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Pictures to Grow Up With (1946)
by Katharine Gibson
Most know that I am a used book
aficionado. No, I don’t mean rare books or first editions. Not even pedestrian
art critics make enough money for that sort of lifestyle. Rather, I mean those books which are classics
based on having been passed between at least two generations.
In the world of art books, I found that
going back to the pre-WW II days brings a refreshingly straight-forward
perspective to the field. You see, back
in the day, art was understood by a relatively egalitarian populace to belong
to all people – and all people were expected to have at least a basic
understanding of art. I find that two
fields have declined precipitously since the war – being visual arts and
poetry, but that much of the fault lies with the critics, the private galleries
and the artists who arguably have cultivated a less approachable, highly
elitist environment that has benefited only the gallery owners.
Katharine Gibson’s pleasant book is aimed
introducing art appreciation to the middle elementary school student. She does not talk down to the reader but does
rather, find aspects of art that might be more appealing to children. Gibson starts with pets – introducing
children to the world of art and its concepts through the agency of animals
while dealing with complicated concepts such as the difference between art and
design, artistic intent, choice of medium, and so on. I greatly appreciate her review of the
concept of narrative within a work of art, whether it be an Italian Renaissance
painting, a French tapestry, and Egyptian tomb motif or a Greek vase. By the end of the first chapter, a child (or
adult for that matter) is well prepared for his or her first enjoyable trip to
the gallery or museum.
