Today we convened in Ms. Henneberry’s classroom and began to curate a collection of photos for a interfaith slideshow.
We then boarded the bus to make our way to Philadelphia. Today’s place of interest was the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Our tour started with a visit to a Japanese Buddhist temple. We learned ways to identify Buddha, some of which are elongated earlobes, a snail-covered head, and a position of meditation. Next, the group learned about a sacred ceiling and its symbolism. Our next stop was at a replica of a monk courtyard in Spain and we identified a few of the symbolic designs in the pillars. For example, a lizard represents Christ’s resurrection, while a clover is an identifier of the Holy Trinity.
Our most detailed stop was at a painting by David Ghirlandaio, an Italian artist in 1490, titled Virgin and Child, with Saints Apollonia and Sebastian. We wrote and drew our interpretations of the painting and discussed afterward. Some of the most significant elements were the halos surrounding their heads, and the fact that baby Jesus’ hand is the vanishing point of the painting, along with his mother Mary’s heart. We also discussed the landscape and how it is of the painter’s homeland instead of Bethlehem.
After the tour, we ate lunch and went out to the Rocky steps. Since it’s a tradition, we raced to the top and ended with a bunch of group pictures. We finished the day with 30 minutes of wandering and having fun in the museum.
