Rembrandt's Beret - Hardcover

Tiberius, a Florentine painter, tells his granddaughter the story of the remarkable portrait that has a place of honor in his studio: As a boy, he once spent siesta time accidentally locked in the Uffizi. Wandering into the legendary Hall of the Old Masters, he was fascinated by the portraits: Titian, Caravaggio, Picasso, and many more. Coming to life and climbing from their frames, the artists joked about each other's styles before deciding that Rembrandt should paint Tiberius: Portrait of the Artist as a Very, Very Young Man--wearing Rembrandt's own beret. Variants on the theme of paintings coming to life are now familiar; this one is smoothly told, unobtrusively including a few hints of the painters' characters. Most outstanding are the illustrations: vibrant oils painted with broad, free strokes in the rich tones of the old masters, highlighted with the livelier impressionist palette and with amusing references to well-known works. A fine collaboration from these two brothers. (Picture book. 5-9) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

An artist tells his granddaughter of the source of his inspiration: a visit to a Florentine art museum as a small boy, during which the portraits of the Old Masters came to life. The boy had his portrait painted by Rembrandt and left with it and the master's brushes, which he still has. A stilted text sprinkled with adult references and puns ("I was framed," complains Caravaggio) exacerbates this story's contrived, lifeless quality; nor are the book's dark, sometimes surreal oils an accessible entree to the world of art. Posy Simmonds's Lulu and the Flying Babies offers a livelier, more child-oriented fantasy in a similar setting, and is more apt to convince young readers that art can "speak" to them. Ages 6-up.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.