Saturday, January 1, 2022

Artful Reading by Bob Raczka



A week ago the Art Gallery of NSW announced they plan to create a library within the gallery for young artists. Boy oh boy I wish I could be on the team who set this up!

"On the shelves will be books about artists, by artists and for artists, books about art history and books featuring acclaimed illustrations."

"The books we have selected are ones that we want children to use freely, so we will incorporate some of our rare and older collections in programs and displays, such as books that artists themselves made as children. (but this) is not a borrowing library. ...  This will be a place where, above all, children can be inspired, and look, read, learn ad imagine."

"The library is modelled on the Nolen children's art library at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and children's art library at the Islamic Arts Museum in Kuala Lumpur."

In my previous school library we had a truly splendid collection of books like this. One of the senior staff attended a professional development session where the tutor suggested schools should collect art books, books filled with art images and so on. This was before the age of the interactive white board (these make it easy to share art images with class groups) and so we increased our art section from one shelf to over three.

About a week before the art gallery announcement I had another encounter with art and books and reading. Each year I like to purchase a special wall calendar.  On a recent shopping expedition in the city I found one filled with famous paintings depicting women reading books.  I remembered Ursula Dubosarsky had been collecting art depicting children reading books and so I purchased the calendar as a gift to celebrate her work as our Australian Children's Laureate. I am not sure that this is the exact one I found but it gives you the idea. 


When I mentioned all of this to my friend from Kinderbookswitheverything she immediately thought of this book - Artful Reading by Bob Raczka. This book was published in 2008 so I am amazed to report it is still in print.  The images are so special I wanted to share a few here.  Perhaps this offers some optimism for your reading year ahead. 

"The entire book is essentially an ode to readers around the world. Each page consists of various paintings done by world-renowned artists such as Degas, Van Gogh, Cézanne, Vermeer, Renoir, Matisse, Dürer, Picasso, Rembrandt among others." Gathering Books

Here are some of the wise words in this book which contains 23 works of art:

  • Read by yourself
  • Read with each other
  • Read one good book. Then read another
  • Read to escape to a place you can dream
  • Read by the window
  • Read what you want. It's for you to decide
  • Read when you're young
  • Read when you're old
  • Read to a friend
  • Read all your life and you'll never be bored


Read in a dress - A young girl reading by Jean-Honore Fragonard 1776 French


Read on the couch - Children's afternoon at Wargemont by Pierre-Auguste Renoir 1884
Image Source: Arts and Culture


Read with each other - Mrs James Smith and Grandson by Charles Willson Peale 1776


Here are two more art books by Bob Raczka that you might find a school or public library:




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