LEARNING TO LOOK
AN ANCIENT AMERICAN MASTERPIECE
LEARNING TO LOOK
AN ANCIENT
AMERICAN MASTERPIECE
Hi, friends!
What can we discover about different materials in art? How do their colors and textures affect how we understand an artwork’s meaning?
At the Kimbell Art Museum, you will find sculptures made with natural materials like clay or stone. Imagine that you could go back in time to see which tools the artists used to shape and polish materials to make something special. Which material would you choose?
In This Issue
The Olmec People
Learn about the earliest civilization in the ancient Americas.
Precious Jadeite
Why did the Olmec people love the color green? Find out!
Zoom In
Look closely to discover important clues.
Expressive Heads
What details will you include in your Olmec-inspired drawing?
New Words
Jadeite Maize Pyramid
A type of jade; a very hard stone that is typically green in color
Corn; a tall plant that humans have farmed for over 9,000 years
A large structure with sloping sides that meet in a point at the top
Ritual
Supernatural
Were-Jaguar
A type of sacred or religious ceremony
Relating to something that is not part of the human or natural world
Olmec god that is part man ("were"), part jaguar (a large wild cat)
Standing Tall
Try standing like this sculpture. What do you notice? How does the pose make you feel? This 8 ½-inch figure holds a supernatural creature called a were-jaguar baby close to the front of his body. Together, they appear strong and very powerful. This sculpture may have been made for a special ritual asking the gods to provide rain for healthy crops.
A Missing Leg
Beautiful carved objects like this jadeite sculpture were used to communicate with the gods in the supernatural world; they might have been buried in special places with other magical objects. The missing leg may have been broken during a ritual a very long time ago.
Precious Jadeite
What does the color green mean to you? Start a list here.
The Olmec prized jadeite for its rich green color, which was associated with the maize plant and precious life. Notice its smooth, gleaming surface? Talented artists would have used gritty sand and other ground-up materials to polish the stone. Metal tools did not exist in the Olmec world, so their saws and drills were made of stone or cord.
The Olmec People
The ancient Olmec lived in the steamy lowlands along the Gulf of Mexico thousands of years ago (1200– 400 BC). They built large cities with pyramids, carved giant portraits of their rulers from volcanic rock, and played a ballgame with important symbolic connections. The Olmec civilization influenced the religious beliefs, artistic traditions, and writing of later cultures such as the Maya.
Zoom In
How do you spot a supernatural creature in Olmec art? Look at the details!
See the V-shaped space on the top of the baby-sized figure’s flat head? This indicates that he is an Olmec god.
The headband with zig-zagging pieces hanging on either side of the face belongs to a powerful supernatural figure called a were-jaguar that is part human and part jaguar. What ideas do you associate with jaguars?
The were-jaguar has a belly button!
Notice how this perfectly shaped circle is positioned at the center of the sculpture, lined up with the larger figure. This shows the larger figure’s authority and important connection to the powerful were-jaguar.
Large almond-shaped eyes add to the werejaguar’s fierce expression. How do they compare with the larger figure’s eyes?
What do you notice about the were-jaguar’s mouth? It opens wide, with downturned corners, to show fleshy lips and gums but no teeth.
Expressive Heads
1. What words would you use to describe the figures represented in this Olmec sculpture? What do their expressions tell us about their purpose and meaning?
2. Imagine how you would design a head inspired by the Olmec style. Which features would you emphasize?
3. Ready to draw? Grab some crayons or colored pencils. Start with the shape of the head. Fill the entire space on the other page.
4. Add important details such as eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. What other clues will you include to show the figure’s authority and importance?
5. Room for more? Add other details that represent ideas explored in this guide.
Coming Up for Kimbell Kids
Kimbell Kids Drop-In Studios
Selected Saturdays, 1–1:45 pm
Pictures and Pages / Fotos y Libros
Selected Tuesdays, 10:30–11:30 am
First Thursday Sketching Tours
Selected Thursdays, 10:30–11:30 am
Spring Break Art Extravaganza
Tuesday, March 18–Friday, March 21, 2025
Family Festival / Fiesta de la Familia
Sunday, January 12, 2025
Visit Studio A
Located in the Piano Pavilion
Children (ages 5 and younger) and their favorite adults can play and learn in this sensory-friendly community drop-in space. Free; open during regular museum hours.
Standing Figure Holding a Were-Jaguar Baby, Olmec, c. 900–300 BC, jadeite. Kimbell Art Museum
Special Exhibitions
Dutch Art in a Global Age: Masterpieces from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston November 10, 2024–February 9, 2025
Modern Art and Politics in Germany 1910–1945: Masterworks from the Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin Opens March 2025
Myth and Marble: Ancient Roman Sculpture from the Torlonia Collection Opens September 2025
Youth education programs are supported by the Lowe Foundation Endowment for Kimbell Kids.
Learning to Look
Learning to Look is a free, biannual publication designed for young art lovers. Each issue explores one object from the Kimbell’s permanent collection with engaging graphics, fun facts, and prompts to encourage close looking, personal connections, and creative expression.
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