Recently, Oratory’s new teacher of Italian, Alyssa G. Monturi, asked each student in her Italian I class to select a painting created by a significant Italian artist and to prepare an explanation to be shared in class about what the painting meant to him. The students have worked diligently on basic greetings, verb conjugations, and a brief introduction to the past tense in italiano, and are now incorporating significant aspects of Italian culture and art.
The boys selected masterpieces, both well known and lesser known, and shared the images with their classmates using Oratory’s whiteboard projection system. Among the works they presented were the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper by da Vinci, The Entombment of Christ by Caravaggio, The Birth of Venus by Botticelli, and The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo. Several boys expanded their vision and selected more esoteric works, such as Drawing of a Machine by da Vinci and Saint Peter’s Basilica by Bernini.
In explaining their selections, the boys described the techniques used in the works’ creation, including perspective, vertical symmetry, light and shadow, human physiology, and symbolism. Then, they personalized their choices, explaining how each work had “spoken” to them.
Their conversations revealed a growing appreciation for these works of art and deepened their understanding of one another as classmates.
Submitted by: Tom Boniello
Photo Caption: The Entombment of Christ, Caravaggio, 1603-1604
This article appeared in the October 2025 issue of Fidelitas: The Alumni Newsletter of Oratory Prep. To read the latest issue, visit www.oratoryprep.org/fidelitas.