Paint By Number Kit

Paint-by-number

paint by number , or PBN, was the brainchild of artist/designer Dan Robbins with the support of Max S. Klein, owner of the Palmer Paint Co., in 1951. Although earlier examples of PBN existed during the 1920s, these paint by numbers were marketed to children. Inspired by a story about Leonardo da Vinci assigning numbered portions of paintings to his assistants to complete, Robbins believed such a paint system could appeal to adults. The timing was certainly perfect: Following World War II, Americans experienced an age of prosperity and an abundance of leisure time. Millions moved to the suburbs, and signs of conformity were everywhere--from the mass-produced homes in housing developments to the shiny red Fords parked on the curbs. Why not standardize art as well? The paint by number numbered canvases, colour-coded to tiny pots of paint, guaranteed satisfaction.