Art Classes: Level V

Level V-Art Lesson 1: Diocletian’s Palace in Croatia

Learn to draw an ancient Roman palace; use warm and cool colors to create depth

The lesson is suitable for students in grade 7 through adult.

Art Lesson Description:

The Roman Emperor Diocletian built himself a retirement palace so large that today one can find an entire functioning village inside the palace walls. The view in this picture looks across the courtyard just inside the main entrance to the palace

Since one looks through the columns in the forefront to see the facade behind, and since the entire palace would have been painted in Diocletian’s day, the picture we have here seems like an interesting way to learn history. At the same time it’s a good opportunity to learn about using warm and cool colors to create the sense of depth. We will use chalk pastels as our medium; they allow the artist to make changes and adjustments easily.

This lesson includes both POWERPOINT and VIDEO versions of the lesson plus 2 downloadable printouts: a warmup and a drawing of the palace.

List of Supplies for Each Student:

1 Diocletian’s palace warm-up (this is included with the lesson)
1 sheet of 12” x 18” neutral colored (medium grey, tan or brown) colored construction paper
Charcoal white pencil (#ad)
1 fine tipped permanent black marker (#ad)
Chalk pastels (#ad)

Suggestions for Cross-Curricular Connections:

Social Studies: Use this lesson as an introduction to the history of ancient Rome and the rule of the Emperor Diocletian. Watch a video tour of the palace led by Rick Steves.

Art and Architecture: Learn about Roman architecture. What is a Roman arch? What elements common to Roman architecture can you find in the picture?

Science: Find out what the advantages and challenges of using a Roman arch in the construction of a building.

Latin: Learn Latin with a home-study course.

Literature: