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Home>Learn>Teachers>Resources for Virtual Learning>Artworks To Spark Conversation in Your Classroom

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# 15 Artworks to Spark Conversation in Your Virtual Classroom

Explore the artworks below and discover conversation starters for your students. This resource is also available as a slide presentation. 

Jacob Lawrence, *Daybreak - A Time to Rest*, 1967, tempera on hardboard, Anonymous Gift, 1973.8.1

Find these details in this painting:

Baby in mother’s armsHarriet Tubman’s feetWalking stick (a symbol of the walking stick that Tubman used)Ant (a symbol of something small that carries a large load on its back)

Do you think this artwork shows strength? How? Reflect on your heroes. What are their strengths?

*Explore more about this artwork here*

Louise Bourgeois, *Spider*, 1996, cast 1997, bronze with silver nitrate patina, Gift of The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, 1997.136.1

Imagine if this sculpture came to life. How would it move? How might people react to it? What do you think the spider would want to do?

*Explore more about this artwork in a resource for pre-K kids here*

Jean Honoré Fragonard, *Young Girl Reading*, c. 1769, oil on canvas, Gift of Mrs. Mellon Bruce in memory of her father, Andrew W. Mellon, 1961.16.1

Look carefully at the young girl depicted in this painting and imagine how she feels. What would you would like to ask her? Write down five questions and then exchange with a partner. 

*Explore more about this artwork in a resource for English language learners here* 

Sir Edwin Landseer, *Alpine Mastiffs Reanimating a Distressed Traveler*, 1820, oil on canvas, Patrons' Permanent Fund, 2019.120.1

Find these details in this painting:

Dog collar with bells and lionSmall keg of brandy to revive the wounded travelerRed blanket marked with “St B” to warm the wounded travelerMonks from the nearby St. Bernard monastery

What do you think might happen next? What does loyalty mean to you? Discuss when and where you feel loyal. Why is this an important trait?

*Explore more about this artwork here*

Luis Meléndez, *Still Life with Figs and Bread*, c. 1770, oil on canvas, Patrons' Permanent Fund, 2000.6.1

What foods do you see on this table? What favorite foods would you add to the table? What foods do you know how to make?

*Explore this artwork and more in a resource for English language learners here*

Vincent van Gogh, *Green Wheat Fields, Auvers*, 1890, oil on canvas, Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, 2013.122.1

Imagine yourself standing in this field and describe your surroundings. What do you notice—any sounds? What’s the weather like? Do you see any plants or animals?

*Explore more about French impressionism here*

Albrecht Dürer, *Knight, Death and Devil*, 1513, engraving on laid paper, Gift of W.G. Russell Allen, 1941.1.20

Find these details in this painting:

Hourglass (a symbol of time and mortality)Foxtail speared on knight’s lance (stands for lies)Dog (a symbol of truth and loyalty)Scurrying lizard (a hint of coming danger)Skull (symbol of death)Death (with a crown of snakes)Devil (with the face of a goat)Knight’s shining armor (symbol of faith)

What does courage mean to you? Discuss with your family the different ways in which people can demonstrate courage.

*Explore more about this artwork here*

Romare Bearden, *Tomorrow I May Be Far Away*, 1967, collage of various papers with charcoal, graphite and paint on paper mounted to canvas, Paul Mellon Fund, 2001.72.1

What is the first thing you see when you look at this work of art? Why do you think it caught your attention?

How many people can you count in this picture? Describe what they are doing.

What colors do you see? Where else does that color appear? Find other colors and patterns that repeat throughout the picture.

*Explore more about this artwork in a resource for pre-K kids here*

Alma Thomas, *Pansies in Washington*, 1969, acrylic on canvas, Corcoran Collection (Gift of Vincent Melzac), 2015.19.144

Alma Thomas drew inspiration for her paintings from the colorful garden views from her window. What do you see in the painting that reminds you of flowers?

While she was painting, Thomas would envision herself in an airplane. What could these dabs of color represent as seen from above? What is in the center?

*Explore more about this artwork here*

 

Frederic Edwin Church, *Niagara*, 1857, oil on canvas, Corcoran Collection (Museum Purchase, Gallery Fund), 2014.79.10

Imagine you are painting this picture. Where are you standing? What do you see? What do you hear? Don’t miss the rainbow!

Make a six-word story about how you feel when you look at this view. Work together or write your own.

*Explore more about this artwork here*

Augustus Saint-Gaudens, *The Shaw 54th Regiment Memorial*, 1900, patinated plaster, U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site, Cornish, New Hampshire, X.15233

Do you see a drummer boy? A soldier carrying a flag? Canteens? Bedrolls? What else?

Imagine you are a figure in the scene. How are you unique or similar compared to others? What might you be thinking or feeling?

*Explore more about this artwork here* 

Henri Rousseau, *Tropical Forest with Monkeys*, 1910, oil on canvas, John Hay Whitney Collection, 1982.76.7

How many animals can you find in this painting? What other creatures might be hiding here?

Do you think this is a real place or an imaginary place? Why?

Imagine you are traveling to this jungle. What would you need to wear? What would you plan to do? What would it be like there?

*Explore more about this artwork in a resource for pre-K kids here*

Richard Norris Brooke, *A Pastoral Visit*, 1881, oil on canvas, Corcoran Collection (Museum Purchase, Gallery Fund), 2014.136.119

Focus on one person depicted in this painting. How would you describe that person? What is he or she doing, feeling, thinking? 

*Explore more about this artwork in a resource for English language learners here*

Jackson Pollock, *Number 1, 1950 (Lavender Mist)*, 1950, oil, enamel, and aluminum on canvas, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund, 1976.37.1

Look closely at the painting. What colors do you see? What lines and shapes can you find? Step back and look again. What do you notice now?

Imagine you are artist Jackson Pollock, who invented a style of painting where he poured, flung, and dripped paint onto canvases spread on the floor. To make this painting, where did you start? What color did you use first? How did you decide when to stop?

*Explore more about this artwork here* 

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