Join us for our silhouette art and physiognotrace education workshop, in partnership with the esteemed education staff of Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, a branch from the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston!
Physiognotrace is mechanical device used to help create early portraits with origins dating back to 1780s France, before the invention of photography.
This workshop is particularly inspired by the story of Moses Williams, known as the “Cutter of Profiles,” a notable African-American visual artist living in Philadelphia during the Revolutionary War and the early days of the American Republic. Williams’ use of the physiognotrace at Peale’s Museum is the basis of our workshop wherein participants will build their own working model of the device and use it to create their own work of silhouette art. Bayou Bend is home to Revealed Silhouette, an artwork by Moses Williams.
Audience:
Ages 7 and above
Materials:
Please prepare the following materials before the workshop:
4 Four hole-punched rulers
4 #12 Machine Screws (24x3/4”) and nuts
1 Black marker with ultra-fine point
1 Pair of Scissors
1 Roll of Tape
2 Rubber Bands (any kind)
1 Glue stick
2 Contrasting colors of construction paper
About Workshop Partner:
Bayou Bend is the MFAH house museum for American decorative arts and paintings. Displayed in the former home of Houston civic leader and philanthropist Ima Hogg (1882–1975), the collection is one of the finest showcases of American furnishings, silver, ceramics, and paintings in the world. The house is situated on 14 acres of organically maintained gardens in Houston’s historic River Oaks neighborhood.