The Story of Painting

by Abigail Wheatley, Janis Riley (Editor), Uwe Mayer (Illustrator)

A history of painting from cave paintings to the twenty-first century discusses the work of such artists as Van Eyck, Michelangelo, Vermeer, Monet, Picasso, and Warhol.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Childrens

96 pages, Paperback

First published April 27, 2007

About the author

Growing up in Australia and the UK, Abigail often found herself covered in paint or flour, or lost in a book. After a BA in English and a PhD on Medieval Castles, she combined her interests writing Usborne children's books - from cookery, craft and castles to science and unicorns.

Reviews

[Lauh - Random Utopias · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty good book to introduce teens to art (or adults like me LMAO) while giving basic ideas of how some artistic styles are related to historical and social situations. The only reason why I don't give this book 5 stars it's because it rarely touches on femine authors and although I understand this is for teens and it's a pretty small book, there was space to name at least some of the most popular like Kahlo.
Overrall, a nice, easy and quick read for any ages.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

You would think a book about the history of painting would be as boring as, well, watching paint dry. But that is not the case in this fun short book that details the story of painting from the time of cave paintings to today thanks to the sharp writing style of Wheatley and the humorous cartoons illustrated by Mayer and McNee. The book is filled with fun facts, timelines, photographs of famous and not so famous works of art, “intriguing tales and tricks of the trade,” pivotal moments in art history, and a glossary. To learn more, the book also includes links to web sites of online galleries and art activities. While you read, check them out at www.usborne-quicklinks.com/uk/uk_enti.... (Recommended for grades 4 and up)

[Deborah Markus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sonny and I read this together. I wanted to give him a different angle on world history. It's an Usborne book, and I enjoyed it. It's a terrific introduction to art for beginners of all ages. The only thing that bugs me is that occasionally they'll mention a painting and describe it in great detail rather than showing it, or mention an artist and describe his work rather than showing an example of it.

[Dgg32 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Children's art history book for everybody.

I encountered this book in Dresden. Casually I opened it up and after several glances I realized it is actually a very good introduction into art history. How the pigments are mixed, how the visual science has been developed through the history, is all there.

A short read, less than 100 pages, but more informative than some other lengthy eloquent books on the same subject. Accompanied with Art history for dummies, a must for art history beginners.

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite useful. Nicely laid out.

liked it.

[Rogan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful as a reminder but don't use it as a sole resource!

[Keira]

Good introduction.