Picture Study
Picture Study is simple. Look at the picture with your children for a few minutes and then talk about what you saw. Try to remember as much about the piece as you can. Enjoy the beauty of it. Art is not a chore; it’s a pleasure. This year, we are looking at older art, and we’ve chosen some pieces of Michelangelo’s work to enjoy.
Biography:
Michelangelo (1475-1564) was apprenticed to work in a studio funded by the Medici family when he was only 14 years old. He poured all of his time and being into his art, not making many meaningful relationships throughout his life. His work was magnificent: paintings, sculptures, and architecture flowed out of him. Many of his projects required years of his attention, but he didn’t stop until he felt that they were perfect.
The Art
Resources:
Websites:
Books:
- Michelangelo by Diane Stanley
- Michelangelo for Kids: His Life and Ideas, with 21 Activities
- Michelangelo: Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists by Mike Venezia
- Michelangelo and the Renaissance, by David Spence
- Stone Giant: Michelangelo’s David and How He Came to Be by Jane Sutcliffe
- Michelangelo’s Surprise by Tony Parillo
- Living Biographies of the Great Painters by Henry Thomas (pages 17-35; source text for biography) Read online here
Video:
As always, please make sure to watch videos yourself before you show them to your kids so that you know how best to introduce and discuss them.
