“Every artist was first an amateur.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
We’ve seen them. In museums, in books, on buildings, calendars, coffee mugs, t shirts, and even socks – (I have a pair myself). What am I talking about? Famous paintings! International Artist’s Day is on October 25th, and I’ve got some ideas to last all year!
How one sees art certainly varies. Have you ever looked at a painting in awe of its beauty? Perhaps blown away at its complexity? Maybe you’ve looked at a painting and didn’t get it, or wonder why the artist painted the subject like that – if you can even make out the subject. Sometimes it’s difficult to analyze an artist’s work, but knowing more about the artist often helps us understand what they are trying to depict.
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Art in Cards
I have never taught a formal art history class to my kids, or even a formal art course during the high school years, but we’ve created several art projects over the years, and learned about several artists. One of my favorite tools we use to familiarize ourselves with famous artists and their works are a simple set of cards. Usborne’s Famous Paintings cards have been around in our homeschool for many years. The cards make a great addition to your morning basket, lunch crate, unit study, or just because looking at art is good for you! It’s true! Recent studies prove that a trip to the art gallery or a museum can positively impact your health and well-being by lowering anxiety and depression and boosting critical thinking skills.
About the Cards
The box of Famous Paintings cards contain thirty of the world’s most famous paintings. Each card has a picture of the famous work on the front, and details on the back. The backside of each card has the title of the painting, who painted it, what it’s made of, when and where it was painted and where it can be seen now. There’s also a paragraph about the painting, things to look for in the featured work, and a fun fact. The cards are thicker than your average playing card and are 4 x 6 inches.
New!!! Check out my YouTube Channel to see more of the cards!
Seven Ways to Use the Cards
Who doesn’t love a product that is versatile, can be used by several ages, and is of high quality that will last? I’ve had my set of cards for over 10 years! Here are 7 ways Famous Paintings cards can be used:
- They are perfect for your morning basket, or lunch crate. Wait, what’s a lunch crate? Find out HERE and HERE and HERE!
- Picture cards of any kind make great writing prompts! For example, display Munch’s Scream card and ask your kids to write about (1) what he may have been screaming about, (2) what happens next, (3) what makes your scream, or (4) frightful things. Another fun idea is snowball writing. That’s when each student – (including yourself mom or dad), writes a couple of starting sentences about the picture. After 2 to 3 minutes, ball it up, throw it to another person and they continue to write where you left off. Do that a few times, or as long as there’s interest, and you end up with a few cool stories to share with each other.
- Take the globe for a spin, or grab a world map! Find the places where the works were made and where they can be seen now. Many museums now offer virtual tours too – field trip!
- Make your own art gallery! Tape them down the hall, and let your kids host an art show. Use them for inspiration to let them make their own version to go with each artist.
- Art Jeopardy. Take what you’ve learned from the cards to make your own jeopardy game. I use index cards and this holder as a game board.
- Find it fast! Simply call our the work or the artist, and race to see who can find it first! A great way to keep moving!
- Artist of the Week is a fun theme that would be fantastic for multiple ages. There are thousands of ideas on the internet with various art projects to try, and libraries are another great resource that is free!
More Resources for Studying the Artists
One thing that I really like that multiple ages can use is Famous Paintings Magic Painting Book. You may remember the paint with water books as a child yourself. I have one of these from the series, and the colors are much more vibrant than I remember. These are fantastic for mess-free fun! There are 16 paintings, a brief introduction to each painting, a full color reproduction, plus internet links to find out more.
My other favorite resource for middle and high schoolers is The Lives of the Artists. This quirky-styled book features nineteen artists. The biographies are short and sort of tabloid-ish, but it is definitely fun to read. I would recommend using it as a read aloud, especially if using younger kids are present. There are a few references to infidelity and homosexuality about a few of the artists. Overall, you will learn things that you may not find in a textbook about the artist, such as what they ate, odd habits, and more. Really, it has been one of our favorite books. Check out the Lives of the Musicians and the Lives of the Writers also!
Unfortunately, one of my favorites from Usborne is no longer available, but can be found used or third party through a Google search. It is The Usborne Book of Famous Artists. Inside are the stories of 36 famous artists. I love the style of the book, as it has several examples of their works, a biography, as well as a timeline for each one. It has earned a place on our reference shelf for several years.
Artists have a unique way of connecting to the people around them. They add beauty to the world. Take the time to learn about their contributions, as well as their colorful lives!
Great ideas! I’ll have to give some of these ideas a try. I love doing virtual tours.
Thanks! So many places I’d love to see the masterpieces, but virtual will have to do for now!