Latin Students Commission Herculean Mosaic Art Mural

Room 15 on the bottom floor of the Whitson Building is home to art and history as Middle and Upper School Latin Students brought scenes from the myth of Hercules to life through the creation of a colorfully painted 20-foot long wall mural.

“At Hamden Hall, Latin is a lively and fun environment for students to learn and think critically about diverse topics of culture, literature, politics, and language,” said Latin teacher Stephanie Spaulding. “The students have the opportunity to bring the ancient world to life.”

In order to create the mural, Ms. Spaulding and fellow Latin teacher Alison Orlebeke teamed up with Middle School art teacher Kristen Thornton for the cross-curricular project. Ms. Thornton sketched out the four scenes in pencil on canvas paper covering the back wall of the classroom. After the sketch was complete, students chose the colors for each individual scene and painted in the details using small sponges to replicate the look of the tesserae (tiles) of an ancient mosaic. Students from the Middle School Art Club joined in on the painting during their meeting sessions. The final mural depicted baby Hercules defeating the snakes, Hercules flanked by Hera and Athena, Hercules stealing Cerberus from the underworld, the golden apples of the Hesperides, and the Hydra.

In addition to the mural, students also learned how to write out the Ancient Greek alphabet and even copied the first 10 lines from the epic, The Odyssey, on scroll paper, which is displayed on the classroom bulletin board. Freshman Amelie Peters noted that she enjoyed the project and learning more about the Ancient Greek language as she recognized so many of the letters from her history and math classes.

Middle School Director Brian Christman noted the importance of prioritizing experiential learning and taking time out of the standard curriculum for special projects.

“It is so important for Middle School students to be active, excited, and engaged; and varying the types of learning opportunities helps to create a deeper connection to the material and fosters genuine intellectual curiosity.”