Art across the Curriculum: Paws for Thought.

Why does a dog howl at the moon? No one seems to know. Some say dogs don't howl at the moon; dogs howl and the moon just happens to be there.

Here is a simple drawing of a dog under the night sky. He may be an adolescent puppy, not yet an adult. His paws are far too big to be those of a grown dog with proportionate parts. His toes are curled into the dirt, as he stretches his head skyward, opening his mouth for a long bellow.

The moon is but a single line, yet if one looks away from the picture and tries to describe it, one could almost swear the dog's head is silhouetted against a bright full moon.

If it were any other type of dog, it would be "howling," but this is a hound dog, and hounds "bay" when they pursue their quarry. But where is the quarry? There is none, unless it is the moon itself. So is howling at the moon simply a poetic concept, designed to signify the desire to attain the unattainable?

Dog Baying at the Moon is one image from a series of five lithographic prints created by Anne Goldthwaite (1869-1944) around 1930. These prints, originally called Night Series, are all in the same line-drawing style, with white lines on a black background. Each work in the series is of a different animal: an owl, a rooster, a cat, a bat and the dog.

All the images are quite small, none bigger than 6" x 5". The intimate size of the pictures is in keeping with Goldthwaite's tendency to choose endearing subjects and to make art that reflected places and subjects she loved. Although she was well-traveled and worked in New York and Europe, her heart belonged to the South, particularly to Alabama.

Notice how Goldthwaite's sympathetic eye influences her hand. She uses two short lines on the dog's belly to show his protruding ribs, and the wavering line along his back to depict the bony spine close to the surface. This is not only a lonely dog, he is probably hungry as well.

In several gestural contour lines, Goldthwaite has captured the essence of the animal, preserving both his awkwardness and his dignity. Her lines are simple and straight to the point. She cuts out all superfluous elements, and still delivers a strong message. If an artist could apply Occam's razor to a work of art, this would be a good example.

William of Occam, an influential philosopher of the 1300s, wrote in Latin, "Pluralitas non est ponenda sine necessitate," meaning, "Entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily." It essentially means, "Don't make theories more complicated than they need to be." It's a razor because it cuts away the extraneous. Goldthwaite, in Dog Baying at the Moon, also cuts away the extraneous and yet leaves enough to make the image stick in the mind of the viewer.

Famous artists are often known more by their masterpieces than their names. Pictures like Starry Night or Mona Lisa are better known outside the art world than the names of the artists who made them. Still, the names van Gogh or Leonardo are well recognized. But, despite her professional successes, which were considerable, Anne Goldthwaite was not famous outside her home town. The print you see here is even lesser known. And yet, sometimes by looking at the lesser-known works, a closer understanding of an artist can be reached.

Although orphaned at age 10, Goldthwaite was not a struggling artist. She enjoyed the upper crust of life, supported by relatives. When she showed a talent for art, her uncle, Henry, supported her studies for over six years in New York City at the National Academy of Design. She went to Paris in 1906 to complete her training, and became acquainted with the art of Picasso, Matisse and Cezanne in the context of Gertrude Stein's salon.

When World War I broke out, Anne returned to New York and lived there the rest of her life. Her art was accepted into the prestigious 1913 Armory show; she was on the faculty of the Art Students League; and she seemed to be regarded with affection by everyone she met.

Every summer Anne returned to her native Montgomery, Alabama, where she sketched and painted scenes familiar to her and close to her heart. Her sunny personality, positive attitude and encouraging outlook led the way in her life and art. Even in the howling hound one can see her care and compassion. But one can see even more than that: closely observed details and a deep feeling for her environment.

Goldthwaite was a prolific artist. By the time she died in 1944, she had produced over 320 prints, had shown in over 100 group exhibitions, and had been honored with more than 25 one-person exhibitions. Her works are owned by the most prestigious institutions: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Whitney Museum, The Museum of Modern Art, The Cleveland Museum of Art, and the list goes on.

As a woman artist during a time when women were just on the edge of formal recognition, Goldthwaite was a pioneer for women-artists' rights. She was a founding member of the 1925 New York Society of Women Artists. She never married; her art was her lifelong love. She was wholly committed to her art, and followed its calling wherever she went.

Sometimes, it seems, artists are compelled to make art for no clearly explicable reason. They simply must. Goldthwaite was such an artist, continually trying to communicate with others about the life she lived and observed, while still reflecting her beauty within.

Perhaps art was, and still is, the artist baying at the moon.

For Reference: Anne Goldthwaite: A Catalogue Raisonnee of the Graphic Work by Adelyn Dohme Breeskin; Published by Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts 1982; ISBN 089280-019-4

Project: White on Black.

Key Skill: Reversing images.

Materials: Black paper, white paint, pencil or collage elements.

Procedure: Have students draw, paint or apply white images on a black background. Is it more difficult? How is the process of showing light and shade different? Did they discover something they didn't know before?

For Grades: K-12. Younger students can simply explore the properties of white on black, perhaps with several different media. Older students can be given a still-life to draw or the assignment of drawing an animal, perhaps even a family pet. If your budget allows, scratchboard is also wonderful to use.

Project: From Aristotle to Einstein.

Key Skill: Applying theory to real-life examples.

Materials: Research books of natural science, pencil, paper.

Procedure: Two famous philosopher-scientists have also said virtually the same thing as William of Occam. Aristotle said, "Nature operates in the shortest way possible." Einstein said, "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." Have each student think of three--or brainstorm with your entire class for more things in real life that support their way(s) of thinking.

For Grades: 6-12.

Project: Have Women Come a Long Way?

Key Skill: Understanding the changing role of women in the past 100 years.

Materials: Goldthwaite quotes, history books.

Procedure: Read the following quotes, or give them to the students and have them respond to them in writing:

"The best praise that women have been able to command until now is to have it said that she paints like a man."

"Art is an escape from the sorrows of life--it is a hint of happiness and to give happiness has surely been the traditional role of women since history began."

Do your students agree or disagree? If Anne Goldthwaite were alive today, what might her art look like, and what might she say about the role of women in the art world? Have students make up their own quotes about women and art, with relevance for today.

For Grades: 7-12.

Project: Dr. Doo-more.

Key Skill: Creative expression through another's eyes.

Materials: Pencil paper.

Procedure: Lead a discussion about the possibilities of why dogs howl at the moon. Assuming they can understand what the dog in Goldthwaite's picture is "saying," have your students project themselves into the mind of the dog. Have them write, in the first person, what the dog is saying and to whom.

For Grades: 2-12. The older the students, the more writing they may do, up to one page. Older students could even write the other side of the "conversation."

Win a Prize: Mail copies of your students' best writing for this activity to: Ann Goldthwaite Contest, Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, P.O. Box 230819, Montgomery, AL 36123-0819. Grand Prize: One Catalogue Raisonnee for teacher and class. Three Honorable Mentions: Anne Goldthwaite Notecards.