REVISE – In an Artist’s Studio #647809 - Prove ed esercizi Zanichelli

STEP 5 Think further and prepare for your test: the female artist

Read the passage taken from Dolores Rosenblum's book Christina Rossetti: The Poetry of Endurance, in which she discusses Rossetti's identity and work. Decide if the statements are true or false. Then look at the prompts and write some extra reflections in your exercise book. You can use the final text as revision material for your test.

PROMPTS:
- Refer to STEP 3 to further discuss the Pre-Raphaelite artists' depiction of women.
- Refer to the box 'Themes' in 'All about Christina Rossetti' in your textbook. Explore how Christina Rossetti criticised the restrictions that women had in the Victorian era.
- Refer to the passage above and to the box 'Themes' in 'All about Christina Rossetti' in your textbook. Discuss how Rossetti's experience as a female artist was often complex and contradictory.

A:

The passage suggests that Christina Rossetti felt uncertain about her role.

B:

The passage suggests that Christina Rossetti saw herself as someone who is both observed and represented.

C:

Rosenblum notes that Rossetti's experience as a model for her brother repressed her creativity.

D:

Rosenblum claims that Rossetti's personal experience as a model shaped how she understood herself and created art.

Revise

Vero o falso

STEP 3 In the woman's mind

Imagine you are the woman depicted in the paintings. Complete the text with the words given.

In his studio, I feel myself becoming less of a person and more of an ________. Variation is not permitted: his paintings ________ me into a queen, a saint, an angel. I am none of these things, but visitors to the studio do not see that. For them, I exist only through the artist's ________.
He does not capture my ________, nor does he notice my ________ as I pose. He is satisfied with the ________ version of me that he has built in his mind. I cannot ________ for myself in these paintings, and I am forced to look back at the viewer with kind, ________ eyes.

Revise

Posizionamento

STEP 2 Digging deeper

Read the statements and decide if they are true or false.

A:

The variety of poses in which the woman has been painted suggests that the artist is interested in portraying her in realistic contexts.

B:

The pronoun 'we' in the third line turns readers into visitors to the studio.

C:

The woman is empowered by her portrayals as a saint or queen.

D:

The repetition of idealised images suggests the woman's loss of individuality.

E:

The poem suggests an imbalance of power in which the artist controls how the woman is seen.

Revise

Vero o falso

STEP 1 Focus on the structure

Reorder the following statements as they appear in the poem. Write the correct numbers (1-5) in the gaps.

The descriptions of how the woman has been painted become increasingly idealised. ________
The speaker notes that there are multiple depictions of the same woman. ________
The speaker highlights that the woman is not portrayed as she is in real life. ________
The speaker presents the artist's studio mainly in a descriptive way. ________
The tone gradually shifts from neutral observation to critique. ________

Revise

Completamento aperto

STEP 4 Recognise the themes

Read the statements and select the ones that reflect the themes of the poem.

A:

The poem celebrates the woman's identity.

B:

The poem explores how the male gaze specifically turns women into idealised figures.

C:

The poem shows that the artist and the muse are involved in a relationship of mutual objectification.

D:

The poem focuses on the genuine affection the artist feels for his muse.

E:

The poem criticises art as something that repeatedly hides the truth.

F:

The poem involves the viewers in the consumption and idealisation of the woman.

Revise

Scelta multipla