TEACHER’S NOTES

In Pursuit of ArtCHARLES EASTLAKE’S JOURNEYFROM PLYMOUTH TO THE NATIONAL GALLERY

Contents

• Introduction to the exhibition 3• About theTeachers Pack 3• Who was Sir Charles Eastlake? 4• Selection of works in the exhibition 6• Symbols in Art 14• What can we do for you? 16• How to book a visit 16• Further resources 16

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cover: Gerolamo dai Libri (c.1474-1555?) - The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne (detail). © The National Gallery

Introduction to the exhibition

The life and legacy of Sir Charles Eastlake (1793 – 1865), the first director of the National Gallery andseventh President of the Royal Academy, is honoured in this collaboration between Plymouth City Museumand Art Gallery and the National Gallery, London. Painter, scholar and arts administrator, Eastlake wasborn in Devon, a county that has produced many great British artists.This exhibition investigates Eastlake’sartistic development in Plymouth and subsequent activities as a central figure of theVictorian art worldin London.

The exhibition brings together a selection of paintings associated with some of Eastlake’s distinguished(Plymouth-born) art teachers, as well as by his friend J.M.W.Turner, from the collections of Plymouth CityMuseum and Art Gallery and the Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery.

A selection of the Old Master paintings that Eastlake acquired for the National Gallery, will also be ondisplay, along with rarely-seen documents from the National Gallery’s archive and library that demonstratethe extraordinary lengths to which he went to secure these masterpieces. One of Eastlake’s 36 travelnotebooks, for instance, will be on show, revealing his thoughts about the authenticity, technique, stateof preservation and fairness of the asking price of the pictures he saw.

About theTeachers Pack

The aim of this pack is to provide a way to look at, learn from, and engage with the various works andthemes of the exhibition. Seven key works are discussed within this pack that you will find on display,along with an introduction to Sir Charles Eastlake himself.

Elements of this pack can support your visit to the exhibition, and can also be adapted for use in theclassroom pre- or post- visit.

Please refer to page 16 for guidance on how to book a visit.

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Who was Sir Charles Eastlake?

Charles Eastlake was born in Plymouth on the 17 November 1793. He was born into a family alreadyheavily involved in the arts in Plymouth. Eastlake’s father, George, who was Admiralty Law Agent in thecity, set up the Plymouth Proprietary Library (which still exists on North Hill) in 1810, while the mayorHenry Woollcombe, a family friend, founded the Plymouth Institution in 1812.

Eastlake in PlymouthEastlake received his art education from two Plymouth-born painters, Samuel Prout and Benjamin Haydon,and learned much from the teachings of a third Devonian, Sir Joshua Reynolds, who had been the firstPresident of the Royal Academy. Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery held a major exhibition of SirJoshua Reynolds’ work in 2009.ATeacher’s Pack was produced and sent free to each school in the city,and is also available to download from our website.

From 1815, the Plymouth Institution held art exhibitions, to which the young Eastlake lent his portraitof the Emperor Napoleon captive on board HMS Bellerophon off Plymouth Sound.This painting soldfor an extraordinary amount of money, allowing him to travel to Italy.

Eastlake maintained close ties with Plymouth and in 1832 was presented with the Freedom of the City.

First Travels in EuropePlymouth was a thriving port during Eastlake’s early years, where news of great European events wasfirst received before reaching London. Being an artist, and being interested in European art in particular,may also have led to his desire to travel. He made a brief trip to France in 1815, and then, in 1816, hetravelled to Italy. He spent the next 14 years abroad, returning only on the death of his father, and lateron to visit his brothers.

While in Italy he was able to study the work of the Old Masters – includingTitian, Leonardo, and Raphael,and also to travel, making many notebooks of notes and sketches. His own paintings were very popularat the time, particularly his scenes of bandits and peasants in the Italian countryside. Most importantly,he began to develop his ideas on the theory and history of art, which would later be of great importanceto his career.

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Eastlake’s interest in British Art

Perhaps best remembered for his acquisition of continental Old Masters, Eastlake sought in many ways,but with more limited success, to promote British art.

Following in the footsteps of Sir Joshua Reynolds, Eastlake, as the seventh President of the Royal Academy,gave formal lectures or ‘Discourses’ to its art students. Eastlake also worked alongside established Britishpainters during his quarter-century as Secretary of the Fine Arts Commission, during which time hecommissioned scenes from British history and literature for the new Houses of Parliament.

During his directorship of the National Gallery, Eastlake bought portraits by Reynolds and Gainsborough,andTurner’s work became well represented as a result of the settlement of his contested will in 1856,when the Gallery received 19,000 of his drawings, watercolours and paintings.The majority of thesehave since been transferred toTate Britain.

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Selection of works in the exhibition

• Samuel Prout (1783 – 1852), Plympton Grammar School• Ambrose Bowden Johns (1776 – 1858), View of Plymouth from Coxside• J.M.W.Turner (1775 – 1851), Plymouth from Mount Edgcumbe, 1814• Charles Eastlake (1793 – 1865), Contemplation, c.1836• Jacopo Bassano (active c.1535; died 1592), The Good Samaritan, c.1562 – 3• Gerolamo dai Libri (about 1474 – 1555?), The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne, 1510 – 18• Giovanni Battista Moroni (1520/4 – 1579), Portrait of a Man holding a Letter (L’Avvocato), c.1570

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Samuel Prout (1783 – 1852)

Plympton Grammar SchoolOil on canvasPlymouth City Museum and Art Gallery

Aged 14, Eastlake attended Plympton Grammar School near his family’s second home, Hillside. It is unclearwhether he received any art tuition here, but formerly the school had nurtured pupils who went onto make their name in the art world, notably Sir Joshua Reynolds, whose father, the Rev. Samuel Reynolds,had been Headmaster of the school (further information can be found in theTeachers Pack for Sir JoshuaReynolds:The Acquisition of Genius, available from our website). Samuel Prout was another of these pupils.The schoolboys, who were taught in a single large classroom, would play under the Gothic-style portico.The school later became Hele’s School, and has since moved to a new site.

ActivityClearly, Plympton Grammar School was a very important part of many artists’ lives, so much so thatSamuel Prout decided to make a painting of the building.Think about the buildings that you spend themost time in – perhaps your house, your own school, or a favourite place to visit.What is it about thatbuilding that makes it special or important to you?The decoration?The materials it’s built out of? Thepeople you share it with?Try drawing or painting a picture of this building that conveys this importanceto the people viewing it. Can we think of this painting as a portrait?

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Ambrose Bowden Johns (1776 – 1858)

View of Plymouth from CoxsideOil on paperPlymouth City Museum and Art Gallery

Ambrose Bowden Johns, a landscape painter and drawing master, was at the centre of the Plymouth artworld. He assisted various local artists including Prout and Benjamin Haydon in their early years, andwas a friend of J.M.W.Turner during the 1810s. He also promoted exhibitions in the city and helpedfound the local sketching society.This view shows Coxside, the area that became the industrial heartof Plymouth during the 19th century, supplying the dockyard with everything from rope to candles.

ActivityDuring your visit to the exhibition at Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery, look closely at the wonderfulpaintings, drawings and other items on display, at the panels, labels and posters needed for interpretation,and at the cases and furniture used to enjoy these objects. If you were to stage an exhibition of yourpaintings in school, what kind of things would you need to consider when planning your exhibition, toensure people know about the exhibition and want to visit, and to allow people to enjoy the exhibitionwhen they do?

We would call these decisions and processes ‘curation’, ‘marketing’, ‘graphic design’ and ‘spatial design’,and are among the many things we have to consider when staging professional exhibitions.

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J.M.W.Turner (1775 – 1851)

Plymouth from Mount EdgcumbeWatercolourPlymouth City Museum and Art Gallery

Eastlake first encounteredTurner while training at the Royal Academy. In 1811, he ensuredTurner visitedhis family when on his first trip Plymouth.They were also together in the summer of 1813 whenTurnerreturned for a second sketching tour.Turner, inspired by the ‘Italianate light’, meaning the artists believedthe quality of light in the South West to be similar to that encountered in Italy, and aware of the manygifted painters from Devon, claimed falsely he was born in Barnstaple (his father had been born in SouthMolton, North Devon).

ActivityWhy not combine your visit to the exhibition with a trip to the Hoe, Mount Batten, or Mount Edgcumbe?After seeing the landscape paintings of Ambrose Johns and J.M.W.Turner, and looking closely at the expertway in which they were able to capture light, movement, and view in one small watercolour, why not tryfor yourselves – outside?These artists would more often than not have carried a small watercolour boxwith them while sketching, and while these works would have undoubtedly been finished inside, the initialwork may have been started outside.Today, we would call this way of working ‘en plein air’, and associate itwith Impressionist painters such as Monet, who was himself influenced greatly by the work ofTurner.

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Charles Eastlake (1793 – 1865)

Contemplation, c.1836Oil on canvasThe Royal Albert Memorial Museumand Art Gallery, Exeter

Eastlake declared that “landscape is a great deal more interesting than portrait (painting)”. However, becauseof a persistent eye complaint exacerbated by bright sunlight, and because he came to realise that he wasnot as skilled a painter in the grand style as friends such as J.M.WTurner were, Eastlake turned increasinglyto genre painting - paintings of everyday life, and idealised female portraits. He sought to imbue such workswith the grace of Raphael and the rich tonality ofTitian, two Italian Old Masters of the highest standard

ActivityWhat is this lady contemplating? Contemplation has a long history with both philosophy and religion. InGreek philosophy, Plato thought that through contemplation the soul may ascend to the highest levels ofknowledge.To Plotinus, a philosopher that followed on from Plato’s theories, the highest contemplationwas to experience the vision of God. In Christianity and other religions, contemplation refers to a content-free mind directed towards the awareness of God as a living reality. Perhaps the biggest clue might bethe rose in her dress. In art, roses usually symbolise love and beauty, and are also often associated withChristianity, as roses with five petals are linked to the five wounds of Christ on the cross. Perhaps, asEastlake was living in Italy, he was also thinking of the Italian practice of placing roses on the door of aroom where secret or confidential matters were discussed.What do you think?

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Jacopo Bassano (active c.1535; died 1592)

The Good Samaritan, c.1562 – 3Oil on canvasThe National Gallery, London

In the Bible, the Parable of the Good Samaritan is found only in the Gospel of Luke. Interestingly, Lukethe Evangelist is the patron saint of, amongst other things, artists. In the parable, the setting is the roadbetween Jerusalem and Jericho, a road notorious for ambushes and kidnapping.The town is based onBassano, the artist’s birthplace, which Eastlake first visited in 1830. Eastlake painted his own version ofthe scene in 1850. He purchased this painting, formerly in the collection of Sir Joshua Reynolds, fromthe posthumous sale in 1856 of the poet and National GalleryTrustee, Samuel Rogers.

ActivityHere, we are looking at a view of Bassano, the home of the artist – do you think this road was as dangerousas the biblical road?The two characters walking off into the background are the priest and the Levite.Did you notice the two dogs?They usually symbolise faithfulness and guardianship. Do you think theartist included two dogs because of the two men walking away from the injured traveller? We still usethe term ‘Good Samaritan’ when we describe someone that has helped others.Think of a differentancient story – can you decide on any symbols that you can use in a painting to describe this story,without using words?

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Gerolamo dai Libri (c.1474 – 1555?)

TheVirgin and Child with Saint AnneOil on canvasThe National Gallery, London

Originally this painting was the central panel of a triptych in the church of S. Maria della Scala,Verona.The holy figures of Mary, Christ and Mary’s mother, Saint Anne, are depicted in an enclosed garden.The lemon bush recalls humankind’s fall in the Garden of Eden, while the dead dragon at Mary’s feetand the olive branch held by Christ may also relate to the ending of the 1516 siege ofVerona. Italian‘Madonna’ paintings of this kind were particularly admired in England at the time. It was acquired byEastlake in 1864, and is noted in one of his travel notebooks also on display in the gallery.

ActivityThis painting was part of a much larger altarpiece – a painting that would be hung behind the altar in achurch, depicting religious subjects.Altarpieces were often made up of a number of different paintings,sometimes by the same artist, but more often than not by different artists. Multi-panelled paintings arecalled diptych, triptych, and polyptych – two panelled, three-panelled, and multi-panelled.The left panelof this altarpiece was by an artist called Paolo Morando, which is also part of the National Gallery collection,while the right panel, by FrancescoTorbido is now missing. Split your class into groups of five. Can theymake a five-panel polyptych painting? It doesn’t have to be of a religious subject – pick any story.Try tosplit the story into five key elements, one for each panel.

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Giovanni Battista Moroni (1520/4 – 1579)

Portrait of a Man holding a Letter(L’Avvocato), c.1570Oil on canvasThe National Gallery, London

Moroni painted altarpieces and allegorical pictures but is best known for his portraits, several examplesof which were either purchased or recommended by Eastlake as eligible for the national collection.The sitter has not been identified but has been described as a lawyer because of the title on the letter(‘Mago’ referring to Magistrate).The painting was bought by Eastlake in what proved to be his last majorpurchasing drive – at the Pourtalès sale in Paris in 1865.

ActivityThe sitter is dressed in black, a fashion of dress that had been absorbed into Italy from Spanish tastesof the time.The Spanish-style was known as being elegant, whereas extravagance and richness weremore common in the rest of Europe. Fashions are a very useful way of identifying when a painting wasmade, especially if a painting is unsigned.Think of fashions today.What dominant style of clothing tellsus about life today? What accessories or technologies must we have to fit in, or look ‘cool’? How doesthe addition of these fashions to a portrait painting help us understand when it was made?Try makingportrait paintings that include these symbols of modern life, perhaps mixing in a few older symbolsalongside.

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Symbols in Art

Use this list of symbols in your own work in the classroom.

Anchor – In Early Christian art, anchors symbolised hope.

Angel – Angels were the messengers of the gods, and were often used as a representation of heaven.

Anvil – Often these denote a warrior, though if the anvil is depicted tied to the feet of a suspendedfemale in mid-air, it represents the goddess Juno.

Apple – Related to Adam and Eve, and their temptation to eat the fruit from theTree of Knowledge.Often this is referred to as the ‘fall of man’.

Bird –The bird was the symbol of the soul in Ancient Egypt.They are also used to represent Air, on ofthe Four Elements, andTouch, one of the Five Senses.

Book – A symbol of learning and authorship.

Cards – Card games were seen as the mark of an ‘idle nature’, so some used them to symbolise a vice,or laziness.

Carnation – Pink, and especially red carnations, are used to symbolise marriage.

Clock – Clocks are used to symbolise the passing of time. In a portrait, clocks often represent thesitter’s moderation and self-restraint.

Corn –The attribute of Ceres, a classical goddess of agriculture. Corn is therefore linked to thepersonification of Summer.

Crane – A long legged bird, usually shown with one foot lifted from the floor, symbolising vigilance.

Crook – A shepherd’s staff, curved at one end. It is an attribute of both Apollo and Pan, both guardiansof flocks and herds.

Dandelion –This bitter leaved plant is often used to symbolise grief.

Dragon – A dragon chained or trodden underfoot symbolises the conquest of evil.

Eagle – An eagle is an ancient symbol of power and victory, and was represented on the banners usedby Roman armies.The eagle is still used today on many flags.

Ermine –The stoat in winter, when it has white fur and a black tip to it’s tail, is a symbol of purity.

Flowers – When many flowers are represented together, they symbolise Spring, and also Smell, one ofthe Five Senses.

Gourd – A hollowed out, dried fruit, similar to a pumpkin or squash.They were commonly used tostore water in for long journeys, and therefore symbolise a pilgrimage.

Grape - Grapes are commonly used to symbolise the blood of Christ. In non-Christian art, they alsorepresent Autumn, one of the Four Seasons.

Ivy – An evergreen plant symbolising immortality.

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Symbols in Art (continued)

Knot – A symbol of union.The tying of a knot by Cupid symbolises the ties of love.

Landscape – in religious painting, landscapes are often used to reinforce moral allegory. One half of thepainting may contain a landscape with clear sky, the other with dark cloud, symbolising good and evil.

Laurel – In portraiture, laurel bushes or branches are sometimes used to imply that the sitter is aliterary or artistic figure.

Mistletoe – An evergreen plant that often grows through trees, mistletoe was believed to be theembodiment of the living spirit, and therefore symbolises life. It is often shown worn as a protectivetalisman.

Olive – An olive branch is an ancient symbol of peace.

Peach - A peach with one leaf still attached is an ancient symbol for the heart and tongue, and wasadopted to symbolise truth.

Pillar – A pillar often represents strength and steadfastness.

Poppy – In Ancient Greece, poppies were used to represent Hypnos, the god of sleep, Morpheus, thegod of dreams, and also to represent night.

Rat – Rats and mice, due to their destructiveness in the home, became symbols of decay, and the passingof time.

Raven – In the Bible, a raven brings food, usually a loaf of bread, to a holy man in the desert.

Rose – White roses generally represent purity, and in the Renaissance were likened toVenus, Romangoddess of love and beauty.

Scales – An ancient symbol for judgement, used for weighing good and evil, right and wrong. In AncientEgypt, the scales were used to weigh the heart of the dead against the feather of truth, to determinetheir path to the afterlife or underworld.

Snake – Commonly used to represent evil, the snake also came to be used to represent wisdom andthe power to heal.

These symbols were adapted from Hall’s Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art.

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What can we do for you?

We are able to offer schools various options when visiting the exhibition.Visits can be arranged for anywherebetween one class to an entire school. In many cases, a member of staff can be present to facilitateyour visit.We are also very happy for you to visit as a self-directed group.

The exhibition provides a perfect opportunity for your pupils to experience nationally significant artfirst hand – and will act as a starting point for working in sketchbooks, fact finding, and talking aboutthe themes that surround the exhibition.

How to book a visit

Booking in advance is essential for visits.

We want to ensure your group has the best experience possible at each of our galleries, so please rememberto contact us first before organising your trip.We are very popular with schools, colleges and other usergroups, so our galleries can get very busy from time to time.

For enquiries for school visits, contact museumvisits@plymouth.gov.uk. Please have a range of possibledates available before contacting us, as it may not always be possible to offer you your first choice date.

Please remember to bring along sketchbooks and pencils for your visit, as wet materials, and also dustymaterials will not be permitted in the exhibition galleries. If you have any questions regarding materials,please contact us using the email above.

Further resources

Many of our previousTeachers Packs, Notes, and Resources are available as PDF downloads from ourwebsite - www.plymouth.gov.uk/museumlearningresources.htm

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