• Students will recognize the characteristic colors and stylistic conventions traditionally used by the Brahmin, Kayastha and Dusadh castes.
• Students will recognize scenes from the Ramayana shown in Ramayana paintings.
• Students will compare and contrast scenes from the epic as painted by Brahmin, Kayastha, and Dusadh castes.

• Basic knowledge of India's (Hindu) caste system
• Familiarity with Hindu epic The Ramayana
  

• Two class periods

• 4.0 AESTHETIC VALUING - Responding to, Analyzing, and Making Judg-
  ments About Works in the Visual Arts - Students analyze, assess, and
  derive meaning from works of art, including their own, according to
  the elements of art, the principles of design, and aesthetic qualities.
• 4.1 Articulate how personal beliefs, cultural traditions, and current social,
  economic, and political contexts influence the interpretation of the men-
  ing or message in a work of art.
• 4.5 Employ the conventions of art criticism in writing and speaking about works of art.

• Handout/article on caste-based stylistic characteristics
• Student copies of Ramayana scenes
• Film: Mithila Painting: Five Painters From MadhubaniAvailable for loan by Center for South Asian Studies, University of California, Berkeley.
• "Folk Art No Longer"

• Whole class instruction; guided student discovery in groups.

• Brahmin (caste)
• Kayastha (caste)
• Dusadh (caste)
  

Ask students:

• "Do you think you could recognize differences in Mithila painting styles based on different caste?"
• "Do you think that village painters use particular styles based on their caste?"
• "Do you think your own family might have a particular style of drawing that is distinctive?"
• "Do you think modern attitudes might be affecting these customs?"
  

• Review India's Hindu caste system using basic categories.
• Distribute student handout that gives details about traditional caste painting styles.

"Folk Art No Longer?"

• Invite students to view the two of the five stories of Mithila artists shown in the film.
  Ask them to note the caste status of each. Have them take notes and make simple sketches to describe the styles (colors and techniques) used.
• View first fifteen minutes of film: Mithila Painting: Five Painters From Madhubani.
  Focus three artists: Sita Devi, Ganga Devi, and Krishnand Jha.
  
• Summarize what students noticed.
  Focus on terms commonly used when describing elements and principles of design.
• Teacher lists student observations on overhead transparency.
  Focus on Brahmin, Kysastha, and Dusadh castes.

• Revisit the questions above. Assign the reading "Folk Art No Longer" as homework. Highlight caste characteristics relevant to discussion. Clarify that caste distinctions have diminished to a great extent in the past decade.

• What images did students remember from film yesterday?
• What ideas did they get for their own work?

Remind students of the intent of the activity: can they discern stylistic differences used by different castes in their painting?

• What are the differences in the artists's styles?
• Watch rest of film (Mithila Painting) to study work of Shanti Devi and Baua Devi. Students list observations on their notetaking guide. Teacher adds notes to overhead transparency.
• Review the main events of the Hindu epic myth, The Ramayana.
• Students view Ramayana images on CD rom or selected websites.

  Group students into groups of four. Ask students to carefully study the paintings of various Mithila painters.

• Can they recognize certain common characteristics?
• Can they see certain styles that were presented by the five artists in the film?
• What paintings represent work by Brahmin caste painters? by Kyastha painters? by Dusadh painters?

Each group should select one painting that is a clear example of one of the distinct caste styles. The students should articulate the the elements of design which are distinctive and characteristic of the style when each group "reports out" to the rest of the class.

UNIT CONTENTS

• Overview
• Background
• Bibliography
• Image Library