Reactions
from the
United States of America
California
School: Adams Middle School Redondo Beach
Contact: forster@bnet.org
Date: 11-14-2000
I was able to access your school site but in the American History text at this level (8th grade: Colonization through WW I) there is no mention of the people you list. I have forwarded the site to my colleague who teaches World History.
Feel free to keep in touch.
David Forster
School: Del Oro High School
Contact: dbrock@puhsd.k12.ca.us
Date: 4-14-2001
As a history teacher in California, we mention the following, although we do not have time to teach about them in depth: Mercator, Breughel (they cover him and Rubens in art classes as well), Van Eyck, and Father Damien.
Good luck! Denise
School: La Quinta Middle School
Contact: Debbie Raff
Date: 4-17-2001
Hello, I teach both U.S. and World History at a middle school. I checked our world history text, and located only one of those on your list. I do not have a scanner, but typed the entire content below for you.
Only Brueghel the Elder is mentioned in our text, but he is given a full page. In my class the students also analyze his painting "Proverbs".
I believe I have included Brueghel on my own website, also.
Out of curiosity, where did you get my email address??
Good luck on your research, and sorry that the U.S. is so remiss in not including Flemish personalities. (see below)
Text for 7th grade - "Across the Centuries" published by Houghton Mifflin and used in the California, U.S.A.
Biographical Dictionary on page 539 "Brueghel, Pieter the Elder (BROO guhl)c.1530-1569, Flemish artist (p. 329)
On page 329 - (caption below painting states) - "The Peasant Dance" by Pieter Brueghel illustrates the style of northern European painting.
(text on this page) - Pieter Brueghel the Elder was a successful artist born in Flanders about 1530. Flanders is now part of the countries of France and Belgium.
Brueghel is best known for his paintings of peasants. His painting "The Peasant Dance", shown below , is a fine example of the Renaissance art of northern Europe.
The subject of the painting is a village celebration. Brueghel portrays peasants as real people. Some are fat, some have missing teeth, and some have big noses. Like many painters of the Renaissance, Brueghel relied on colorful, vivid detail and realism.
Brueghel's peasants are dancing, drinking, kissing, and talking. Look at the strain on the face of the bagpipe player and the expression in the eyes of his friend, who is trying so hard to get his attention.
Like Italian Renaissance artist, Brueghel painted people as they really were. He showed their flaws, as well as their strengths. Such honesty makes his painting sparkle with life and emotion. Debbie Raff "Ms Raff's Cyber-Classroom" http://home.dc.rr.com/raff/
School: San Dieguito Academy
Contact: bscott@sduhsd.k12.ca.us
Date: 4-17-2001
I can only respond quickly.
We mention:
Mercator Breughel Rubens van Eyck Father Damien
Only mentioned in passing ...usually a paragraph or less
B. Scott
School: Sequoia High school
Contact: ecotter@seq.org
Date: 4-17-2001
Pieter Paul Rubens, Jan van Ruysbroeck, Jan Van Eyck, Father Damien are the individuals included in our European civilization text book. Unfortunately, I haven't the time to locate and copy what is included about each of them, but it is not more than a few sentences.
School: Pacific Beach Middle San Diego
Contact: Christi Araico
Date: 4-17-2001
Hello,
My name is Christi Araico and I teach 7th grade World History and Geography: Medieval and Early Modern Times. The book we use is called Across the Centuries (pub. Houghton Mifflin). Only two of the names on your list are mentioned in this book: Pieter Breughel the Elder & Jan van Eyck. They are mentioned in Chapter 12- "The Renaissance," Lesson 4- "Renaissance in Northern Europe." I do not have a scanner so I will briefly tell you what the book says about them. There is only one paragraph about Jan Van Eyck. It says: "Many northern artists expressed religious themes in their work, but they began to represent both people and nature more realistically. Look at the painting at the left by the Dutch artist Jan van Eyck. Note how realistic the figure in the painting looks." Above the painting it says: "In this detail from the Ghent altarpiece, Jan van Eyck painted Jesus in a realistic, lifelike way." There are five paragraphs about Pieter Brughel the Elder. The first paragraph says: "Pieter Brueghel the Elder (BROO guhl) was a successful artist born in Flanders about 1530. Flanders is now part of the countries of France and Belgium." The other 4 paragraphs discuss Brueghel's art, specifically his painting "The Peasant Dance," and there is a copy of that painting on the same page. The 5 paragraphs and the painting take up about three fourths of the page. I hope this information helps you. If you have any questions, please e-mail me back.
Christi Araico Teacher Pacific Beach Middle School San Diego, California USA
School: San Dieguito Academy Encinitas
Contact: gmilne@sduhsd.k12.ca.us
Date: 4-19-2001
I am sorry, but to my knowledge, none of these names appear in our World History textbook: Modern World History, by Jackson Spielvogel, West Publishing company, now part of McGraw Hill corp.
Sad, isn't it? We have several French and German painters listed, but no Flemish or Belgian artists. I do, though, make it a point to let students know about Belgium, as I think of it as a place where two or three cultures have blended together in relative harmony, a lesson too soon forgotten in the face of controversies like ethnic cleansing in Bosnia and the constant ( and rediculous ) conflict between the Arabs and the Israelies. So Belgium gets some representation in my classes, if not in our textbooks.
George Milne San Dieguito Academy Encinitas, CA USA 92024
School: Verdugo Hills High Tujunga
Contact: GoSoxGoBroons@aol.com
Date: 4-21-2001
Thank you for contacting us about your project. I look forward to reading your results.
I am going to have to see if I can arrange to have someone scan the information you request for me. We only have a couple of computers in our school that have Internet access, and so there will be some difficulty in sending you the information that you would like. I would be happy to send it to you by mail if you can use photocopies.
In my French classes, I do mention Eddy Merckx when we discuss Le Tour de France. In fact, when I told my students about your project yesterday, they were quite enthusiastic about learning more about Belgium and they are doing some general reading about your country and your culture in French.
The Flemish artists I have used in all of my art history classes from elementary school level through high school.
As for history, Mercator is the one who is most often mentioned. There is really very little about Flanders in our textbooks except for the world wars.
Your email did not mention a timeframe as to when you need this information. I hope that we can participate in your project in some capacity. Even if we cannot, your email has served to raise our collective consciousness about Flanders.
I congratulate you all on your undertaking. Your website is beautiful.
Best regards.
Marjorie Rennett Verdugo Hills High School 10625 Plainview Avenue Tujunga, CA 91042 U.S.A.
School:
Contact: rreabold@hlpusd.k12.ca.us
Date: 4-23-2001
In response to your email, only Andreas Vesalius appears in the History book that we use (History and Life).
School: Irvington High Fremont
Contact: nivy@mail.fremont.k12.ca.us
Date: 4-23-2001
I've heard of Mercator and Merckx.
None of the people listed are mentioned in our US History text.
When I taught geography, Mercator was an improtant figure... I don't know how the others contributed to US history, the subject I teach now.... email back any important info that relates to US History!
Nate Ivy
Irvington High School
Fremont, CA
School:
Contact: rreabold@hlpusd.k12.ca.us
Date: 4-23-2001
In response to your email,
only Andreas Vesalius appears in the History book
that we use (History and Life).
russ
http://www.uscclubsgv.org
http://teachers.hlpusd.k12.ca.us/~rreabold/index.html
School:
Contact: borowskik@mdusd.k12.ca.us
Date: 4-26-2001
Hello there,
This was passed on to me. In our history text The American Nation ISBN # 0-13-434888-5 the only of these personalities to appear is Gerardus Mercador..The entire passage about him is: " In 1569, Gerardus Mercator developed the Mercator projection, the best map of its day. For hundreds of years, sailors depended ont he Mercator map.Meracator himself bossted of his map,"If you wish to sail from one port to another, here is a chart, and a straight line on it, and if you follow this line carefully you will certainly arrive at your destination." In California at least, you would be most likely to find them at the high school level because of the way our curriculum is set up for history. I hope this is helpful. Karen Borowski borowskik@mdusd.k12.ca.us
School: Armijo High Fairfield
Contact: TimFa@fsusd.k12.ca.us
Date: 5-7-2001
Dag I am a teacher at Armijo High School in Fairfield. California, United States. I saw that you had contacted us concerning famour Belgians. I don't teach world history but I do have some information on Father Damien,the priest who treated the lepers in Hawaii. About 10 years ago his trunk, filled with his belongings was found in the basement of our County Courthouse. I assume a relative lived in the area. The trunk & belongings were returned to Hawaii. This isn't much but I thought you might want to know this. Good luck to you all!! Tim Farmer