The Usborne Book of Famous Paintings

by Rosie Dickins

There are hundreds of famous paintings all over the world, that people recognize and admire for lots of reasons. It’s impossible to say which are the best or most famous, as people will always argue about it.

For this book, we have picked a small selection of pictures - just 35, arranged in order of date - spanning a huge range of periods and styles. Looking at them may help you to discover what kind of paintings you like best and perhaps select your own favourites.

Each of the paintings in this book is on display in an art gallery or museum around the world. If you visit one of those galleries, you can see the real painting for yourself. You can also view the paintings - and many, many more - on the gallery websites.

Originally published: London: Usborne, 2009.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Childrens, Art History, Cultural

80 pages, Board Book

First published August 28, 2009

Reviews

[Kelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the last art book...I promise. Finishing our month of art exploration and preparing to return all the great books to the library, I can't forget to mention this wonderful book which showcased many famous paintings we have seen in the other books but offered additional information we hadn't read in the other books. My kids were arguing over whether the woman was pregnant in The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan Van Eyck. This book settled that argument. My son knew what it said on the wall in the background in Latin. This book details what is in the mirror in the background. Those little mysteries answered kept my kids very interested. I loved reading it and learned a lot, too.

[C. (Don't blank click my reviews, comment please! · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Usborne Book Of Famous Paintings” is a favourite find this year. I have written, for example in delight with Robert Bateman, that there is a unique pleasure and triumph of accomplishment when we learn a subject we knew little about. Education about something we can now practice feels good. Not knowing how to draw or paint, I love gaining insight into techniques or types, fun or significant facts to ponder. No more glancing at masterpieces, only knowing what my eyes and emotions enjoy. I am versed in what I can get out of art. It's fun to absorb information and details about paintings and artists I knew marginally. When we are equipped to view portraits insightfully, our perspective changes to impressions that are educated.

For example, Pablo Picasso's name might be a joking metaphor for being too bizarre to understand. Now I know him as someone who spoke out against the bombing of “Guernica”, Spain and believe me, you are glad he painted that atrocity in abstract. Otherwise, it would be too upsetting. He would not show it in Spain until the war was over. Meanwhile, the rest of the world was informed about what happened. I knew a bit about the “Mona Lisa” because I saw my parents' replica every day (and slingshot folded paper into it). I knew “The Scream” was not issued by the subject but heard, which is why he blocks his ears. It was good to refresh the artists' names, countries, and dates better than I ever knew any of them.

One objection is representation: only three women, no Canadiana. England and the USA were spotlighted four times, who aren't well-known for paintings like the other countries in quadruplicate. Rosie Dickens could reduce any of the quadruplets and present something from many more countries.

[Kevyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my most favorite book!

[Pumkin pie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was very fun and exciting. I loved learning about the famous paintings and the artists that made them. I definitely recommend this book, even if you aren't a big art fan.

[Donna Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating! A children's book -- but great for an art ignoramus like me.

Dozens of famous paintings like The Scream, The Girl with the Pearl Earring, Sunflowers, and many more that you would recognize are analyzed at a very basic level, and interesting tidbits are shared that increase one's art appreciation level. For example, did you know there are about 3.5 million dots in the famous Seurat painting? Or that American Gothic (the unsmiling farmer with a pitchfork and his wife) actually depicts the painter's dentist and wife? Or that the Mona Lisa was painted over three previous versions and was hung for years in the King of France's bathroom?

Very engaging book -- it makes me want to go to a museum! The only thing I would have liked is a little blurb saying where each piece is exhibited. I know I've seen a few of them before at the Art Institute ...

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this during various times of eating out at various restaurants. Reading this book was similar to watching a movie with the commentary track, with many comments in the margins & arrows pointing to various parts of each painting. Many of these comments pointed out things I had never noticed before about the paintings, so I learned a lot, especially about some of the symbolism behind things in the paintings. A few of the larger paintings had some fold-out pages (“Water Lilies, Morning” by Claude Monet, & “Guernica” by Pablo Picasso). Michelangelo’s “The Sistine Chapel Ceiling” also gets a special spread (not a fold-out, though). Directly under each title, it listed the artist’s name, country where it was painted, the type/medium, & the size. The illustrations also add to the charm & educational quality of the stories behind the paintings.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It's nonfiction for young readers (~9-12) but as an adult, it was still amazing. There were little factoids that I didn't know already, and they way in which they approached each painting and added additional notes was totally charming. 100% recommend to have as part of a library or personal collection.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reminds me of a beginners Humanities class.

[Brittany Dohm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about the different famous paintings that are popular in history. It describes the process and time that was put into it and the different kind of techniques that were used. It also gives a history of how it came to be. There are descriptions of the paintings of how the artist is portraying their art with a story behind it. This is a good book to read if you are wanting to learn more about pieces of art.

I really enjoyed reading this book and how I got to learn about the different pieces of art. It was very enriching as it helped me to gain more knowledge on the history of the artwork. I've always wanted to learn a little more about the art from centuries ago and reading this book has really helped me to grasp it all in by not having to go to so many different sources to find it. Those who love art and are wanting to grow more in it, this is the book to read. Learning from past artist and seeing their way of technique really helps us to be inspired.

- There is nudity in the art.

[Noor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book.. not many pages but was quite interesting and enjoyable to read.

A selection of famous paintings with a description of artist, size and type of colours or if it was a print. Then the book goes on explaining the aspects of the painting and some interesting information about it.

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice variety of famous paintings; however, the commentary lacked sophistication.

[Adia · Rating 4 out of 5]

the writing is very simple (‎8 - 10 years) but i'm a sucker for good art

[Jael · Rating 5 out of 5]

It made me want to go to the museum and be more observant of the pictures and details of the artist work

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Usborne Book of Famous Paintings, takes upon a unique of describing the paints by adding style to the describing, instead of just a lot of text. It explains many famous paintings in small text that surround the painting, pointing at different symbols that were significant to the painting explaining the why it became famous and the depth the painters put into their artwork. Different from textbooks about artwork, it adds the artwork in a fun way that catches attention.

I enjoyed this book, as I love looking at artwork and knowing about its origins. This book was not boring at all for me, as it added the text in a fun way where it looked like someone had written around the painting describing the painting in brief descriptions. It was organised in a way that caught my attention and made it a quick read. I would recommend it to anyone who loves learning about art and looking into it.

Content Warning:
Genre: Non-Fiction
Age:13+
Sexual Content: some nudity in some of the paintings.

[Jenn Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book goes through famous paintings started around the Renaissance all the way until the late 1990's. It explains the artist's background and why he or she painted the pointed. It also as fun side notes about things people assume or didn't notice about the paintings.

I really enjoyed reading this because the information was presented in a fun way. It didn't feel like reading a text book. I especially loved the little notes about fun facts with each paintings. There were many paintings I recognized that I learned more about and several paintings I'd never seen.

I believe one of the paintings might have had some nudity.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 9 year-old-son read this book from cover to cover. It is an excellent book for introducing famous artwork to children. The selection was great, and included artists from the Renaissance all the way up to the Pop Art movement. That said, the selection is not entirely perfect. The book *could* have included a more diverse selection of artists (just saying). With only a couple of exceptions, the art featured is mostly European and European-American art. Good job including a few great women though ... including Bridget Riley who my son deemed his favorite. All in all, we both loved this book and would highly recommend to kids and adults alike.

[Dothan Houston County Library System]

Wow! Whether you are an adult or want to expose your children to art history of famous paintings, this book gives exceptional detail and unknown facts surrounding each work of art (35 total). Find out why Mona Lisa looks different (what is she missing?), a real life scream that inspired cartoons and horror movies, the First World War and Water Lilies, and my favorite – Renoir’s “Dance at the Moulin de la Galette.” Who are those people in this masterpiece scene? Homeschoolers may find this book delightful coursework enrichment! - JPP

[Alexandra Chauran · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was an excellent collection of pictures of famous art that kept my three year old's rapt attention. There were arrows pointing to various features of the art so that even if you weren't reading all the text you could still offer quick tidbits of information.

[João Teixeira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uma excelente leitura para dar a conhecer algumas das mais famosas obras de arte da pintura de sempre.
Um ponto de partida para que o público infanto-juvenil parta à descoberta do maravilhoso mundo da arte e da pintura.

[Brit · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice overview of art since the the 15th century. It is a child's book, but points out various aspects of each piece of art.

[Riley S · Rating 4 out of 5]

awesome