Splat! The Most Exciting Artists of All Time

In the fourth book in a series that includes Eureka! and Genius!, Richards profiles 20 well-known visual artists, moving chronologically from Michelangelo to Warhol. After a brief overview of ancient art, including the Lascaux cave paintings and China’s Terracotta Army, Richards devotes four pages to each artist, providing sketches of their backgrounds and artistic goals, full-page reproductions of some of their best-known works, a few paragraphs on their upbringings and careers, and supplemental images, timelines, sidebars, and tidbits. Succinct writing provides clear snapshots of the artists’ struggles, beliefs, and influence (of Jackson Pollack’s work, she writes, “The act of making art was now as important as the final work in the gallery”). Though Frida Kahlo and Barbara Hepworth are the only women who receive full profiles, many more appear in a closing “Movers and Shakers” section that briefly introduces innovative contemporary artists. Ages 9–up. (May)