The stories behind some of the greatest artworks of all time, including the real life struggles and triumphs of the artists who created them.
Splat! is the history of art at its most exciting and outrageous. Organized by artist and covering both key events and major movements such as the Renaissance and Impressionism to Surrealism and contemporary art, it is a valuable resource for young people curious about art.
Each artist is introduced with bulleted facts including their country of origin, most famous works, the greatest challenges they faced in creating their art, background information, the movement they belonged to, and techniques they employed. This overview is expanded with further insight into who these artists were and how they changed the course of art. Here are Michelangelo and the High Renaissance; Bruegel and his paintings of everyday peasant life; Manet and the shock of Impressionism; and Duchamp and the Dada revolution. Children can also read the real-life stories of artists, such as Caravaggio, Jan Vermeer, Henri Rousseau, Vincent van Gogh, Wassily Kandinsky, and Frida Kahlo, who dared to imagine new ways of depicting the world.
About the Author
Mary Richards is a writer, publisher, and musician. She is the author of Ed Ruscha and Modern Art! Write Your Own Story and was previously the art publisher for the Hayward Gallery in London.
Industry Reviews
'Provides excellent insight into the achievements of many great artists and excitingly brings to life the challenges, difficulties, and dangers they faced' - Parents In Touch
'It is a brilliant book, full of great information for kids and provides excellent insight into art history' - World Kids
'Brilliant ... children who are fascinated by art, or budding artists in their own rights, will absolutely love this book' - Global Mouse Travels
'Describes the life, works, challenges and historical background of great artists with a good sense of what historians of nine-plus will find engaging' - New Statesman
'This would be a great gift to give to a family member before heading out to a gallery or a trip to Paris or Italy. The book is bang up to date, including modern-day artists such as Cornelia Parker RA and Pipilotti Rist' - RA magazine
'Introducing children to the world of art can be tricky to get right. Splat! achieves this with brilliantly designed infomatics and diagrams to great effect throughout' - Read It Daddy
'This book attempts a most difficult task, and achieves it: to explain and enthuse the reader about Art' - School Librarian
'Artworks are beautifully reproduced and accompanied by loads of information about the artists' life and times' - The School Run
