Looking at Pictures

Every day in the National Gallery, wonderful and mysterious paintings by the greatest European artists capture the eye and imagination of children from all over the world. Looking at Pictures: An Introduction to Art for Young People Through the National Gallery Collection invites young readers to make their own journey of discovery through the history of art, techniques and subject matter of paintings, and get to know how people study and describe them.

Each chapter looks at an important aspect of painting, such as the use of light, perspective, portraits, symbols in art, and painters' materials and art techniques; all brought to life by Joy Richardson's lively text and choice of illustrations.

In Looking at Pictures, full page colour reproductions and cleverly chosen details from works across the centuries suggest a "mini-history" of European painting, from Uccello and Leonardo to Rembrandt, Constable and Picasso.

Charlotte Voake's enchanting drawings, inspired by the paintings, add humour and charm to this imaginatively devised children's art book.