Students may explore questions of authorship by creating their own portraits and by studying biography. They can learn about the profession of criticism and try writing their own critical pieces, or practice their creative writing skills by using a portrait as inspiration for a character sketch. The collection also provides the basis for a project which can be used to assess reading comprehension and to help students understand the relationship between literature and drama. Criticism Portrait of Gilbert Seldes, 1932. In addition to being a photographer, Carl Van Vechten was also a published novelist and arts critic.
Students can learn about the profession of criticism and write a critical piece of their own.
They can start with an account of Van Vechten's career in the collection's biography . Ask them to consider if and how Van Vechten's career as a critic is reflected in his portraits. They may also view Van Vechten's portraits of critics, H.L. Mencken, Gilbert Seldes, and Malcolm Cowley and find out more about each of these individuals through research. Ask your students to consider the similarities and differences between these critics and their writings. Working with an example from their research or from current-day periodicals, students can write a critical piece of their own.