Art Around the World World Art    

Lesson 6: The Construction of Castle Khavarnaq

by Kamāl ud-Dīn Behzād

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

Kamāl ud-Dīn Behzād's 'The Construction of Castle Khavarnaq' shows a group of men building a castle in the ancient city of al-Hira, Iraq (now Kufa, Iraq). Laborers dig in the earth, carry and dig rocks, climb ladders, stand on scaffolding, and add stones to the castle. One man pulls on a rope to raise a basket held aloft by another man. Many men wear head coverings, including turbans.

Vocabulary

Laborer: A person doing unskilled manual work for wages.
Ladder: A structure consisting of a series of bars or steps between two upright lengths of wood, metal, or rope, used for climbing up or down something.
Scaffolding: A temporary structure on the outside of a building, made usually of wooden planks and metal poles, used by workers while building, repairing, or cleaning the building.
Turban: A man's headdress, consisting of a long length of cotton or silk wound around a cap or the head, worn especially by Muslims and Sikhs.

Concepts

1. Persian painter Kamāl ud-Dīn Behzād was born in 1450 in Herat, Timurid Empire, now Afghanistan. See his picture below.

2. Zoom in and find Behzād's birth country of Afghanistan on the map of South Central Asia below.

3. Behzād was an orphan who was raised by a well-known painter.
4. Behzād had many powerful art benefactors including a Sultan and a Shah.
5. Geometric shapes feature prominently in Behzād's works. He is best known for his Persian miniature paintings (small paintings on paper) and book illustrations.
6. He died in Herat in 1535 at the age of 85.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Can You Find It?

Find the following in the artwork:

• Castle
• Ladder
• Scaffolding
• Rope
• Wood
• Stones
• Dirt
• Containers for Earth
• Shovels

Activity 2: Narrate the Artwork

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

Activity 3: Map the Artwork

• Zoom in to find the Middle Eastern country of Iraq, the location of the castle in the painting.
• Study the map, and list the countries which border Iraq.

Activity 4: Sketch a Turban

• Some of the men in the painting wear turbans on their heads.
• Study the turban worn by the man below and sketch it.

Activity 5: Color the Artwork   

• Click the crayon above, and complete page 13 of 'Art History Coloring Pages for Second Grade.'

Review

Question 1

What is the setting of the artwork?

1 / 4

Answer 1

The setting of the painting is a castle in Iraq.

1 / 4

Question 2

Who are the characters in the artwork?

2 / 4

Answer 2

The characters are the laborers building the castle.

2 / 4

Question 3

What are the laborers building?

3 / 4

Answer 3

The laborers are building a castle.

3 / 4

Question 4

What do the laborers use to build the castle?

4 / 4

Answer 4

The laborers use items such as dirt, stones, shovels, ropes, ladders, scaffolding, and pickaxes to build the castle.

4 / 4

❮ ❯

1. What is the setting of the artwork? The setting of the painting is a castle in Iraq.
2. Who are the characters in the artwork? The characters are the laborers building the castle.
3. What are the laborers building? The laborers are building a castle.
4. What do the laborers use to build the castle? The laborers use items such as dirt, stones, shovels, ropes, ladders, scaffolding, and pickaxes to build the castle.

References

'Kamāl ud-Dīn Behzād.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.