National Gallery: Take One Picture 2020-2021
The Battle of San Romano by Paolo Uccello
We are delighted to announce that 4 pieces from Gordon Primary were shortlisted for the National Gallery, with 3 pieces going on to become part of the exhibition. This was a great thrill for all the staff and pupils who took part. We look forward to future projects with our partners at the National Gallery.
In autumn 2020, Gordon Primary School took part in the National Gallery’s Take One Picture project for the very first time. Each year, the National Gallery encourages primary school teachers and children to focus on one painting from the collection and respond creatively to its themes and subject matter, historical context, or composition.
Our teaching team have been exploring the focus painting in depth with the children and have developed techniques and ideas for using the painting as a resource for curriculum-based learning.
The Gallery hosts the annual Take One Picture exhibition each summer, to showcase children’s responses to the focus painting. In order to be considered for the exhibition, we have submitted examples of how our school has used the painting to inspire creative learning across the curriculum. We have been using the criteria to set our guiding principles:
-
Investigative approach: Pupil-led research
-
Process: Pupils have the opportunity to learn a new process inspired by the focus painting
-
Cross-curricular learning: The project must link subjects across the curriculum
-
Community: Involving the wider community
-
Focus painting links: All the work submitted must link back to the focus painting.
The project came to a wonderful end with our very first Take One Picture exhibition of the children’s responses to the painting, The Battle of San Romano by Paolo Uccello. Depicting the Florentine victory at San Romano in 1432, Uccello created this piece as one of a series of paintings designed for display within the home of a wealthy Florentine.
Seen riding upon a white charger, commander Niccolò da Tolentino, leads the cavalry, wearing a spectacular hat of red and gold.
Please take some time to click on the presentation, to enjoy all the work created by the children.