RISD Museum Scavenger Hunt
Due: Friday, October 12, 2012 (in class)
Together with Writing Assignment #2, ‘Rome Conquers the RISD Museum’
FYI: The RISD Museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays, 10 am-5 pm; Thursdays, 10 am-9 pm. Admission FREEwith Brown ID card.
The Scavenger Hunt is to be done individually (honor system) so that you all look carefully at the Roman material, in order to pick your artifact/art work for the writing assignment. Make sure you visit all the Etruscan/Roman galleries, which are mixed in with Greek stuff (there are essentially three rooms, in an ‘L’ shape). But feel free to wander around the Museum!
For the rest of the assignment: select one artifact or art work on display that dates to the Roman period, and EITHER write a detailed description of it, explaining its style, craftsmanship and function (using readings for class, and independent research; we can supply bibliography if you need help) OR craft a fictional account (prose, poetry, other media) that somehow involves or revolves around the piece — putting it back in its original Roman context, or retailing its history since ancient times. Be creative.
Final product (apart from the ‘scavenger hunt’) should involve the equivalent of at least three pages of written work.
RISD MuseumScavenger Hunt
To answer, write in the title of the piece you have identified as fitting the ‘clue’ (e.g., Roman Statue of a Young Boy) and the museum accession or gift number (all this on the accompanying label), as well as any other information the ‘clue’ requires.
Do EIGHT out of TEN
1) Help! I look just like every other member of my family/dynasty!
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2) Find at least one eagle OR one bucranium (sacrificial cow skull).
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3) Romans made fun of my people, but we were actually very tough fighters. Though I am rather small….
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4) How big a body could fit in the flesh eater on display in the middle of the gallery? What is shown on this thing?
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5) My nose is partly gone, and it is hard to see my drilled pupils. And Antinous is dead. So am I. Bummer.
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6) I give new meaning to the word, ‘hand-dle’.
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7) The Ara Pacis Augustae had floral decorations/vines all over it. So do I.
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8) Obverse, Alexander. Reverse, Athena.
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9) What does ‘dis manibus’ mean? And how do you know?
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10) Step on me! I’m the life of the party!
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For extra credit:
What piece is Professor Alcock talking about in the RISD Museum on Friday, October 19th?
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