FACES AND PLACES is a two-part interactive activity inspired by the National Gallery’s extensive collection of American naive artists, a gift to the nation from Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch. Elements from more than 100 paintings have been included in these presentations. Using these two programs, young artists can create portraits, landscapes, or genre scenes of daily life. Use the links below to select the program you wish to explore.

FACES encourages children to create and personalize portraits by changing the facial characteristics of various sitters. Easy-to-use interactive tools allow users to modify the expressions and hairstyles of the subjects or to add decorative elements to a stylized domestic interior.

CREATE AN ONLINE PORTRAIT

PLACES is a panoramic landscape activity that introduces children to the fundamentals of landscape and genre painting while offering a glimpse of life in rural America from the late 18th through the mid-19th century. Music and surprising animations enliven the scene, as children experiment with perspective, composition, color, and scale.

CREATE AN ONLINE LANDSCAPE