Fifth Graders Study Mughal Art
St. Bernard’s is lucky to be located in the same neighborhood as several world-class museums. Students in Mr. Clavel’s class took advantage of this on a recent trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Fifth graders were challenged to find specific artifacts from the Mughal dynasty. One of the items they discovered was a jali, an ornate screen carved from red sandstone, from a structure built during the reign of the Mughal emperor Akbar in the second half of the sixteenth century. Students also found a mango-shaped flask adorned with gold, rubies, and emeralds which was created during the reign of Shah Jahan, the emperor who built the Taj Mahal. They also located two beautiful manuscripts, a dagger with the hilt in the form of a blue bull, and a painting created by Chitarman which depicts Shah Jahan.
After completing the task of finding specific artworks and artifacts, the boys were given time to sketch a drawing of their favorite items. The boys dispersed and enjoyed looking intently as they drew and took notes on their selected pieces. When it was time to go, Mr. Clavel gathered the class and everyone walked back to school together. Special thanks to the parent chaperones and to Mr. Clavel for organizing this terrific trip.
