OtterKnow Kids Encyclopedia

The Mona Lisa is one of the most famous paintings in the whole world. It was painted by an artist named Leonardo da Vinci more than 500 years ago in Italy. It shows a woman with a mysterious little smile. People have wondered for a very long time — is she happy? Is she hiding a secret? Millions of people visit the Mona Lisa every year at a museum in Paris, France.

The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh shows a swirling, magical night sky full of bright stars and a big glowing moon. Van Gogh used thick, swirly brushstrokes to make the sky look like it was moving. Another famous painting is called Water Lilies by Claude Monet. It shows beautiful flowers floating on a pond. Monet loved painting outside in his garden!

• The Mona Lisa is kept behind special glass to protect it. It even has its own room in the museum!
• Vincent van Gogh made more than 2,000 paintings and drawings in his life.
• The tallest statue in the world is the Statue of Unity in India. It is almost 600 feet tall — that is twice as tall as the Statue of Liberty!
• Some cave paintings are more than 30,000 years old. They were made by people who lived long, long ago.
• You do not have to be famous to make great art. Every artist started by making their very first drawing. The art you make today could be hanging on a wall someday too!