Exploring Portraits

Discussion through works of art encourage how to approach ambiguous and complex ideas, thoughts, and feelings. The MFAH offers a democratic space where students and teachers can develop, practice and articulate these habits of mind. Remember that the quality of the conversation is what is important, not finding the artist’s “answer.” Slow down and take the time to make careful observations. Talk about what you notice, and try to avoid jumping to conclusions and interpretations. Be sure to give enough time for silent looking and thinking. This Curriculum Connection also includes John Singleton Copley, Portrait of a Boy and John Singleton Copley and Earlie Hudnall, Jr., Hip Hop.

Work of Art

The Cradle expresses sympathy for the oppressed and destitute. John Biggers considered himself primarily a draftsman, and here he demonstrates his fine mastery of drawing. Central to the work is the depiction of the mother, who cradles her children within her arms. This conveys the immense responsibility motherhood brings, as the woman shields her three young children from the impending darkness. Although the mother appears to be in despair as she holds her children close to her breast, her thin, elongated arms reveal sturdy, worked muscles suggestive of a dogged strength and resilience.                                    

Drawn only in crayon, the background is composed of heavy crosshatching, a technique in which varying densities of parallel lines intersect one another to create areas of darkness. This method allowed Biggers to heighten the emotional energy of the work through the expressive background. His dramatic play of light and shadow, with black streaming from behind the figures, intensifies the mood of solitude and reflection. The curved lines of the children echo the curled body of the mother, who envelops her offspring.

Form, rather than detail, is prioritized. By rendering his forms stripped of detail, the artist draws attention to the essence of his figures, reinforcing the pensive solitude and peaceful stillness of this work. The mother and children speak to a universal theme of a mother-child relationship. Composed during a time of difficult transition for the artist, he found an outlet for his frustration in drawing: “I began to work with crayon. My mood must have dictated my sketching the rough contours of a primordial mother image. I thought, ‘A mountain of refuge, ravaged by time, yet remaining both strong and tender—protecting life—poised to absorb hostility without flinching.’” The Cradle exemplifies Biggers’ intrigue with motherhood, especially with regard to African-American women. He not only saw motherhood as an enormous responsibility, but he also considered women to be at the heart of African and African-American culture.

Throughout his career, Biggers was strongly influenced by African and African-American culture and traditions. He believed art was not only an individual expression of talent, but also, for him, “a responsibility to reflect the spirit and style of the Negro people.” Biggers promoted this philosophy in both his work and his teaching.

Biggers, who moved to Houston in 1949 after receiving a position to establish an art department at Texas Southern University, presented this painting at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s annual exhibition of Texas artists, where it won first prize.

Conversation

• How would you describe the relationship between the women and the children? Using elements from the work of art, how do you know that this is a mother and her children?
• What effect does the lack of separation between the bodies of the children and the mother add to the artwork?
• Notice the background of heavy crosshatching, a technique in which varying densities of parallel lines intersect one another to create areas of darkness. How does the use of this technique heighten the emotional energy of the work?
• Describe the use of light and shadow in this drawing. How does the dramatic lighting add to the mood of solitude and reflection?
• Why do you think the artist stripped the details from the figures?
• Notice how the artist chose to not portray the faces of the figures. How would this work be different if viewers could see their faces? What do you think their expressions would be like?

• While the lack of details helps the viewer to focus on the figures, how does it also add a sense of universality to the drawing?
• The artist stated that he created this drawing during a frustrating time in his life. Do you notice a tone of frustration and hopelessness infused in this work of art?
• The title of this work is The Cradle. How does the title and the embracing figure of the women create a tone of protection? In contrast, how does the darkness that surrounds the figures create an impending sense of doom and despair?
• While the artist did not include many details, he drew the mother’s arms as sturdy and muscular. What can we infer about the nature of the woman due to this additional detail?
• Despite the underlying tone of darkness and the despair, how does the figure of the women depict strength and resilience?

• Portraiture can tell a story and carry deep messages about the person depicted and the artist’s perspective. For example, these are all-American portraits, yet each person depicted lead very different lives. How do these portraits compare to your life/personal experience?
• Art concepts like composition and value set the mood. How would the Biggers drawing be different if it were in color? How did the similar posing of Copley figure and the Hudnall figure tell us a similar story? Strike a pose that you think demonstrates your personality or tells a story about you.
• A different approach for this artwork would be to ask students “what questions would they ask these individuals?” “What do you want to know about their life?” “What clues do you see in the photo that might answer your questions?”
• As a history connection: Look at these four works of art. What time period do you think they lived in? What cultural change have they seen in their lifetime? (Revolutions, wars, hardships, civil rights, etc.)

Subject Matter

It is very important for students to develop empathy at the middle school age. Students at this age judge people often at first glance and will make assumptions about that person. The activity of pairing these images of different people helps build awareness of what clues they use to judge a person. It also challenges them to look past their first opinions and learn more about a person’s story.

Together, these culminate in a deeper understanding of portraits and self-portraits. Students, when given a camera, resort to “Facebook” or “mugshot” looking photo portraits. Looking at posing and how the artists use a single image to relate a large amount of information about their portrait subject will lead to deeper symbolism in a portrait created by middle school students.

Assessment

• When compared and contrasted, these images can further students’ understanding of the urban experience as a discussion or bell-ringer activity/warm-up.
• Example of a bell-ringer activity: Give the students five minutes to compare and contrast the works of art and ask them to share their insights with the class. For more guided looking, provide the students with a question from “Connecting to the Classroom.”
• This lesson could also be used in an introduction to portraiture or in connection with 8^th grade history: have students place each person in the artworks in a time period they have studied in class. Students will then have to express what details of the artwork made them place each person in a time period.

Resources

Resources Available to Order

Check our online collection module for further information.