How to Do an Advent Picture Study

When I shared in my Instagram stories about our Advent picture study last year, you had questions.  I’m all about practical tips and resources, so let’s take a closer look at how this works!

Picture study is a practice commonly associated with the Charlotte Mason method of homeschooling, but anyone can do it!  And don’t worry, you don’t have to be an art expert.  I’m not, and that’s the fun of it: learning right along with my kids.

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A traditional Charlotte Mason picture study focuses on one artist, covering 6-8 pieces by that artist within approximately 10 weeks.  Picture study always includes reading about the artists and studying his most famous works.  It’s simple and brilliant and kids eat it up.

The actual process of studying a painting is very simple.  If you’re new to the concept, see my Charlotte Mason Picture Study instructions.

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How to Do an Advent Picture Study

When it comes to an Advent picture study, there are three main options.

1. Study multiple Advent paintings by the same artist.  This works well with some, but not all, artists.  
2. Study similar Advent paintings by multiple artists.  Focus on one aspect of the Advent story, such as the annunciation or the nativity.
3. Study paintings by multiple artists of several Advent events in chronological order.  For example, pick one artist’s painting of the annunciation, another artist’s depiction of the journey to Bethlehem, and another’s rendition of the nativity scene.

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For our Advent picture study this year we chose to study the annunciation.

1. We started with one painting of the annunciation and studied it CM-style.
2. Next, we studied many annunciation paintings and compared them to the first painting we’d studied.  This step stretched across two picture study sessions.
3. Finally, we read the annunciation account from Scripture and the boys created their own annunciation drawings.
4. Throughout the Advent season, we displayed several paintings from our annunciation study.

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Advent art resources

After years of conducting picture studies with the Charlotte Mason method, we have built quite a collection of our own art books and picture study portfolios.  This allows me to draw from our existing resources to piece together our Advent picture studies.  

If you’re looking to build your own such collection, here are a few resources to get you started.

• The Christmas Story as told by St. Luke and St. Matthew illustrated with paintings from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the National Gallery of Art
• The Christmas Story Deluxe Edition
• A Renaissance Christmas from the National Gallery of Art
• Seasonal Art Devotions and Art Prints
• Wounded in Spirit: Advent Art & Meditations
• The Art of Advent: A Painting a Day from Advent to Epiphany
• Picture Study Portfolios

Have you ever done an Advent picture study?

Here’s a peek at what an average day of homeschooling (and homesteading) looks like for us:

• Part 1: Day in the Life: Homestead Homeschool Morning
• Part 2: Day in the Life: Cozy Homestead Homeschool
• Part 3: Day in the Life: Midday Homestead Homeschool
• Part 4: Day in the Life: Homestead Homeschool Family Dinner
• Part 5: Day in the Life: Homestead Homeschool Evening

More about homeschooling:

• 3 Foundations of Holistic Homeschooling
• How to Choose a Homeschooling Method
• A Gentle Approach to Kindergarten
• Thoroughly Equipped to Educate

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