Cultivating Empathy Through Art

Head of Education Michelle Brenner takes a close look at Edgar Degas's Women Ironing (begun c.1875–1876; reworked c.1882–1886) and discusses how art can encourage and develop empathy.

The series Spotlight on Art: Videos for Schools offers a closer look at objects from the Norton Simon collections. Featuring 2 to 3 artworks, each video is designed to encourage prolonged looking, reflection and discussion, while also including information about the artist and historical context. What’s more, the series provides an ongoing connection to the Museum for teachers and students from afar. We encourage you to use these videos in combination with our curriculum packets, activity lesson plans, and other related materials provided in the links below.

FEATURED ARTWORKS

• Degas's Women Ironing
• Degas's The Laundress

COMPARATIVE ARTWORKS

• Degas's A Woman Ironing from the Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Degas's Women Ironing from the Musée d'Orsay

LEARN MORE

• Curriculum Packet: Cultivating Empathy Through Art

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Minneapolis Institute of Art: Center for Empathy and the Visual Arts
• LACMA: Empathy through Art
• LACMA: Resources for Social and Emotional Learning
• Harvard Graduate School of Education Project Zero: Global Thinking