By James H. Pence

Art appreciation is a key part of any well-rounded art curriculum. With that in mind, the last Thursday of each month we will feature a different "artist of the month."

Our artist of the month for January is the great Dutch painter, Rembrandt. We've listed below several Web pages with lots of free resources, pictures, lesson plans, and even some fun activities for younger children. 

Special thanks goes to my research assistant (and lovely wife), Laurel, for finding these awesome sites.

REMBRANDT RESOURCES

1. Rembrandt Gallery -- http://www.abcgallery.com/R/rembrandt/rembrandt.html

2. One-page Biography -- http://www.myreproductions.com/rembrandt_van_rijn_biography.php

3. Timeline of Rembrandt's Life -- http://rembrandt.parkwestgallery.com/rembrandt-biography/rembrandt-timeline.html

4. The Rembrandt Teaching Project -- http://locicero.net/teachrembrandt/

This is a very extensive site with a lot of different resources, including lesson plans and activity sheets. 

5. Teaching Rembrandt: Why Introduce Children to Masterpieces -- http://www.neh.gov/news/humanities/2007-11/Teaching_Rembrandt.html

A very good article about why it is important to teach children about the great masters.

6. Rembrandt & Kids' Art Activities -- http://www.ehow.com/way_5398823_rembrandt-kids-art-activities.html

This page is great for younger children. It links to a brief video about Rembrandt's life. It also has some fun "Rembrandt-related" art activities.