An Eye for Art: Focusing on Great Artists and Their Work

by National Gallery of Art

Introduce children ages 7 and up to more than 50 great artists and their work with this lively family-oriented art resource. This treasure trove from the National Gallery of Art features works of art by, among others, Raphael, Rembrandt, Georgia O’Keeffe, Henri Matisse, Chuck Close, Jacob Lawrence, Pablo Picasso, and Alexander Calder, representing a wide array of artistic styles and techniques. Each chapter is focused on a theme ranging from studying nature and observing everyday life to breaking traditions and telling stories and includes works from a broad spectrum of artists, art mediums, nationalities, and time periods. Forty fun activities throughout will inspire the artist and art appreciator in every child. Written by museum educators with decades of hands-on experience helping children connect with art and the lives of artists, the projects include molding a clay figure inspired by Edgar Degas’s sculptures; drawing an object from touch alone, inspired by Joan Miró’s experience as an art student; painting a double-sided portrait reflecting physical traits and personality traits, inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s Ginevra de’ Benci; and creating a story based on a Mary Cassatt painting. Educators, homeschoolers, and families alike will find their creativity sparked by this beautiful gathering of art and information from the nation’s stellar collection.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Art History, Childrens, Picture Books

180 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2013

Reviews

[Am Y · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put this book down! It's supposedly targeted at children, but make no mistake - this reads just as well for an adult as for a kid! The language is easy to understand and definitely not "kiddy talk" - it's very straightforward and concise, but never childish.

The book trains you to take a closer look at pieces of art, using famous works as examples. It's divided into chapters according to theme: nature, places, portraits, stories, everyday life, new genres of art, spatiality. Each chapter showcases several artworks, with the book introducing their creators, describing how they made them, and what the meaning/intention was. Several parts of each artwork are highlighted with close-up images, with the book telling us more about those parts.

Example: In the painting The Adoration of the Magi (c. 1440/60) by Blessed Fra Angelico & Fra Filippo Lippi, a man among the crowd of worshippers is pointed out as looking up at the sky. This implies the presence of the star mentioned in the biblical text that guided the wise men to Bethlehem, even though the star itself does not appear in the painting. It was a smart way for the artist to suggest the star was there, without having to paint the sky!

Another example: In a painting of Napoleon (1812) by Jacques-Louis David, our attention is drawn to a book on the floor under Napoleon's desk, which is actually Plutarch's Lives. The presence of the book tells us that Napoleon would like to be seen as someone who was interested in replicating the successes of other great and powerful men before him.

And more stuff like that. Basically, areas in artworks are zoomed in upon, and our attention brought to them. We are handed interesting tidbits about each artwork this way.

In another painting, Jan Steen's The Dancing Couple (1663), we are told that the mess of objects on the ground is characteristic of the artist's style, and that even today in the Netherlands, a messy home is sometimes called a "Jan Steen household"!

The book also includes activities at the end of each chapter which you can do to train yourself to be more observant and attuned to the sensitivities of being an artist.

If you have any interest in art, or would like to find out fascinating little details about famous paintings, this book is a gem.

[David Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Eye for Art: Focusing on Great Artists and Their Work by the National Gallery of Art (Chicago Review Press 2013) (708.153) (3716).

This is one of my favorite art books of all time! Though bruited to be for children, the scholarship and the beauty of these masterworks astonished this unsuspecting reader.

I freely admit that my knowledge of the classic visual arts is sorely lacking, but this topic has never held a great deal of interest for me. I concede that this labels me a barbarian. There’s not much I can say in my defense with a straight face.

But this volume is magnificent! This was my first introduction to many of the book’s featured artists, and I was dazzled time after time and page after page.

The reason that this book is suggested for young readers is that each chapter/section ends with a crafty project to offer hands-on learning about a particular medium (e.g., make a mobile like Alexander Calder or learn to use a palette knife for thick paint layering).

For this reader, An Eye for Art: Focusing on Great Artists and Their Work led me to discover several artists who now populate my list of people and topics to explore further. These artists include Chuck Close (portraiture), Martin Johnson Heade (American naturalistic painting), Canaletto (Venetian cityscapes), Elizabeth-Louise Vigee Le Brun (portraiture), Fra Angelica and Fra Filippo Lippi (Florentine religious imagery), and John Singleton Copely (American action painting e.g. “Watson and the Shark”).

This volume also spurred me to further explore three of my old favorites: Giuseppe Arcimbaldo (who painted the trippiest human portraits of all time), Claude Monet, and Henri Matisse.

The National Gallery of Art and the Chicago Review Press should be very proud of this volume. This is the good stuff.

My rating: 8/10, finished 1/7/23 (3716).

[RumBelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly informative book. One of the things I especially liked was that, in my view, it featured many popular, well known artists, but also many that were not as well known such as Elizabeth Louise Vigee Le Brun and Jasper Francis Cropsey.

The variety of types of art was very well done. Sculpture, painting, collage and many more art forms were featured. In addition, many of the topics, and painters, discussed were also accompanied by activities people could try at home. One of the ones I found most intriguing was Touch Drawing. You place an object in a bag, and have the person creating the painting reach into the bag and feel the object. They cannot look at it, and they just have to draw what they feel.

The illustrations really highlighted the works well. Most were photos of either the type of art, or the work, being talked about. High quality photos, with high level of detail.

A very interesting book, if you love art, or want to learn more about it.

[Michael Jorge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Art has always had an interesting history. It has shown studies of various men and their work, from wishing to capture the beauty of the land around the artist, to strokes of madness that capture the beauty of man and nature alike. This informative book shows many different artists, many different times, and the many different styles they took to achieve their shared status.

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Passed the test of “you borrowed it from the library more
Than three times, and then bought it”. Definately not only for children. A wonderfully curated tool that stimulates curiosity and experimentaton.

[Susan]

A great introduction to famous artists, with lots of thoughtful contemplation questions and exercises as well as some stellar projects. This would make a great semester art study practically by itself for elementary students, or supplemented with further reading/research for older students.

[Sue Janusz · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice introduction to many famous artists exhibited at the National Gallery of Art. Also many I had never heard of. I googled several to see more of their paintings, especially the landscape painters. I skipped over the ‘kid’s activities’. 3.5 stars

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative, easy to read and has fun activities. A good book to include with artist and art history lessons.

[Irma · Rating 4 out of 5]

strong 4.5

[T P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative resource

It gives a very good general overview of current artists grouped by style or type of work. The activities are very helpful.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well done instructional art history book. Well put together and very interesting.

[Library Queen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was completely unaware this was a children's book when I picked it out, so I was a little bored. That being said, I think it's a great intro for kids getting into Art with a capital A.

[Sydney · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is amazing how different artists use different art techniques and materials to express their feelings to the observer. I feel like I just took an art class.....and I learned a lot!

[Tania · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenally fantastic visual book. I loved the format. Definitely something I could read again and again.

[Kate]

Didn't realize this was for children.
I still learned some interesting and fun things about the artists.

Didn't finish, though - got distracted.

[Bethany]

National Gallery of Art. (2013) An eye for art: Focusing on great artists and their works. Chicago, IL: Chicago Review Press.

Citation by Bethany Voight
Type of Reference: Biographical Reference
Call Number: REF 708.153

Cost: paperback, one volume, 180 pages, $19.95

Accuracy: Primary sources from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. This collection features some of the highest quality art in the world. The publication compiled a series of articles about famous artists found in their collection.

Comprehensiveness: 45 international and nationally recognized premier artists from a range of styles, art pieces, and activities for children are covered.

Ease of Use: The work is concise and organized. Each artist is grouped by one of 7 genres. Each article features a biography, explanation of major art work and style, and an activity for a student or family to complete. The table of contents and index are user-friendly and straightforward.

Currency: The publication date is September 2013 and is published by one of the premier resources for art and art history in the world. The National Gallery of Art frequently publishes articles, newsletters, educational material, and other art related works.

Review source: Jones, C. (2013). Fall youth preview, 2013. Booklist, 110(1), 127-143.

[Diane Ferbrache · Rating 4 out of 5]

The National Gallery of Art publishes a family quarterly that includes a section called “Inside Scoop” featuring artists and works from the museum and includes activities that play off either the artist’s style or subject matter. These activities are intended to inspire children and their families to explore art in a new way and experiment with their own artistic activities.
This book compiles 45 of those articles grouped in 7 genres. Each article focuses on one artist and provides a biography, an explanation of the artist’s major work(s) and style, and an activity that plays off either the work or the style of the author. Very informative and delightfully entertaining.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

typical questions offered in the book are DId you notice something you've never noticed before? On seeing a Claude Monet Impressions's painting of THe Japanese Footbridge "What would you use to express the ways a place looks and feels like at a particular moment?"

great preview for touring the most wonderful art of the National Gallery in Washington; dropped in on one of the educational classes being presented to the young children at the National Gallery in early August after reading this book. Highly recommend reading this book, spending several hours enjoying the art and eating lunch at Gertrude's restaurant at the National (and I am not even American).

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun look into 50 of the world’s most well-known artists from numerous times and genera’s. Each section has background information on the artists, an easy to follow set of instructions on how to create your own version of the covered art and critical thinking questions about the work; encouraging viewers to delve deeper into what the artist was trying to convey or express the emotions the piece generates.

[Jennifer E. Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Admittedly, I skimmed through this one to see what I could use with students this year, but I read a great deal of it. Many of the activities were things I want to explore for myself, in particular, making abstract art by abstracting a photo. Lots of interesting biographical info about many artists.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is purported to be a children's book, but I learned a lot about artists I'd never known existed, as well as new information about artists I thought I knew well. There are 40 activities in this book to spur the artist within each of us.

[TheRLPL Rice Lake Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patron Review:


This book highlights so famous artist and some of their work in a way interesting to children and youth. It would be great to use in an art class or for homeschooling (as i intend to do).

[Suzette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is really for teachers/parents to use in teaching art to children. There are activities you can try throughout the book. But, I still enjoyed reading about the different artists and how they approached their creations. Great photos of the artists' works are through the entire book.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting reading and some of the craft ideas look fun.

I got this as an ebook from the library. The pictures were not big enough to see details.

[Thomasin Propson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful! I love the explanations regarding technique. Should be part of everyone's home!

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book displayed brief explanations and insights on different artists and their styles of art. It was both interesting at times and also lost my interest at times.