Birdcage Press Renaissance Art Game

by Wenda O'Reilly

This beautiful card game and book set, acclaimed by educators as the most effective educational art game on the market, presents the greatest artists of the Renaissance and their masterpieces. The cards make the enterprise fun, while the book offers fascinating facts and dramatic, full-color pictures on every page. Revelations include why Leonardo da Vinci smuggled the Mona Lisa out of Italy; who punched Michelangelo in the nose; which Renaissance artist painted the Devil to look like one of his most annoying critics; and how paints were made from bugs, burnt bones, and precious gems. Written to appeal to both children and adults, The Renaissance Art Game is an ideal blend of fun and learning. Includes a deck of 30 museum-quality playing cards and a full-color 80-page art book, packaged in a Renaissance treasure box.

80 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2000

Reviews

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've only skimmed the book - would love to play the game with it! The book is a great overview of renaissance art, hitting all the big names!

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A straightforward overview of some of the great Italian Renaissance artists and their works.

[Tara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book to read with my 4 and 6 year old kids in preparation for seeing Renaissance art in Florence, Italy. It is totally inappropriate for children in this age range, depicting (in word and image) many killings and even rapes. Of course, much Renaissance art is rather violent. Still, I would imagine the author could have selected pictures that did not depict rape for a children's book on Renaissance art. This book also lacks narrative cohesiveness. It would benefit from beginning with a discussion of how to view Renaissance art and applying that to each painting, or from telling an overarching story about the changes made in art during the Renaissance, or the development of the styles of each of the artists depicted. Lastly, if you are going to Florence, be aware that most of these paintings are housed in other cities.