Student Activities
Students 10-12
(A) Choose 6 different art works with people in them
Describe these things in each of the works you have chosen:
- Clothing - What are people wearing?
- Environment - Where are the people in the picture? What are their surroundings?
- Activities - What are the people doing? Are they doing anything?
- Objects - Is there anything else in the picture? Which objects are close by and which are far away.
(B) Is there anything that links together the people in the pictures you have chosen? It might be their clothing, their environment, activities, the objects around them, or something else.
(C) Write a short story using all the pictures you have chosen.
(A) Many of the art works show landscapes. You can find these by typing "landscapes" in the simple search or choosing "landscapes" as the subject in the advanced search.
Look through these works, describing the following:
- The use of color
- People - How do the people interact with their environment?
- Objects in the picture - Are there buildings, plants or other objects in the picture? Where are they? What are they like?
- Foreground and Background - What differences can you see between the foreground and background in each picture?
(B) From among the works you have studied, choose 4 that have something in common. It could be the subject matter or the way the works are drawn or painted.
(C) Write a short story using all these pictures as illustrations.
(A) Many of the art works show what life was like in the ghettos and camps. Select 8 pictures showing everyday life in 2 or 3 different places. You can find pictures of people by typing "people" in the simple search. Another way is to choose some of these subjects in the advanced search: "food", "work", "leisure", "exercise", "personal hygiene", "religious practice".
Look closely at the works you have chosen. Describe the following:
- People - Are they young or old? Do they look well or sick?
- Place - Where are the people in the picture? What are their surroundings?
- Activities - What are the people doing? What does this tell us about everyday life in the camp or ghetto?
- Objects - What objects are people using in their activity?
(B) Compare the works you have chosen, stressing the similarities and the differences between then. Note any differences between the camps or ghettos you have chosen?
(C) Choose 4 pictures that are similar. Use these as the starting point for a short story.
Students 13-15
(A) Individually or in a group, make a list of the things you think are important for maintaining one's humanity in conditions of war and imprisonment.
(B) Look through the art works. Find works that reflect some of the human rights or requirements you listed in (A). Note the way different artists in different places depicted these things.
(C) Use the art works you have chosen as the starting point for an essay on the difficulties people faced in ghettos or camps and the ways they tried to overcome them. You can draw on the biographies, histories and other study resources.
(A) Look at the art works from Compiègne, Saint-Cyprien, Terezin and Kovno. As you are looking, use the choose function to select works that show the landscape or camp/ghetto environment.
(B) Note down the elements in these pictures that you expected to see and those that are unexpected or surprising.
(C) You have been asked to prepare a small exhibition of art works showing the camp OR ghetto environment. Choose 6 works and write a short caption for each. Write an introduction to the exhibition, describing the camps or ghettos you have chosen and the way they are depicted in the works. You will find useful background information in the camp/ghetto histories and in the essays in the study resources section
(A) Choose 6 works that reveal aspects of everyday life in the 2 or 3 different ghettos and camps. You could find these by typing "people" in the simple search or by choosing some of these subjects in the advanced search: "food", "work", "leisure", "exercise", "personal hygiene", "religious practice". Read about the artists and places associated with these works.
(B) Think about or discuss these questions: How do these art works relate to your previous knowledge or impressions of life in the ghettos and camps? Do they confirm your expectations? Do they reveal anything unexpected or surprising? Was life the same for everyone or was it easier for some and harder for others?
(C) Write a newspaper article about everyday life in a camp or ghetto. Concentrate on the cultural activity within that place. You can draw on the biographies and histories and on material in the study resources section.
Students 16+
(A) Look through the portraits produced in the camps or ghettos and note how the inmates are depicted in them. Look particularly at the works by Buresova, Féder, Ochs and Schaleck.
(B) Compare the works of Amalie Seckbach, Esther Lurie and Halina Olomucki - which ones are "realistic" and which are "imaginative"?
(C) Write an essay answering one or both of these questions:
- What was the role of the imagination in the art of the Holocaust?
- Is there any connection between "beautified" portraits and "imaginative" works?
You should give specific examples and refer to the artist biographies and the "Visual Art in the Holocaust" essay (see study resources).
(A) Choose 8 works by different artists that show the ghetto and camp environments. You can use the choose option to select and make notes about each work.
(B) Note the following, if appropriate:
- How the figures in the picture relate to their environment
- The way the picture depicts the world outside the camp boundaries
- Where the artist places themselves in relation to this pictorial environment
(C) Write an essay on the following topic:
- The relationship between reality and the imagination in the depiction of landscapes in the art of the Holocaust.
(A) Choose several works of art from different places and by different artists. Write down the main differences between the works you have chosen. These could be in subject matter, style, materials or techniques ...
(B) Some of these differences could be explained by the different styles or concerns of the artists. But some might be due to the conditions under which the works were produced. Read through the biographies of Lurie, Olomucki, Boden and Awret. Note down the things that affected their artistic work, such as the attitudes of officials and other inmates or the availability of materials.
(C) Choose two different places and write about the ways in which the art works reflect different attitudes towards artists creation. Give specific examples.