Art and Design · Year 6 · The Power of the Portrait · Autumn Term

Symbolism in Portraiture

Incorporating objects and backgrounds that tell a story about the subject's life and values.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS2: Art and Design - Meaning and Context
• KS2: Art and Design - Drawing and Painting

About This Topic

Identity and Symbolism in portraiture allow students to explore the 'hidden' stories within an image. In this topic, Year 6 pupils look beyond the face to the objects, clothing, and backgrounds that define a person. This connects to the National Curriculum's emphasis on understanding the historical and cultural context of art, as students analyze how symbols have been used from the Tudor era to modern digital avatars.

Students learn that a portrait is a constructed narrative. By selecting specific symbols to represent themselves, they engage in critical thinking about their own values and how they wish to be perceived by the world. This topic is particularly effective when students engage in role play or mock interviews, acting as the subject of a portrait to explain the significance of the items surrounding them.

Key Questions

1. Explain how objects in a painting act as a symbolic language for the viewer.
2. Design a set of symbols to represent your own digital and physical identity.
3. Analyze how a background can alter the narrative of a portrait.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze how specific objects and background elements in historical and contemporary portraits convey symbolic meaning about the subject's identity, status, or beliefs.
• Compare and contrast the use of symbolism in two different portraits, identifying how context influences interpretation.
• Design a personal symbol system, creating at least three original symbols to represent key aspects of their own digital and physical identity.
• Explain how the deliberate inclusion or exclusion of background details can alter the narrative and perceived message of a portrait.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of symbolic choices in a self-portrait designed to communicate a specific personal value.

Before You Start

Elements and Principles of Art

Why: Students need a foundational understanding of elements like line, shape, and color, and principles like composition, to analyze how they are used symbolically in portraits.

Introduction to Portraiture

Why: Prior exposure to basic portrait drawing and painting techniques will allow students to focus on the symbolic aspects rather than the technical execution.

Key Vocabulary

Symbolism	The use of objects, colors, or figures to represent abstract ideas or qualities beyond their literal meaning.
Iconography	The study of the subject matter and meaning of images, particularly the symbolic significance of figures and objects within a work of art.
Allegory	A story or image that has a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one, often represented by symbolic figures or events.
Attributes	Objects or symbols traditionally associated with a particular person, deity, or concept, used to identify them in art.
Narrative	The story or account that an artwork tells, which can be conveyed through subject matter, composition, and symbolic elements.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Symbols must be literal (e.g., a book means you like reading).

What to Teach Instead

Students often stick to the obvious. Use a 'hidden meanings' workshop to show how a book could also represent wisdom, secrets, or a specific historical event, encouraging more metaphorical thinking.

Common Misconception

The background is just 'empty space' to fill in later.

What to Teach Instead

Pupils often focus solely on the face. Through a gallery walk of portraits with contrasting backgrounds, help them see how a setting (like a stormy sky versus a tidy library) completely changes the story of the person.

Active Learning Ideas

Role Play: The Sitter's Interview

One student plays a historical figure in a famous portrait, while the other acts as a journalist. The journalist asks why specific objects (like a globe or a skull) were included, and the 'sitter' must explain their symbolic meaning based on research.

30 min·Pairs

Inquiry Circle: Symbol Sorting

Provide groups with a collection of objects or images. They must categorize them into 'Personal Identity,' 'Social Status,' and 'Values,' then present one object and explain how it could be used as a symbol in a modern portrait.

40 min·Small Groups

Think-Pair-Share: The Digital Self

Students list three emojis or digital icons they use frequently. They share these with a partner and discuss what these symbols 'say' about their personality to someone who doesn't know them, then sketch a portrait layout using these symbols.

25 min·Pairs

Real-World Connections

• Museum curators, such as those at the National Portrait Gallery, analyze the iconography of historical portraits to interpret the sitter's social standing, profession, and personal beliefs for the public.
• Fashion designers incorporate symbolic elements into clothing lines, drawing inspiration from historical portraiture and cultural symbols to communicate themes and brand identity.
• Political cartoonists use symbolic imagery to represent complex ideas and critique public figures, similar to how artists historically used portraiture to convey messages about power and status.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

Provide students with a print of a historical portrait containing clear symbols. Ask them to identify two objects and explain what they symbolize about the sitter. Then, ask them to write one sentence about how the background contributes to the portrait's story.

Discussion Prompt

Present two portraits of the same historical figure, one with significant symbolic objects and one without. Ask students: 'How does the presence or absence of symbolic objects change the story the portrait tells? Which portrait do you find more informative, and why?'

Quick Check

During the symbol design activity, circulate and ask individual students: 'What does this symbol represent for you? How does it connect to your physical or digital identity? Is it clear to someone else what it means?'

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is symbolism important in Year 6 art?

It encourages students to think like semioticians, decoding the world around them. It moves them from 'drawing things' to 'communicating ideas,' which is a vital skill for secondary school art and media literacy.

How can active learning help students understand identity and symbolism?

Active learning strategies like role-playing or symbol-sorting force students to justify their choices. Instead of just drawing a random object, they have to explain its purpose to a peer. This social interaction reinforces the idea that art is a form of communication meant for an audience.

How do I help students choose symbols for their own portraits?

Start with a 'brain dump' of their hobbies, family history, and values. Then, ask them to find an object that represents each. For example, a 'running shoe' might represent 'perseverance' rather than just 'sport'.

Can digital art be used for this topic?

Absolutely. Creating a digital collage of symbols around a selfie is a fantastic way to explore identity. It allows students to quickly experiment with scale and placement, which are key parts of symbolic composition.