"I like that picture Daddy!"

This is my first post on this platform for a while, but this morning my 5 year old son uttered the words, "I like that picture Daddy!" Nothing strange in that, he loves drawing, painting and generally being creative, but I happened to be looking at Pablo Picasso's 'Mediterranean Landscape'. This piece is not an obvious one to appeal to kids, and it got me thinking what his reaction would be to different styles of painting (and gave me an excuse to spend time looking and talking about art!)

Pablo Picasso's 'Mediterranean Landscape' (see above)


Son: I like the colours, funny walls and that it's sunny.
Dad: I like the light, haphazard nature of cramped building near the coast and the lazy, relaxed atmosphere it suggests.

Trisha Lamoreaux's 'New York Traffic'

Son: Its so busy. I like the yellow cars. Why are the buildings so big?
Dad: I like the intensity of it. It feels busy, out of control and full of life. The taxis dominate the scene, but it is the amount of people squashed onto the pavement that gives it the edge.

Holbein's 'The ambassadors'

Son: What are they doing? I like the funny guitar. They look bored.
Dad: I know the symbolic nature of the work, but it is the farcical nature of them supposedly posing with so much 'stuff' that is interesting. I also like the expressions and the extravagance of the cloak.

Winslow Homer's 'Inside the bar: Cullercoats'

Son: It looks cold and windy. She hasn't even got a coat on (does a little shiver).
Dad: This is local for us and I like the history it evokes of where we live, the strength of the women and the dangerous nature of life and work in the past.

Mondrian's 'Composition in white, blue, yellow and C'

Son: I like that one. It has nice colours and lines. Why did he not colour in the rest of the boxes?
Dad: Not sure why this is my favourite of his compositions. I guess each one must appeal differently to every individual. I like the squeezed nature of the lines on the right and that they don't need colour to make them interesting.

LS Lowry's 'Going to the match'

Son: That's the one on the wall. Are they going to watch my team? Even the doggy is going!
Dad: As a Bolton Wanderers fan I love this. It reminds me of going to Burnden Park as a teenager. You can even see the Burnden Terrace where I used to stand (a few years after the painting!). It also conveys everyone's urgency to get there, with the leaning forward walking style and people coming from all directions.

Monet's 'Sunset in Venice'

Son: Is it on fire? Is it smoke or just misty?
Dad: It creates an atmosphere that is evocative and adds to the image of Venice of romance and mystery. The colours are wonderful and it almost feels like it is from another world.

I feel a regular Sunday morning activity coming on...