Year 6 - Art and design
Patterns in medieval art
Charting self: exploring portrait and identity
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
Made in collaboration with October Gallery, in this unit pupils express personal identity through portraiture, material, memory and imagination. Pupils create textured paintings, symbolic surfaces, close-up feature portraits, and expressive self-maps that combine journey and face.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to identify and explain the sacred and symbolic patterns used in medieval paintings, and design your own pattern to express a personal idea, story, or memory.
Key Notes
- Medieval artists used geometric, floral, and gilded patterns to express spiritual ideas, not just decoration.
- Patterns were used to communicate meaning, such as harmony, holiness, and the connection between heaven and earth.
- Artists used patterns as a visual language to communicate ideas, beliefs, and stories to people who could not read.
Vocabulary To Learn
- pattern: a pattern is a design made by repeating shapes, lines, colours, or images
- geometric shape: a geometric shape is a regular shape with clear edges, often made using maths or tools
- symbolism: symbolism is when an object, shape, or image stands for an idea or meaning
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Patterns in medieval paintings were just decoration.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Medieval artists used geometric, floral, and gilded patterns to express spiritual ideas, not just decoration. Patterns were used to communicate meaning, such as harmony, holiness, and the connection between heaven and earth.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'pattern'
a pattern is a design made by repeating shapes, lines, colours, or images.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: Patterns in medieval paintings were just decoration. Correction: Patterns actually had symbolic and spiritual meanings, helping people understand religious ideas when most couldn't read.
More Lessons In This Unit
Browse all guides in the Year 6 Art and design guide library.