Common Core State Standard: ELA: Literacy: R.L. 3.1, 3.4, R.L. 4.1, 4.4, R.L. 5.1, 5.

4, R.L. 6.1, 6.4

Joseph Cornell Article written by the Lyman Allyn Art Museum

While working as a textile salesman, Joseph Cornell became very interested in art.
He had no formal training as an artist, but he really liked to collect things and make
collages. He collected all kinds of objects—from colorful marbles and shells to ticket
stubs and pictures of birds. He used these objects to make assemblages, works of
art made from a collection of different objects. He displayed these assemblages
in circular, rectangular or square wooden boxes—which he built himself—called
shadow boxes. In the rectangular box at right, Cornell arranged 21 compasses into
a wooden tray, which topped a box with 17 little compartments. These compart-
ments held all kinds of treasures such as marbles, shells, pins, maps, insects and
colorful pictures. The title of the box is: Object (Roses des Vents); Roses des Vents
is the French term for compass dial. Imagine that you are going to make a shadow
box; can you list 10 items that you would like to include in your work of art? Cornell
became well-known for his Surrealist art and even experimented with making films Object (Roses des Vents). 1942-53
later in his life. *Image courtesy of the
Museum of Modern Art

Did you know? Meet the Artist

Surrealism is an art style that takes everyday objects Joseph Cornell:
and presents them in an unfamiliar way. Surrealist
art often has dreamlike or mysterious qualities. • Cornell was born on December 24,
1903 in Nyack, New York; he died
in 1972.

• He lived in Nyack, New York

• Art style: Surrealism

Untitled (the Hotel Eden). c.1945

*Image from the National Gallery of Canada