The Story of the World's Greatest Paintings

This brilliantly produced art book will capture the imaginations and senses of your young students, giving them inspiration for plenty of art studies in the future!

Twenty masterpieces are featured, and the accompanying notes look at how each was created, who it was made for, and what people have thought of it over the years.

These twenty world-famous works of art are chronologically ordered. FromJan Van Eyck's The Arnolfini Portrait in 1434, to Post-Impressionist Gauguin, these works appeal to a young audience. Children will learn the lessons and stories behind the paintings; "Look at this" sections highlight specific details in the painting, "Why don't you" sideboxes provide ideas for activities, while "Did you know?" questions point out interesting facts about the artist, time, or paintings.

Includes a portrait or self-portrait of each artist, as well as a reproduction of their masterpiece, along with carefully selected details and other paintings by the same artist for comparison–120 color illustrations in all. Multiple paintings are shown, helping children to see how the artist used similar techniques or painted similar subjects. A chronology of the artists is provided in the back of the book. For those who want to know even more, follow the included web links.

Masterpieces Included:

1. The Arnolfini Portrait (Jan Van Eyck)
2. The Battle of San Romano (Paolo Uccello)
3. Primavera (Sandro Botticelli)
4. Mona Lisa (Leonardo da Vinci)
5. Children's Games (Pieter Bruegel the Elder)
6. An Old Woman Cooking Eggs (Diego Velazquez)
7. The Artist's Studio (Jan Vermeer)
8. The Skate (Jean-Baptiste- Simeon Chardin)
9. Self-Portrait Hesitating Between the Arts of Music and Painting (Angelica Kauffman)
10. The Monk by the Sea (Caspar David Friedrich)
11. The Raft of the Medusa (Theodore Gericault)
12. The Hay Wain (John Constable)
13. Burial at Ornans (Gustave Courbet)
14. Ophelia (John Everett Millais)
15. Breezing Up (A Fair Wind) (Winslow Homer)
16. La Loge (Auguste Renoir)
17. Summer's Day (Berthe Morisot)
18. A Sunday on La Grande Jatte (Georges Seurat)
19. Mont Sainte-Victoire (Paul Cezanne)
20. Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? (Paul Gauguin)

Please note that some of the great, classic artwork featured depicts nudity.

Suitable for ages 9-12
Grade range: 1-3