Art history, one picture at a time
Same beach. Same kite. Ten ways to paint it.
A dad and a kid fly a kite on the beach. That is the whole picture. What changes is how people drew it, from cave walls to comic books. Tap through the styles, spot the clues, then grab some paper and try one.
Best for ages 5 to 12, together. About 30 minutes to look, then as long as you like to draw.
Cave painting
About 17,000 years ago · Caves in France and Spain
Spot the clues
- Only a few colors: red and yellow earth, black charcoal
- Painted right on rough rock, so the wall shows through
- Hand prints made by blowing paint around a hand
What was going on
Before paper, people painted on cave walls with crushed rock and charcoal. Nobody knows for sure why, but the animals and hands they left are the oldest pictures we have.
Your turn
Crumple a brown paper bag, flatten it, and draw your family with a red or brown crayon and a black one. Add a hand print.
Guess the style
Take turns. One of you looks at the picture, the other names the style. Five rounds, then swap.
Make your own timeline
Pick three styles. Draw the same picture of your family in each one, on three sheets. Tape them up in order, oldest to newest, and give your gallery a name. The pictures on this page were made for PAPITO; they are not copies of real artworks. Dates are rounded for kids, and each style links to a museum page where you can see the originals.