If you see this message, your browser is unable to view the answers through dynamic HTML. The answers to the questions are:

  1. What clues does the artist give us that the story has Greek origins? (Clothing and tightly curled hair evoke ancient Greek sculpture, and there is Greek architecture in the panel background.)
  2. Can you see anything else that reminds you of ancient Greece on this cassone? (Answers might include: Figures on the corners of the chest are Greek monsters said to torment misers. Heads above the pictorial panels and face at the center bottom of the chest often decorated classical architecture.)
  3. What does that mean? (Taking on more than you're equipped to handle.)
  4. Which part of the story does this panel illustrate [top-left]? (Panel 1: Phaeton being taunted by his playmate)
  5. Which part of the story does this panel illustrate [top-right]? (Panel 2: Phaeton and his mother gesturing toward the sun)
  6. Which part of the story does this panel illustrate [bottom-left]? (Panel 3: Phaeton kneeling before his father Helios)
  7. Which part of the story does this panel illustrate [bottom-right]? (Panel 4: Phaeton tumbling from the chariot alongside two falling horses)
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Cassone (Storage Chest)



Discussion Questions:

Cassone (Storage Chest)
Cassone (Storage Chest)
About 1600
Walnut
Gift of F. W. Clifford Family

Key Ideas
Story
Background
Discussion Questions

Look

  1. Review the story of Phaeton and decide which episodes from the story the artist chose to illustrate in these four panels.

Phaeton being taunted by his playmate
Which part of the story does this panel illustrate? Panel 1: Phaeton being taunted by his playmate

 

Phaeton and his mother gesturing toward the sun
Which part of the story does this panel illustrate? Panel 2: Phaeton and his mother gesturing toward the sun


Phaeton kneeling before his father Helios
Which part of the story does this panel illustrate? Panel 3: Phaeton kneeling before his father Helios

 


Phaeton tumbling from the chariot alongside two falling horses
Which part of the story does this panel illustrate? Panel 4: Phaeton tumbling from the chariot alongside two falling horses

  1. The people of the Italian RENAISSANCE were fascinated with ancient Greek and Roman cultures.
    What clues does the artist give us that the story has Greek origins? Clothing and tightly curled hair evoke ancient Greek sculpture, and there is Greek architecture in the panel background.
    Can you see anything else that reminds you of ancient Greece on this cassone? Answers might include: Figures on the corners of the chest are Greek monsters said to torment misers. Heads above the pictorial panels and face at the center bottom of the chest often decorated classical architecture.

    Detail of tightly curled hair from the Cassone (Storage Chest)

     

    Detail of classical architecture from the Cassone (Storage Chest)

    Detail of Panel 2 & to the right of Panel 2 from the Cassone (Storage Chest)

     

    Detail of Panel 3 from the Cassone (Storage Chest)

    Detail of greek monsters from the Cassone (Storage Chest)

    Detail of greek monsters from the Cassone (Storage Chest)

  2. Italian RENAISSANCE artists were very interested in creating the illusion of depth in their work. The artist who carved this cassone used OVERLAPPING, SCALE (the scale of objects far away in a space appear smaller than objects in the foreground), and HORIZON LINES to create a sense of deep space.
    What appears farthest from you in each of these panels? The sun in the second panel is smaller than the figures in the foreground.
    Closest to you? The large figure in the second panel is closest to the viewer.
    Where has the artist used overlapping? In each of the panels figures overlap each other or objects.
    Where has the artist used scale to show distance? Where has the artist used a horizon line?

Think

  1. The artist who carved this cassone chose to represent the story of Phaeton in four scenes from the story. Working in groups of four, think of a story that everyone in your group knows well. What four scenes from the story would you choose to represent? Why? Extension: Illustrate the four scenes, each on a separate piece of paper. Trade your illustrations with another group. Now put the new set of illustrations in their proper sequence. How did you know which came first? Which came last?

  2. The story of Phaeton is a story about a boy who "bit off more than he could chew"!
    What does that mean? Taking on more than you're equipped to handle.
    Have you ever bitten off more than you could chew? What happened? How was the problem resolved?

  3. Renaissance viewers of this cassone would have interpreted the story of Phaeton as a version of a story from the Bible. What experiences from contemporary life does the story evoke for you? Think about popular movie themes, news events, or books.
Key Ideas Story Background Discussion Questions
 
 

 

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