Did you know that Frida Kahlo had a dog called Señor Xólotl? Or that Jackson Pollock worked as a statue cleaner? Or that art competitions were once part of the Olympics?
Many people may already be familiar with The Art Book, the first A-Z art dictionary of its kind; a coffee-table tome that minimised academic waffle and maximised full-colour illustrations of the world’s most famous artworks. (My dog-eared edition has been sitting on the bookshelf since 1994).
This vibrant version for children breathes new life into that classic format. Of the 60 or so featured artists, 30 are new entries, giving the book a richness and immediacy that previous editions lacked.
Indeed, flicking through the pages and seeing Faith Ringgold’s painted story quilts alongside
