MITCHELL LANE PUBLISHERS

Antonio Canaletto

ISBN 9781584155614

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More than a few art experts hail Giovanni Antonio Canal as one of the greatest artists of the eighteenth century. One writer of his time called him a “happy genius,” which was no exaggeration. The world knows him best as Canaletto. Born to a designer and painter of stage settings in 1697, Canaletto followed in his father’s path and trained as a theatrical scene painter. He soon left the theater behind and became a vedutista—a view painter. Venetians will remain forever grateful for his decision to change the direction of his artistic career. With brush and palette, he created a glittering vision of Venice that continues to define the splendor of that sun-drenched city of islands and lagoons. Canaletto took his talent abroad in 1746 and spent a decade in England, adding to his impressive body of work. But anyone who views his paintings and drawings will always associate him with Venice—La Serenissima—for Venice and Canaletto are one.

Claude Monet

ISBN 9781584155638

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In 1868, Claude Monet was desperate. Though he had been painting for a decade, he was living in poverty. He had to support his girlfriend and infant son on his meager earnings. His relatives refused to help him out, so he begged for money from his friends, telling them that his situation seemed hopeless.

Yet just over two decades later, with brisk sales through an art dealer, Monet had become wealthy and famous. People came from all over Europe, and even a few from the United States, to visit him. He lived in comfort for the rest of his life.

Monet is best known as an Impressionist painter. Impressionism was very different from the art that preceded it. It took years before people accepted it, but today exhibits that feature the works of Monet and other Impressionists are very popular.

Leonardo Da Vinci

ISBN 9781584157113

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Inventor, artist, scientist . . . Leonardo da Vinci’s wide-ranging inquisitiveness was the source of his greatest accomplishments and his lifelong financial difficulties—he would get bored quickly and rarely finish his projects. As an artist, only seventeen of his finished works survive, and yet they include two of the most famous paintings in the world: The Last Supper and Mona Lisa. His scientific studies of human anatomy were centuries ahead of their time. And his designs for inventions, such as mechanical flight, foresaw technologies that would not be developed for hundreds of years. Leonardo’s achievements make him more than just an important historical figure: He is the ultimate Renaissance man who continues to inspire both artists and scientists more than 500 years after his death.

Michelangelo

ISBN 9781584155621

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From a young age, Michelangelo showed a keen interest in art. His father, who didn’t approve of artists, wanted his son to become a “respectable” citizen such as a banker, a merchant, or even a government official. They had violent arguments, but Michelangelo finally won out. He began working as an apprentice for a well-known painter in the late 1400s. His talents far eclipsed his master’s, and his early sculptures brought him fame.

His genius wasn’t always given free rein. At the insistence of the Pope, he painted the glorious ceiling of the Sistine Chapel when he would have much rather been carving marble. He also enjoyed designing and planning St. Peter’s Basilica, the center of the Catholic faith. He even wrote insightful, emotional poetry.

In this gripping biography of Michelangelo, learn what influenced his art and his actions, and find out why he is still important today.

Edvard Munch

ISBN 9781584157120

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Many people instantly recognize The Scream, a harrowing painting of a person in pain. It appears on countless posters, T-shirts, and coffee mugs. The main character in the Scream horror movies wears a Halloween mask modeled on the painting. Yet not many people are familiar with the artist, Norwegian painter Edvard Munch. He lost his mother and his sister to tuberculosis; and he was raised by an aunt and his very strict father. With another sister on the verge of mental collapse, Munch became familiar with death and mental anguish at a young age. These feelings are reflected in The Scream and much of his other masterpieces. From his troubles, Munch spawned a new type of art called expressionism—and produced over 20,000 pieces. Find out how Munch became one of just a handful of artists who has an entire museum devoted exclusively to his works.

Paul Cézanne

ISBN 9781584155652

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Paul Cézanne is considered the father of modern art, but his road to artistic immortality was paved with professional obstacles and self-doubt. Born to a wealthy family, Cézanne turned his back on his father’s banking business and moved to Paris to pursue a career as an artist. The rigid style of traditional painting did not interest him. He believed all the rules prevented artists from fully expressing themselves. Rather than conform, he fell in with a group of maverick artists known as the Impressionists. What set Cézanne apart was his use of color and light. He also took his canvases outside to paint in natural light.

Cézanne worked in anonymity for most of his life, struggling with critical rejection, destroyed friendships, and isolation. It wasn’t until after his death that he earned the recognition that eluded him in life.

Picasso—PUBLICATION CANCELLED

ISBN 9781584157090

Pierre-Auguste Renoir

ISBN 9781584155669

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Pierre-Auguste Renoir once wrote to a friend, “Although we don’t eat every day, I’m still quite cheerful.” Like many painters, Renoir was always happy with a paintbrush in his hand. He was a productive Impressionist artist, creating more than 7,000 paintings, drawings, and sculptures during his lifetime.

Renoir is best known for portraits of engaging children, lovely women, and sensual nudes. After years of struggle to earn enough money to eat and pay the rent, Renoir began making a comfortable living painting portraits of wealthy patrons. His fame grew, and his paintings sold to rich collectors.

Despite his growing fame, Renoir remained a shy, humble family man. He adored his wife Aline and his children. He maintained close friendships with other artists—Monet, Sisley, and Bazille. He had no interest in fame, just in painting beautiful pictures. “Why shouldn’t art be pretty?” he asked. “There are enough unpleasant things in the world.”

Rembrandt

ISBN 9781584157106

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Rembrandt. The very name of this legendary artist has come to signify excellence. Calling something is a Rembrandt means that it is a masterpiece—the ultimate that can be achieved. But what about the man himself? Learn his unfortunate story—how he gained overwhelming commercial acceptance at an early age, only to have it slip away and never return. (Ironically, artworks of his that are now considered masterpieces were first met with indifference.) His personal life was tragic: his wife died at an early age, and nearly all of his children died in infancy. In his desperate later years, he was hounded by financial problems. Yet, despite all his troubles, the flame of genius never died inside him. Rembrandt, master of light, continued to be a master artist.

Vincent Van Gogh

ISBN 9781584155645

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Vincent van Gogh was a tormented man. From a young age, he was troubled by fits of depression. After a string of unfulfilling jobs and failed relationships, he found that painting would relieve him from his suffering. Even so, he cut off part of his left ear in a fit of rage. While in the hospital, doctors tried to diagnose his melancholy.

Once he was released, he continued to paint. In a remarkable career that spanned a little over ten years, he turned out hundreds of paintings, including at least forty self-portraits. And then, before he was forty years old, he took his own life.

Few other artists have been as successful in expressing their feelings as Vincent van Gogh. Dozens of his works are considered masterpieces. Scholars continue to try to diagnose his mental state—and wonder at the talent that was lost.

Art Profiles For Kids: Complete Set (9 titles)

ISBN 9781584157137

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