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The very purpose for art appreciation is to develop a sense for the beauty of creation, and to study the expressions of artists that try to capture what only God can truly create. To begin your art appreciation study, you must first find an artist of interest and acquire some of his prints. You can find these through the Rainbow Resource and other catalogs. You will need to purchase the following: 3” ring binder, plain card stock (8 1/2x11), plastic sheet covers, art prints, or an art book.

To begin, first familiarize your child with the artist – avoiding personal facts that may not be appropriate (I make use of our computer software to research the artist, enabling me to print out the facts quickly). After reading the artist biography, allow the child to orally narrate or have an older child write their narration. We then place the printed sheet or a portion of the biography in a plastic sleeve and place it in the binder along with any narrations written by the children.

Second, select an art print that will correspond to the subject in your history lesson. Allow your child to study the print for about five minutes. Next, place the print out of sight and have the child orally narrate everything they remember about the artist’s work, such as colors, shapes, designs, and so forth. Allow time for each child to write their narration neatly (you can tape oral narrations and allow the child to use the recording when writing their narration). Place this, along with the print and biography narrations, in your binder.

For an art project, I have all of my children draw their interpretation of the print to place in the binder along with the other information and narrations on the artist. To protect this precious work, I place this artwork in plastic sleeves. You can continue to build your Art Appreciation Notebook (binder) throughout the year, and from time to time look back and see how much your children have learned.

Resources for art appreciation can be found in your library (an example is the Master of Art Series), bookstore, online, book catalogs, and computer software (an example is the Encarta program). I have listed a few resources, including God and the History of Art, Learning More About Pictures (for grades 1-12) and Fandex-Painters. All three resources are found in the Rainbow Resource catalog.

I provide a list of artists that you may choose from on the following pages, or you may use the art appreciation assignment that I have selected for you in each Unit on the project pages.

List of Artists to Study

Giotto DiBondone (1266-1337) was a Florentine painter who paved the way for the Italian Renaissance in art.
Fra Angelio (1387-1455) was called “the Angelic One,” and was a monastic monk who lived in Italy during the 1400’s. He was totally dedicated and committed to serving the Lord in his artwork.
Jan Van Eyck (1390-1441) was the first painter to master the new medium of oil painting and also introduced realism and clarity to the artist of northern Europe.
Sandro Bottticelli (1445-1510) developed an elegant linear style of painting.
Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519) was an artist, engineer, inventor, musician, philosopher, and scientist. He was a genius and master of all trades.
Albrecht Durer (1471-1528) was a German artist who lived in Europe during the Renaissance. Even though influenced greatly by the Italian Renaissance, he sought a purer approach.
Michelangelo Buonarotti (1475-1564) was an Italian painter; one of his greatest known works is his painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
Raphel/Raffaello Sanzio (1483-1520) is known for his fluid draftsmanship, noble figures, and balanced compositions.
Titian/Tiziano Vecellio (1488-1576) was a Venetian painter characterized by his free and rich application of paint with visible brushstrokes.
Georgio Vasari (1511-1574) was the first true art historian and called “the father of art history and criticism.”
Tintoretto (1518-1594) was born in Venice, Italy and christened Jocopo Robusti (nicknamed Tintoretto). He was a known for his massive works and for his love for both God and his family.
Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) ruled the art world during the 17th century and was known as “the prince of painters.”
Diego Velazquez (1599-1660) painted in a naturalistic style and was known as “the painter of painters.”
Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) is known for his paintings and illustrations of stories from the Bible. He was one of the greatest portrait artists and engravers that ever lived.
Benjamin West (1738 – 1820) was the 10^th child born into a Quaker family. He worked on many large Biblical paintings commissioned by King George III. He is known for teaching and many inspiring young American artists that would help establish America’s reputation in the art world.
Eugene Delacroix (1798-?) was born in Saint Maurice, France and considered by many as “the last old master”; He was the father of modern French art opened a path for Impressionist art.
Jean Francois Millet (1814-1874) was born in Gruchy, a small farming village in Normandy, France. He had a deep, sincere reverence for God and liked to paint the simple country scenes.
John Ruskin (1819-1900) was born in London, England and was homeschooled by his mother and several tutors. He became an art historian and was Pre-Raphaelite.
Gustave Dore (1832-1883) was born in France to the son of a civil engineer. He created many illustrations for the Bible.
Carl Bloch (1834-1890) lived in Copenhagen, Denmark and created historical and Biblical paintings.
Edgar Degas (1834-1917) is known for his paintings of ballet dancers.
Winslow Homer (1836-1910) created watercolor portraits of American life.
Claude Monet (1840-1926) was an Impressionist; his contemporaries were Renoir, Sisly, and Pissarro.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) was one of the artists that created the Impressionist style.
Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) was an American, but she spent most of her life in France. She painted with the impressionist style.
Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) was mentally unstable, but a brilliant painter.
Frederic Remington (1861-1909) was born in Canton, New York and was one of the greatest western artists in America.
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) was a modern artist known for his imagination, inventiveness, and unceasing artistic abilities.
Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) is one of the most beloved artists in American history.