Art Around the World World Art    

Lesson 20: The First and Last Communion

by Cristóbal Rojas

Directions

Study the artwork for one week.

Over the week:

• Examine the artwork.
• Read the synopsis.
• Study the vocabulary words.
• Recite the artist and artwork names.
• Read about the art region or artist.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Discuss the review questions.

Synopsis

In Cristóbal Rojas' 'The First and Last Communion,' a woman gazes tenderly down at a little girl as a priest and his altar boy hold communion. A man, head in hand, and a boy sit in the shadows behind the woman. Wearing a glowing white communion gown, the little girl huddles on a chair, her pallor indicative of tuberculosis. The painting title indicates that the girl is very sick and will not live long. A bed is visible to the right, hinting that they are in the little girl's bedroom. She is probably too weak to travel to the church, which is why the priest and altar boy traveled to her home. A day which should be joyous, is instead a reminder of what has been and will be lost.

Vocabulary

Communion: The service of Christian worship at which bread and wine are consecrated and shared.
Priest: An ordained minister of the Catholic, Orthodox, or Anglican Church having the authority to perform certain rites and administer certain sacraments.
Altar Boy: A boy who acts as a priest's assistant during a service, especially in the Roman Catholic Church.
Ceremony: The ritual observances and procedures performed at grand and formal occasions.
Pallor: An unhealthy pale appearance.
Tuberculosis: An infectious bacterial disease characterized by the growth of nodules (tubercles) in the tissues, especially the lungs.

Concepts

1. Venezuelan painter Cristóbal Rojas was born in 1857 in Cúa, Venezuela. See his self-portrait below.

2. Zoom in and find Rojas' country of birth on the map of South America below.

3. Rojas lived a fairly comfortable life until his father died when he was 13. Responsibility fell to him to earn money for his family, and he began working in a tobacco factory.
4. Rojas' grandfather taught him to draw, and he eventually studied art at the Universidad Central de Venezuela.
5. One of Rojas' paintings earned him a scholarship to study in Paris, where he was inspired by artwork in the Louvre museum.
6. Many of Rojas' works feature people suffering from tuberculosis, to which he coincidentally succumbed. Sick and out of money, he returned to Venezuela.
7. Rojas died of tuberculosis in Caracas, Venezuela in 1890 at the age of 32.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Can You Find It?

Find the following in the artwork:

• Little Girl
• Woman
• Boy Behind the Chair
• Man with His Head in His Hand
• Priest
• Altar Boy
• Window
• Bed
• Candle
• Candlestick

Activity 2: Narrate the Artwork

• After studying the artwork, narrate the scene shown aloud using your own words.

Activity 3: Complete Vocabulary Activities

• While studying the new words, point out any you see in the painting.
• Define each of the vocabulary words in your own words.

Activity 4: Color the Artwork   

• Click the crayon above, and complete page 31 of 'Art History Coloring Pages for Second Grade.'

Review

Question 1

Who are the characters in the artwork?

1 / 6

Answer 1

The characters are a priest, an altar boy, a sick little girl, a woman, a boy, and a man.

1 / 6

Question 2

What is the setting of the artwork?

2 / 6

Answer 2

The setting is inside the girl's bedroom in her home.

2 / 6

Question 3

What ceremony are the characters holding?

3 / 6

Answer 3

The characters are holding communion.

3 / 6

Question 4

Why is this both the girl's first and last communion?

4 / 6

Answer 4

The painting title and white dress indicate this is the first time the girl has taken communion. However, because she is so sick, she will not survive long enough to be able to participate in another communion ceremony.

4 / 6

Question 5

What is the little girl sick with?

5 / 6

Answer 5

The little girl is sick with tuberculosis.

5 / 6

Question 6

What do the little girl and Cristóbal Rojas have in common?

6 / 6

Answer 6

They both (presumably) passed away from tuberculosis.

6 / 6

❮ ❯

1. Who are the characters in the artwork? The characters are a priest, an altar boy, a sick little girl, a woman, a boy, and a man.
2. What is the setting of the artwork? The setting is inside the girl's bedroom in her home.
3. What ceremony are the characters holding? The characters are holding communion.
4. Why is this both the girl's first and last communion? The painting title and white dress indicate this is the first time the girl has taken communion. However, because she is so sick, she will not survive long enough to be able to participate in another communion ceremony.
5. What is the little girl sick with? The little girl is sick with tuberculosis.
6. What do the little girl and Cristóbal Rojas have in common? They both (presumably) passed away from tuberculosis.

References

'Cristóbal Rojas (artist).' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.