How to Talk to Children about Art

Book excerpt: This is a children's art book for grown-ups. In everyday language it shows how to explain to children what to look for and how to enjoy paintings as diverse as a Renaissance religious scene, an impressionist portrait or modernist masters like Kandinsky and Picasso. Examining 30 paintings by great artists, from 1500 to the present day, in galleries around the world, this book gives examples of the kinds of questions a child might ask about the paintings such as; 'Who are the people in this painting?' 'Why has the artist used those colours?' 'How did the artist choose what to paint?' And provides straightforward answers. Demystifying art appreciation, this book reveals that the simplest questions can be among the most pertinent. There is plenty that will stimulate children's interest in art - and enlighten grown-ups too.