The Blessed Mother in Art

The Blessed Mother in Art is designed to take the students through an Art History Timeline while focusing on the portrayal of the Blessed Mother through the ages.

The goal of this course is to enhance the students’ knowledge of the role of Our Blessed Mother in Salvation History, and gain an overview of Marian Art in each age. The Lord Himself has gifted us His Own Mother, and by studying her, we can grow closer to Him!

Students will view Marian art throughout the years. They will be able to determine which styles originated from which point in history. The students will be expected to identify the time period and materials used in particular works of art.

The course will preview Marian art through 4 eras. The periods we will explore are Old Testament/Ancient Times, New Testament – Early Medieval, High-Medieval-Post Reformation, and American.

As we study Marian Art throughout the ages, students will use this opportunity to choose from a sample of works, and create line drawings on a favorite piece from the period. Students will then choose their favorite of their completed line drawings and gain instruction on following the style and technique where possible of the original in order to recreate a masterpiece of The Blessed Virgin.

Students must be engaged: Our class is forever changed with the input and participation of each student. I learn from my students, and you all learn from each other. Please come to class ready and excited to ask questions, supply answers, and learn together.

Commonplace Notebook: Notebooking is an excellent way to compile information across many areas or units, in order to better understand and reflect for a final project or presentation. The students will take notes here and perform grid drawings for sketches.

Be Prepared: Some projects take time, and that will be accounted for by the instructor. As a general rule, students need to come to class prepared with their materials, ensure their technology is in working order, and have a professional and positive attitude.

Apply Knowledge: Students should demonstrate their understanding across the subject matter, and be able to build on previous knowledge as the year progresses.

Initiative/Maturity: This student will be proactive in listening to the teacher’s comments, assessing how they apply to his/her work, taking the initiative to schedule office hours with the teacher if necessary.

Student Expectations in Action

Students will arrive to class on time, prepared, with all materials and assignments needed. The primary goal for the student will be to acquire a general overview of Marian art throughout history. The secondary goals for the student are to improve their ability to draw from sight, meditate on the Blessed Virgin, and grow in virtue.

Students will be expected to listen and participate in class discussions. Students will share outside knowledge relevant to the topic. Each week the teacher will lead discussions based on The Blessed Virgin in Art. Students will also be expected to maintain their commonplace notebook, submit outlines or project proposals when needed, and understand that the instructor may require or decline certain assignments.

All assignments will be due into the appropriate folder prior to the start of class each day. Students turning in late work will earn a 10% penalty for each day the assignment is late. Students will submit their work by scanning their homework pages

and uploading it into the assignment window. Photographs of projects are the best way to document the physical products we’ll create during this course, but all written must be scanned for submission.

Syllabus

Mrs. Breidenbach’s Syllabus

For each skill instructors have determined whether it is a prerequisite skill or a skill to be developed throughout the course. For lower school, instructors indicate where parent support is expected.

With Parent Support: Skills that most lower school students will need help with.
Developing: Skills that the instructor will help develop and emphasize throughout the year.
Mastered: Prerequisite skills that the instructor is expecting students to possess.

Reading:

Be able to read material with attention to detail and identify areas which require clarification or further explanation from the instructor.
Be able to mark a text to indicate important terms, definitions, or concepts.
Be able to read with a goal to understanding an author’s argument even if the student disagrees with the conclusion reached or reasons given.

Writing

Be able to use proper capitalization and punctuation.
Be able to spell at grade level and employ course vocabulary cumulatively throughout the course.
Be able to form a paragraph which includes a topic sentence, transition sentences, and clear linear thinking.
Be able to write a five-paragraph essay with direction from the instructor.
Be able to manage assignments, submissions, and notifications on Canvas.
Know what plagiarism is and how to avoid it.

Class Discussion

Be able to engage respectfully and wisely with other students and the instructor.
Be prepared to generate thoughtful questions to enhance the class discussion and identify areas needing clarification.
Be prepared to answer questions when called on during class.
Be prepared to volunteer comments and ideas during class.
Be able to follow directions on note-taking and other exercises during class.

Required Course Materials:

Commonplace notebook
Timeline of Ancient Art History Ancient Times – 1400 R.C. History
Timeline of Art History from 1400 R.C. History
Knights of Art: Stories of the Italian Painters R.C. History
Pencil
Highlighter
Ruler
Basic art supplies: gum eraser, colored pencils, water colored pencils or any other art medium preferred for sketching and note taking
Various materials related to the piece of art we are working on for that quarter. This will be provided at the beginning of each quarter.

*Please note additional course literature will be added before the start of Summer 2023 and all enrolled will be notified.

Jennifer Breidenbach holds a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Art. She has experience in homeschool co-ops, private Catholic schools, and a private art studio. Jennifer is a devoted wife and mother, who loves living out her vocation and spending time with her family.

Currently, she volunteers at her local Catholic homeschool co-op, and runs her own website. It is a great joy for her to be an instructor with the Aquinas House of Studies at Scholé Academy. She spends her free-time going on nature walks with her toddlers, painting and drawing, learning new skills, and deepening her faith life! [email protected]

Computer: You will need a stable, reliable computer, running with a processor with a speed of 1 GHz or better on one of the following operating systems: Mac OS X with Mac OS 10.7 or later; Windows 8, 7, Vista (with SP1 or later), or XP (with SP3 or later). We do not recommend using an iPad or other tablet for joining classes. An inexpensive laptop or netbook would be much better solutions, as they enable you to plug an Ethernet cable directly into your computer. Please note that Chromebooks are allowed but not preferred, as they do not support certain features of the Zoom video conference software such as breakout sessions and annotation, which may be used by our teachers for class activities.

High-Speed Internet Connection: You will also need access to high-speed Internet, preferably accessible via Ethernet cable right into your computer. Using Wi-Fi may work, but will not guarantee you the optimal use of your bandwidth. The faster your Internet, the better. We recommend using a connection with a download/upload speed of 5/1 Mbps or better. You can test your Internet connection here.

Webcam: You may use an external webcam or one that is built in to the computer. Webcam Recommendations: Good (PC only) | Best (Mac and PC)

Headset: We recommend using a headset rather than a built-in microphone and speakers. Using a headset reduces the level of background noise heard by the entire class. Headset Recommendations: USB | 3.5mm

Zoom: We use a web conferencing software called Zoom for our classes, which enables students and teachers to gather from around the globe face to face in real time. Zoom is free to download and easy to use. To download Zoom:

Visit zoom.us/download.
Click to download the first option listed, Zoom Client for Meetings.
Open and run the installer on your computer.
In August, students will be provided with instructions and a link for joining their particular class.

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