Media Critical Analysis: Germany - England
Columbus and the "Discovery" of the "New World"
Media critical analysis: Germany - England
Illustrations play a major part in history magazines. The German magazine "GEO-EPOCHE. The Magazine for History. The Age of Discoverers“ added six large-size pictures to the article "Beyond the horizon” (2007). In the following tasks the role of the illustrations for the adequate presentation of Columbus is to be considered.
Tasks
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1
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Working with the timeline
Using the timeline, you can discover
more about the illustrations of the GEO-EPOCHE article "Beyond the horizon” (2007). In addition, you can find pictures from the German magazine
"G/Geschichte" and from an English magazine.
Arrange the pictures on the timeline according to their time of origin and try to answer the following questions with the help of the enclosed information: a. Is there a picture from an eyewitness?
b. When were most of the pictures shown in the magazine created?
c.
On what, do you think, are
the pictures - from the 19th century and their depiction of Columbus
as well as the scenes from the crossing - based? Discuss the problem.
d. Discuss: Can the pictures from the 19th century be considered as historic documents for Columbus and his time?
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2
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Exploring the historical background of the pictures
If we want to analyse a picture made in the past, we have to collect a lot of information about it.
a. Think of questions which could be relevant for the analysis in general and for the question if the picture can be considered as a historic source for the event in particular. Try to answer these questions with the help of the captions from the magazine GEO-EPOCHE. Which information is missing?
b. Speculate: Why have the editors of the magazine chosen only pictures from the 19th century and not also the oldest image sources which exist and which can also be found on the timeline?
c. Why, do you think, haven't the editors of the magazine included all necessary information about the pictures? Speculate or ask the magazine's editor.
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3
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Analysing the textbook
What illustrations of Columbus and the discovery of
the sea route to "India" can you find in your textbook?
a. Make a list of the information the textbook provides about pictures. Is it enough to decide the picture is a historic source? Is it enough to carefully analyse the picture as a historic document?
b. Discuss: Is more emphasis placed on the use of historic image sources in the textbooks or in the magazines? |
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4
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Analysing and working
with captions
a. Some captions in the magazine "GEO-EPOCHE" are rather inaccurate and do not mention important information. In your opinion, which information should always be given so that the reader can get a clear impression of the picture and its relation to the depicted historical event? b. Try to find better captions for the pictures used in the magazine. They should illustrate whether the pictures can be considered as historic sources of the depicted event or not. Tip: Use the information given in the timeline. |
The focus here lies on furthering critical media competences in general and dealing critically with historical image sources in particular.
Tasks
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1
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Working with the timeline Using the timeline, you can discover more about the illustrations of the GEO-EPOCHE article "Beyond the horizon” (2007). In addition, you can find pictures from the German magazine "G/Geschichte" and from an English magazine.
Arrange the pictures on the timeline according to their time of origin and try to answer the following questions with the help of the enclosed information: a. Is there a picture from an eyewitness?
None of the pictures are from eyewitnesses. The pictures are therefore no historic image source of Columbus and the "discovery", but by written sources as well as established painting traditions. b. When were most of the pictures shown in the magazine created?
Most of the selected historical pictures are from the 19th century. This can be explained due to the fact that great inventors and discoverers played an important role during the industrialisation period. Additionally, the painting style of the academic history drawings can be described as very descriptive and very dramatic/emotional and is therefore very appealing to viewers even today. Finally, the history of colonialism in the 19th century may play an important role. c. On what, do you think, are the pictures - from the 19th century and their depiction of Columbus as well as the scenes from the crossing - based? Discuss the problem.
Since a contemporary pictorial representation of Columbus or of the journey of discovery does not seem to exist, imagination and painting traditions play an important part here.
d. Discuss: Can the pictures from the 19th century be considered as historic documents for Columbus and his time? The pictures are always historical image sources for their time of origin (19th century) and for the painters' (and their principals') perspective on the illustrated event.
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2
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Exploring the historical background of the pictures If we want to analyse a picture made in the past, we have to collect a lot of information about it.
a. Think
of questions which could be relevant for the analysis in general and
for the question if the picture can be considered as a historic source for the event in particular. Try to answer these questions with
the help of the captions from the magazine GEO-EPOCHE. Which information is missing?
For example: Who is the artist? Was the artist an eyewitness or was the picture drawn with considerable time lag? Which sources did the artist use for the creation of the picture? When was the picture created? Who commissioned the art work? For which occasion/ reason/ group of people? Where is the art work today and how did it get there? What was the artist's attitude to the historical event? To decide if a picture can be used as historic source it has to be contemporaneous to the depicted event.
b. Speculate: Why have the editors of the magazines chosen only pictures from the 19th century and not also the oldest image sources which exist and which can also be found on the timeline?
It can be assumed that the editors preferred the strongly accentuated and emphasised historic paintings from the 19th century over the rather simple looking and unfamiliar woodcarvings and copper engravings from the 15th and 16th century. It can furthermore be assumed, that in contrast to the older pictures or Dali's surrealistic Columbus painting the historical paintings from the 19th century are seen by the readers as more "down-to-earth" and thus as more realistic. Apart from the already mentioned wood carvings and copper engravings from the 15th and 16th century only a few illustrations of the event existed until the paintings of the 19th century were created.
c. Why, do you think, haven't the editors of the magazine included all necessary information about the pictures? Speculate or ask the magazine's editor.
The required addresses can be requested from the publishing houses.
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3
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Analysing the use of pictures in the history textbook
What illustrations of Columbus and the discovery of
the sea route to "India" can you find in your textbook?
a. Make a list of the information the textbook provides about pictures. Is it enough to decide the picture is a historic source? Is it enough to carefully analyse the picture as a historic document?
b. Discuss: Is more emphasis placed on the use of historic image sources in the textbooks or in the magazines? High-quality textbooks aim to use as many contemporary sources as possible and to label them adequately so that all the information required for the work with historical picture images is provided (painter, title, techniques, format, current exhibition venue and year of origin). Additionally, information concerning the customer and the original exhibition venue should be provided.
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4
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Analysing and working with captions
a. Some captions in the magazine "GEO-EPOCHE" are rather inaccurate and do not mention important information. In your opinion, which information should always be given so that the reader can get a clear impression of the picture and its relation to the depicted historical event?
For example: artist, title of the picture, technique, format, current exhibition venue, time of origin. Further important information includes customer, the artist's attitude to Columbus, details regarding the sources the painter may have considered as well as the original exhibition venue the art work was painted for. b. Try to find better captions for the pictures used in the magazine. They should illustrate whether the pictures can be considered as historic sources of the depicted event or not.
Tip: Use the information given in the timeline. |
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