07/08 Academic Decathlon Art Selection #4

This lovely plantation is called Oak Alley Plantation in Louisiana. Aren't the trees really beautiful! Oaks can live to be many hundreds of years old. See what you can find out about Oak Alley which was begun in 1837. How were plantations pivotal in the Civil War?

07/08 Academic Decathlon Art Selection #3

This photo is called "The Sick Soldier" and is the work from the Mathew Brady Studio, 1863. Photography is a huge contributor to war journalism. Now images from the scene of the battle could be captured for people to see. How did this new technology contribute to people's views on the war? Check out Mathew Brady and find out how new this technology was at the time. How has technology changed our perception of wartime?

07/08 Academic Decathlon Art Selection #2

Quilting has such a rich tradition in our country! This Bible Quilt was made by Harriet Powers in 1886. Can you figure out some of the bible stories that she is illustrating? Where did she come from and I wonder how this quilt was preserved. One thing about textiles, they are more sensitive to the elements (the sun can DESTROY a piece of cloth!) and are more difficult to preserve. PLUS, critters love to munch on fibers. One of the main stresses on fabric is too much love! When we use, launder and revel in textiles, they begin to deteriorate. I have a quilt of my grandmother's and I remember seeing her tucked in her bed under her quilt. I have it now, and when I wrap up in it, I rejoice in the pattern, colors and the fact that my grandma & I are sharing the experience even though she is long gone. Do you have a favorite quilt or quilt story from your family? Maybe you have another kind of textile story. I'd love to hear about it!

07/08 Academic Decathlon Art Selection #10

Watson and the Shark
John Singleton Copely
1778, Oil on canvas
72 X 90 1/4"
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Woah - this is a dramatic scene captured on the canvas! What is the
story behind this painting? Not an AcDec image, but the Raft of the Medusa by Gericault has a lot of
similarities. What is the story behind THAT painting? How are they alike? How are they different? Why were these paintings made?