Living Biographies of Great Painters

by Henry Thomas, Dana Lee Thomas, Gordon Ross (Illustrator)

To appreciate the meaning of beauty of great works of art, we must be familiar with the lives of the geniuses who created them. For in the personalities and life-stories of great artists is the key to their masterpieces.

Here are vivid stories of men who dreamed, struggled and suffered so that they might give expression to their divine gifts. And here are also frank stories of human beings, many of whom lived exciting lives of romance and adventure. These are Living biographies-and they have the fascination of fiction illumined and strengthened with the permanent appeal of historical fact.

Genres: Art, Biography

312 pages, Textbook Binding

First published January 1, 1950

About the author

1888(?)-1970

Henry Thomas Schnittkind (1886-1970) was the full name of the American author who also wrote under the pen name Henry Thomas. Highly educated, with a PhD from Harvard, his subjects ranged from mathematics and politics to biography and philosophy. In a Who's Who entry from the late 1930s, he listed his hobby as "education of the masses."

Reviews

[Summer]

This gives short but impactful living biographies of each of these painters: Giotto, Michelangelo, Raphael, DaVinci, Titan, Ruebens, Rembrandt, El Greco, Velasquez, Hogarth, Reynolds, Turner, Goya, Cobot, Millet, Van Gogh, Whistler, Renoir, Cezanne and Homer.

I have never heard of a few of these guys but it was wonderful to hear about their lives and works of art. It is a bit more grown up, love lives briefly gone into and a mention of a suicide so I would imagine this would be appropriate for teens. There was a good amount of new information I learned.

[Pollopicu]

My MIL gave me this book before I moved to NY. I enjoyed it very much. It was worth the read. I was surprised to find good humor in such an old biographical edition of an art book.

[Mary]

Audiobook 👍🏻

[Lisa]

Carmon & Cindy,
Bought this one at a used book sale and then found that there is a whole series (Great Composers, Great Leaders, etc.) and that several are available on audio from Blackstone. Know anything about this author or these books, worldview, etc? My copy is from the 40's I believe. It's too musty for me to read without sneezing and watery eyes, but I'd like to have the boys read it if it's good. I may have to rent the audio and give it a listen. Blessings, have a terrific weekend.