Report on a project entitled : The Gates of Happiness
School year 2002/2003
Creation of a decorative door in plaster by CM2 (Fifth Grade) pupils of the school of Sainte Marie in Antony, within the framework of a P.A.C. class.
There is a hint of The Gates of Hell by Rodin in this ambitious project. Although in this case the inspiration is not the Divine Comedy by Dante but the Old and New Testament, it has a similar monumentality since the size of this door is 3.20 metres high by 1.20 metres wide. The door is divided into two leaves. One represents the Creation and the other the Re-creation. Each side is divided into three panels. A tympanum, illustrating the Creation of Man surmounts the door.
The three panels on the left leaf (The Creation) are inspired by the Old Testament and describe the theme of the Promise. They summarise the history of the people of Israel bearing the promise of the Coming of the Messiah (The Sin of Adam and Eve, The Fall of Man, and The Sign of Jonah). The inspiration for the three panels on the right leaf comes from the New Testament. They depict the fulfilling of the promises mentioned in the Old Testament in the person and mission of Christ (The Annunciation, The Last Supper, and The Death and Resurrection).
| After numerous discussions, the children decided to call it ... |
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...The Gates of Happiness |
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plaster,
3,20 x 1,20 m |
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The principal phases of the project :
Technical specifications and description of the workshops.
The Internal Service of the Rodin Museum supplied seven modules of a wooden frame with a netting that served as a armature on which the children, divided into small groups, worked.
| After tempering the plaster... |
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....bands of fabric were placed on the netting and then plastered. |
| The preparatory drawings... |
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....were reproduced on the plaster with a pastel crayon. |
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The volume (low and high relief) was mounted with the help of the plastered bands and paper. |
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| The symbols on the doors were checked to ensure their legibility. |
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Once the frames were dismantled, the panels were assembled together, the plaster smoothed down and the coherence of the links with the seven components mounted in the hall perfected. The finishing touches consisted of filling the joints and painting the door in white before varnishing.
Each of the four work sessions in the studio was preceded by a visit to the museum during which the workshop activity leader developed the theme of the project by instigating an active dialogue with the children and focussing their attention on the sculptures by Auguste Rodin.
This project, part of the school curriculum, enabled the pupils to tackle all the disciplines taught in their class. Starting with the visual arts, they learned about the problems of behaviour and social life through group activities but also by studying French, mathematics, informatics, history and geography. Being a Catholic school, this multidisciplinary approach was also applied to catechism classes.
The personal investment of the children in this ambitious group project turned out to be a very positive experience. It encouraged a stimulating encounter with the world of sculpture, a museum and a work of art, while leading to the accomplishment of a concrete and unusual project.
