Look! Body Language in Art. By Gillian Wolfe. Frances Lincoln, pound;12.99. Tom Hardy recommends a book that will fuel children’s projects
Look! Body Language in Art provides a broad grab-bag of sources from a wide range of genres and cultures.
It will inspire and initiate projects across key stages 1 and 2, from a Victorian genre painting showing a sad little boy sitting on the steps to a landscape by passionate post-Impressionist van Gogh, or from the frenetic energy of Metzinger’s Cubism to the grave stillness of Grant Wood’s American Gothic.
Look! has the production values for which its publishing house is renowned, including sumptuous colour reproductions, child-friendly discussion prompts - is the Cubist cyclist thinking of the crowds or only of winning? - and purposeful activity suggestions - how many vertical lines can you count in American Gothic? A little gem.
Tom Hardy is head of art at North London Collegiate School
