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Louis XIV Ceramic Cake Lesson

Submitted by: Diane Lamb-Wanucha, Westwood High School, Massachusetts
UNIT: Ceramics - Baroque/Rococo Art History
Lesson: Louis XIV Cake and Cake Plate - Collaboration
Grade Level: High School

Objectives: Students will

Research Baroque and Rococo Styles

Show knowledge of Baroque and/or Rococo style in the creation of a 3 dimension sculptural form

Combine building techniques - create a collaborative piece

Materials:

Moist Clay, Clay Modeling Tools, Slip dishes, Rolling Pins, Canvas Rolls, guide sticks, Potter's Wheel (optional), Kiln, Glazes and Underglazes, Brushes, embellishments (optional: Beads, ribbons, laces etc)

Louis XIV Cake and Cake Plate

After researching Baroque and Rococo Styles, Ceramics 2 students will pick a partner and within that partnership create a ceramic cake and a pedestal cake plate fit for Louis XIV. You can see a book on cake plates called Mauzy's Cake Plates: A Photographic Reference.

Click images for larger views

Creative Process:

Working as a team sketch ideas for a ceramic cake and a pedestal cake plate that emulate the Baroque and Rococo Styles and achieve unity in the two objects.

Create a collection of style specific decorative elements. Scrolls, s-curves, cartouches, carved columns, molding, attenuated vines, bouquets of flowers, garlands and/or putty.

Devise a concept. Will your plate and cake be grand and elegant? Will it have a sense of humor? How can you include historical information?

Your cake and plate must be designed for a special occasion fit for a king.

Create a colored thumbnail sketch of the cake and the plate that will clearly show all the details and character of the two objects. The best sketch will be the cover for our brochure.

Due: Utilize advanced hand building, wheel, molds, sculpting and a variety of decorative techniques. Create large multi pieced forms. Plan to see wheel demos, and sculpting demos.

Work with a partner to advance knowledge and technique.

Explore History and Art History to add ideas to your project. Use elements of Baroque Style and Rococo Style for expressive content.

Learn about Louis XIV, Louis XV and their Royal Courts.

Make a cake and a pedestal plate that would be presented to a King for a specific event. For example, a birthday, wedding, success in battle, etc.

Employ realism, fantasy, humor, satire….enjoy the creative process.

Louis XIV Cakes and Pedestal Plates will be displayed along with your write up which will include the "recipe" (poetic connection) and the event for which the cake was made.

Louis XIV Cake Plate Work Sheet

Artist #1 Artist#2

We have decided to split the job and ____________________ will create the pedestal plate and_______________________ will create the ceramic cake.

We have decided to work together on the job and we will both share the work equally to create the pedestal cake plate and the ceramic cake.

This is what we found out about Louis XIV that we will use in our project.

This is what we found out about the Baroque Style and the Rococo Style that we will use in our project.

What event in the reign of Louis XIV will you use to pay homage to the King?

ASSESSMENT - RUBRIC

Assessment Rubric
Student Name:						Class Block:
Assignment: Louis XIV Cake and Cake Plate …Art with a Message						Date Completed:
Circle the number in pencil that best shows how well you feel that you completed that criterion for the assignment.		Excellent	Good	Average	Needs Improvement	Rate Yourself	Teacher’s Rating
Define & Analyze the Problem – Planning –preparation- sketches in sketchbook. Information and sketches are creative, relevant and accurate.		10	9 – 8	7	6 or less 6
Skills – The best technique (s) for the job. Explored many methods of clay building techniques and decoration techniques including mold making, sprigging or press molding from found objects. Glazing (creative use of color and surface quality) enhances the project.		10	9 – 8	7	6 or less
Content – Design and concept (idea) clearly communicates the strong message. Ideas are clearly stated in your reflection, poem, chief cook, & bottle washer.		10	9 – 8	7	6 or less
Effort Good use of time to develop ideas & complete project? Excellent Working partnership. (Didn’t rush.)		10	9 – 8	7	6 or less
Craftsmanship – Neat, clean & complete? Skillful use of the art tools & media? Seams stay closed. Decorations stay attached.		10	9 – 8	7	6 or less
Communication-Compose a recipe that explains the ingredients in your cake. (included w/ content)
Total: 50 X 2 = 100 possible	Grade:					Your Total	Teacher Total

Student Comments:

Teacher Comments:

Nationals Standards: (depends on how much discussion and writing you do)

1. Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes	2. Using knowledge of structures and functions	3. Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols, and ideas	4. Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures	5. Reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others	6. Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines
Students apply media, techniques, and processes with sufficient skill, confidence, and sensitivity that their intentions are carried out in their artworks		Students reflect on how artworks differ visually, spatially, temporally, and functionally, and describe how these are related to history and culture	Students differentiate among a variety of historical and cultural contexts in terms of characteristics and purposes of works of art	Students identify intentions of those creating artworks, explore the implications of various purposes, and justify their analyses of purposes in particular works
Students conceive and create works of visual art that demonstrate an understanding of how the communication of their ideas relates to the media, techniques, and processes they use		Students apply subjects, symbols, and ideas in their artworks and use the skills gained to solve problems in daily life	Students describe the function and explore the meaning of specific art objects within varied cultures, times, and places	Students describe meanings of artworks by analyzing how specific works are created and how they relate to historical and cultural contexts	Students compare characteristics of visual arts within a particular historical period or style with ideas, issues, or themes in the humanities or sciences
	Students create artworks that use organizational principles and functions to solve specific visual arts problems.		Students analyze relationships of works of art to one another in terms of history, aesthetics, and culture, justifying conclusions made in the analysis and using such conclusions to inform their own art making.	Students reflect analytically on various interpretations as a means for understanding and evaluating works of visual art.