole

32. Surge wrasse, hou

3. Unknown

20. Mullet, ‘ama ‘ama

33. Barred filefish, ‘ō‘ili

4. Hawaiian squirrelfish, ‘ala ‘ihi

21. Raccoon butterflyfish, kikakapu

34. Multibar goatfish, po‘ou

5. Mullet, ‘ama ‘ama

22. Moorish idol, kihikihi

35. Stingray, hīhīmanu

6. Halfbeak, ihe ihe

23. Milletseed butterflyfish,

36. Octopus, he‘e mauli

50. Bonito

37. Regal parrotfish, lauia

51. Hawaiian hogfish, ‘a‘awa

7. Brick soldierfish, ‘ū‘ū

lau wiliwili

48. Bonito, Polamis euthynnus,

kawakawa

Observe, Describe, Interpret, Connect
Four simple steps to engage with art:

Common Core Teaching Ideas

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 by what they comeup 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
see or what you think they should see.

see, using evidence from within the artwork.
What is the first thing you notice? Where do you
see that? How is the artist showing you that?
What more can you find?

38. Bird wrasse, hīnālea ‘i‘iwi

52. Unknown

9. Mullet, ‘ama ‘ama

25. Hawaiian sergeant, maomao

39. Whitesaddle goatfish, kūmū

53. Cigar wrasse, Cheilio inermis,

10. Marlin (Bill), a‘u

26. Threadfin butterflyfish,

40. Saddleback wrasse,kīkākapu

hīnālea lauwili

kupoupou Unknown
54. Unknown

12. Halfbeak, ihe ihe

27. Lei triggerfish, humuhumu lei

41. Whitesaddle goatfish, kūmū

55. Unknown

13. Pearl wrasse, ‘ōpule

28. Hawaiian hogfish, ‘a‘awa

42. Mustache conger eel, puhi ūhā

56. Spiny lobster, ula

14. Peacock wrasse, laenihi

29. Peacock wrasse, laenihi

43. Unknown

57. Glass eye squirrelfish,

15. Scorpionfish, nohu

30. Flying fish, malolo

44. Giant trevally, ulua aukea
45. Bluespine unicornfish, kala

INTERPRET: Have students interpret what theysee, by thinking about the time, place, mood,intention, and content of the painting.
What is the story? How do you know that?
Who are the main characters? What is the mood ofthe painting? Where is the story taking place? Could
this be taking place today or is it a long time ago?
What might be going on just beyond the edge ofthe frame? Where does the story go next? Are there
clues in the painting that make you think that?

rubroviolaceus, paluka luka

24. Hawaiian dascyllus, ‘ālo‘ilo‘i

16. Brown Surgeonfish, mā‘i‘i‘i

Understand that science, technology,and society are interrelated.

49. Redlip parrotfish, Scarus

8. Leatherback, lae

11. Halfbeak, ihe ihe

To learn more, go to honolulumuseum.org
and click on Learn

54

24
18

Art School classes

Hawaii Content and Performance Standards III
Fine Arts–Standard 1: Visual Arts

Lending Collection

53

17

16

49

50

1112

Outreach programs

Teacher resources

DESCRIBE: Have students describe what they48

47

Heteropriacanthus cruentatus,‘aweoweo

Hawaii Common Core ELA-Literacy Standard (CCRA.R7)

Understand and apply art materials, techniques, and process in the creation of worksof art and understand how the visual arts
communicate a variety of ideas, feelings andexperiences.

to do some silent, close looking.

46

45

36

4

Free guided school tours

OBSERVE: Start by taking a minute or two

35
1

The museum offers:

Integrate and evaluate content presented indiverse formats and media, including visuallyand quantitatively, as well as in words.

CONNECT: Have students connect the artwork

to their own lives to make it relevant.
Does this remind you of something from yourown life? Can you relate to what’s going on in thispicture? What more do you want to know? If youcould ask the artist one question about the image,what would it be? If you could change one thing
about this work of art, what would it be and why?

Hawaii Content and Performance Standards III
Science–Standard 2: The Scientific Process: Nature of Science

Discuss the painting using the ODIC process on
this poster, then about the paintingon the poster
have students analyze the corresponding key.
Lead students to compare the technical information in the key with the painting.
What information does the key add to the painting?
What does the painting capture or share that thekey alone does not? How do the painting and key
complement each other to provide a more complete
understanding of the marine life?
Ask students to identify a fish in the painting,research that fish, and write an informative paragraph integrating the information found with thatfrom the painting and the key.
What can be conveyed in paragraph format that isnot conveyed by the painting or the key?
Who might the man in the painting be?
Have your students imagine what the man in thepainting might say to them if they could jump intothe painting.
Who might the man in the painting be? What do
you think he will do with all of the fish? Are there
any fish you can recognize and name?
Discuss the traditional Hawaiian implements inthe painting (i.e., calabash, lauhala basket, net).
Have students research one of these traditional
artifacts and write a short informative paragraphabout the artifact, to include what they know
from both what they have read and from thedepiction of the artifact in the painting.
What can be conveyed in paragraph format thisis not conveyed by the painting and vice versa?
Access other media such as photographs or videoto add to the students’ understanding of theimplements.