We put together a list of great works of art to share with young children.  The list includes artwork from Picasso, Chagall, Dali, Rousseau, Van Gogh, Monet, Kandinsky, and more!   Give your children the full experience of appreciating artwork by asking engaging questions about each painting that you view.  Experiencing art is entirely subjective so you’re sure to be fascinated by what your children see.  We’ve included sample questions for each piece to help you get your children talking and thinking about art.  Click on the paintings to view them larger!

Check the locations of the paintings listed below so you can see the artwork in person if it’s in your area.  New Yorkers- several of these paintings are at the MOMA, the Guggenheim, and the Met.  Make sure to get out there with your children to see them up close!

RED

Picasso: “Harlequin with a Guitar” (Collection H. Berggruen, Paris, France)

Question to ask children:  What instrument is the man playing?  What do you see behind the curtain?

 

Chagall- “Strawberries. Bela and Ida at the Table” (Private Collection)

Questions to ask children:  Who are the people in the picture?  What are they eating?

 

ORANGE

Rousseau: “Monkeys in the Jungle” (Portland Museum of Art)

Questions to ask children:  This one is great for counting! How many monkeys do you see? For older children- how many oranges?

 

Dali: “The First Day of Spring” (Gala-Salvador Dali Foundation, Figueras, Spain)

Questions to ask children  Do you see an airplane?  How many doors can you count?  What else do you see?

 

YELLOW

Van Gogh: “Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers” (National Gallery, London)

Questions to ask children:  Can you count all fifteen?  Where do you think Van Gogh picked the sunflowers?

 

Van Gogh: “The Yellow House” (Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam)

Questions to ask children:  What colors did Van Gogh use in this painting?  What kind of store do you think is on the left?

 

GREEN

Seurat: “Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte” (Art Institute of Chicago)

Questions to ask children:  Do you see the monkey?  How many umbrellas can you count?

 

Klimt: “The Park” (MOMA, NYC)

Questions to ask children:  What animals do you think are hidden in the woods?  Can you make tiny dots in shades of green like Klimt?

 

BLUE

Van Gogh: “The Starry Night” (MOMA, NYC)

Questions to ask children:  Where is the moon? Stars?  How can we paint a sky like Van Gogh?

 

Matisse: “The Blue Window (MOMA, NYC)

Questions to ask children:  Ask children to tell you what they see in this painting.

 

PURPLE

Chagall: “The Green Violinist” (Guggenheim Museum, NYC)

Questions to ask children:  Do you see a man floating?  Why do you think the violinist is green?

 

Monet: “The Irises” (Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France)

Questions to ask children:  What do you see in the background?  What colors does Monet use in this painting?

 

PINK

Rousseau: “The Flamingos” (Private Collection)

Questions to ask children:  How many flamingos can you count?  What colors are the flowers in the water?

 

Kandinsky: “Decisive Pink” (Guggenheim Museum, NYC)

Questions to ask children:  What shapes do you see?  What shapes are pink?

 

BLACK

Renoir: “ Madame Charpentier with  Her Children” (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC)

Questions to ask children:  What is black in this picture?  What other colors do you see?

 

Picasso: “Musicians in Masks” (Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA)

Questions to ask children:   Do you see the black music notes?  Do you see the musicians?

 

BROWN

Rousseau: “The Sleeping Gypsy” (MOMA, NYC)

Questions to ask children: What animal do you see?  What shape is the moon?  How many strings can you count on the lute?

 

Dali: “The Persistence of Memory” (MOMA, NYC)

Questions to ask children:  What numbers do you see?  What colors did Dali use to paint the sky?

 

WHITE

Degas: “The Star” (Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France)

Questions to ask children:  What color is the ribbon around the dancer’s neck?  What kind of music do you think she is dancing to?

 

Klimt: “Portrait of Mada Primavesi” (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC)

Questions to ask children:   What colors are the flowers on her dress?  What do you think she is thinking?