Many different portraits in the
Museum's collection are the source of inspiration
for artwork created by 5th grade students from Mother
Caroline Academy. In particular, the students focused
on portraits in the Dutch Room and the life-size portrait
of Isabella Gardner in the Gothic Room. Trying to
uncover the stories in the portraits, they looked
for clues in the background and foreground of each
painting. The students examined each subject's individual
pose, facial expression, style of dress and objects
they held. They discovered that a portrait tells a
story about someone. The students decided to paint
these colorful self-portraits to document their own
stories. These self-portraits will be a part of an
exhibition at Mother Caroline Academy.
