START WITH ART: Self Portrait in a Straw Hat

Good morning! We begin each day by examining a piece of art from history. Today’s artwork is pictured below. Take a look, then read the questions to the students/children in your life and watch how starting the day with art can ignite creativity and critical thinking!

Title: Self Portrait in a Straw Hat

Artist: Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun

Date: 1782

Medium: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 97.8 × 70.5 cm

Start with Art Questions:

• Why do you think the artist chose to paint herself wearing a straw hat? 

• What details in the painting help us understand what the artist might have been feeling or thinking when she painted herself?

• If you created a self portrait, what hat or other accessories would you include? 

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