Visit the heart of Venice—Saint Mark’s Square—in this video from the Children’s Video Tour. Giovanni Antonio Canal, who was nicknamed Canaletto to distinguish him from his father, painted this work in the 18th century. He specialized in paintings of Venice that recorded the city’s daily activities and unique architecture. Since cameras had not yet been invented, tourists bought his paintings and drawings to hang in their homes as souvenirs of their trip. On view in the West Building, Gallery 31. http://www.nga.gov/fcgi-bin/tinfo_f?object=32588

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This painting was painted by Elisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun, one of late-eighteenth century France’s most successful portrait painters. Vigée-Le Brun was interested in fashion and painted clothing with great detail to show her sitters’ wealth and elegance. She often selected their costumes—choosing garments of shimmering silks, iridescent taffetas, delicate lace, and gold trim. She also designed imaginative headdresses—such as the ones worn by the women here—inspired by turbans from the Near East. On view in the West Building, Gallery 56. http://www.nga.gov/fcgi-bin/tinfo_f?object=50215

In this video, children can learn about Edward Savage’s painting “The Washington Family,” which quickly became an icon of our country’s pride. President Washington and his family posed for Savage several times in New York City, then the nation’s capital, between 1789 and 1790. It took the artist seven years to turn the drawings he made of the Washingtons into this large family portrait, which was exhibited in 1796. On view in the West Building, Main Floor, Gallery 62. http://www.nga.gov/fcgi-bin/tinfo_f?object=561

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It may be winter outside, but it’s a lovely summer day in John Constable’s 19th-century painting “Wivenhoe Park, Essex.” In this video from the Children’s Video Tour, kids can learn more about the artist’s love of the English countryside, where he grew up. Constable often worked outdoors, sketching and painting directly from nature. Imagine if Constable chose to paint this scene on a clear, cloudless day. How might the painting look different? On view in the West Building, Main Floor, Gallery 57. http://www.nga.gov/fcgi-bin/tinfo_f?object=1147

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A full moon illuminates the cloudy sky in this painting by Joseph Mallord William Turner, known as J. M. W. Turner. Turner experimented with painting techniques to convey mood and atmosphere. Looking closely at the surface, can you see that he painted some areas more thickly than others, such as the silvery-white moon and the yellow-orange torch-lights? These raised areas create a textured surface that catches light on the canvas. On view in the West Building, Main Floor, Gallery 57. http://www.nga.gov/cgi-bin/ploc?object=1225

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In this video from the Children’s Video Tour, kids can learn more about four paintings by American artist Thomas Cole, which depict the artist’s vision of the journey through life, from birth to old age. Study these paintings as a group and compare the skies, weather, river, and surrounding landscapes. Consider how the forces of nature change from scene to scene, creating a different mood in each one. Which stage of life do you think the artist felt was the most exciting? On view in the West Building, Main Floor, Gallery 60. http://www.nga.gov/fcgi-bin/tinfo_f?object=52450&detail=none

Introduce your child to one of the Gallery’s masterpieces currently on view in the newly renovated 19th-century French galleries—Manet’s “The Old Musician.” The artist often used everyday people as models for his work, painting people from the margins of Parisian life. On view in the West Building, Main Floor, Gallery 89. http://www.nga.gov/fcgi-bin/tinfo_f?object=46637

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Find the Children's Video Tour at http://www.nga.gov/education/timetravel/index.shtm

All aboard! Explore Edouard Manet’s painting, “The Railway,” in this video from the Children’s Video Tour. A billowing, white cloud of smoke—steam rising from the train station below—hides the tracks of the famous Gare Saint-Lazare, which was the biggest and busiest train station in Paris during the 19th century. On view in the West Building, Main Floor, Gallery 89. http://www.nga.gov/fcgi-bin/tinfo_f?object=43624

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Find the Children's Video Tour at http://www.nga.gov/education/timetravel/index.shtm