puzzle - national portrait gallery · puzzle a group activity. use with portraits that are visually...

PuzzleA group activity. Use with portraits that are visually rich and complex. Teacher will had out puzzle pieces to eash student/pair of students.

1. Take one puzzle piece and study it closely. Don’t let others see it (unless you are working with a partner)!

2. Describe to the group what you see on your puzzle piece, without showing it to them.

3. After everyone has shared, consider what you know about the chosen portrait based on everyone’s verbal descriptions. Then, have a discus-sion about what you still want to know.

4. On a table or on the floor, fit all of the pieces together.

5. Have a group discussion about the portrait. If in the gallery, do this in front of the portrait. If in the classroom, show the portrait via a projector.

Staff picks for this routine: Men of Progress; Washington Irving and his Friends at Sunnyside

left: Men of Progress by Christian Schussele, oil on canvas, 1862; transfer from the National Gallery of Art; gift of the A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust, 1942right: Washington Irving and his Friends at Sunnyside by Christian Schussele, oil on canvas, 1864