#Lesson plans plaster cloth mask full#

Many of these alterations were removed in the twentieth century. Over time a glasshouse was built, walls were removed, and toilets were installed, along with gas and possibly electric lighting.

A member of the legal and administrative elite in Ireland, Lord Chancellor Francis Blackburne set about modernising the Castle. The new owners were the Blackburne family. In 1852, the Loftus family left the Castle for the last time after nearly 300 years of on and off ownership since its construction in 1583. One of the families who decided to follow this Victorian trend lived in Rathfarnham Castle. Rather than just being the preserve of the nobility and famous, wealthy and upper middle class families started to have death masks made of loved ones. It was only in the nineteenth century that the masks began to be seen as valuable in their own right. These were made by artists and sculptors who sought an accurate likeness to create a painting or effigy of notable figures. Over the centuries, many famous death masks were made, including those of Dante, Henry VII (left), Oliver Cromwell and Jonathan Swift.

#Lesson plans plaster cloth mask full#

A full body mould was made of Julius Caesar, which included detail of all his stab wounds. The Mycenaeans, Romans and Mayans also made death masks. One fashion from this time that hasn’t stayed with us is the making of death masks.ĭeath masks of some sort or another were made for millennia across the world, with the earliest evidence coming from Egypt. However, both of these traditions, along with many others, were popularised relatively recently in the nineteenth century. This work should take approximately two, 55 minute class periods to complete.Many of the things we do, such as putting up a tree for Christmas or brides wearing white feel like habits that have always been with us. Then students will apply with white glue one paper mosaic tile at a time to enhance their mosaic tile mask.Students may then draw a pattern on top of the mask form with a number two pencil. On the third day the masks should be dry enough to work with.When students return the next day, they will be cutting a selection of papers for the mosaic work that they will apply to their masks when these have thoroughly dried.Place your finished wet mask on top of a sheet of wax paper on the drying table.Overlap the stripes and apply two or three layers on top of each other as you cover the mask completely from front to back. Smooth the newsprint pieces out over your mask form alternating the directions in which you layer each strip of newspaper.Dip the newspaper strips into the paste entirely and gently squeeze out the excess mixture into the bowl. The instructor will provide for you a flour paste to mache with.Then tear one-inch strips of newspaper for the paper mache process.Cut holes for eyes, nose, and mouth and wrap these inside and out with masking tape as well.After you have roughed out a shape for a mask that you are pleased with, cover this form entirely with two layers of masking tape.

On the first day of the studio project, students will crush and shape newspaper into a mask shape and use masking tape to refine the mask and keep newspaper under control.

Step-by-step activity: Allow for 20 minutes on the first day to review a slide show about masks