STAGE 1
Dates can be learnt more easily if they are linked to a visual image such as major memory system outlined here. By assigning numbers a consonant you can create words and therefore images.
- 0 = s or z
- 1 = d or t
- 2 = n
- 3 = m
- 4 = r
- 5 = l
- 6 = g,j, ch soft sounds
- 7= g, k hard sounds
- 8 = f or v
- 9 = b or p
Vowels aren’t assigned a number they act as blanks.
So the word bat = 91, the word name = 23. It is a phonetic system so how things sound is how a number is assigned. The word cough for example is the number 78.
So how do you memorize dates? Example 1255.
The 1 can be assumed so the task is to memorize 255.
2 is and N , 5 is an L . So Duccio’s birth year 1255 can be memorized by a simple sentence using the first letter of each word.
Nearly Life Like.
STAGE 2
Each of the 100 greatest painters is hung on a key word representing the numbers 1 -100. By learning 100 words based on this system you have effectively 100 hooks to hang information on. This makes learning the hundred most important artists in Western history possible
So number 1 is day, number 2 is noah, number 3 is ma, etc. Learn the first ten numbers first then work at the dates for each painter. You will soon get the hang of it.
- day = 1
- Noah = 2
- Ma = 3
- Ra = 4
- Law = 5
- Jaw = 6
- Key = 7
- Fee = 8
- Bee = 9
- Daze = 10
11 DAD
MANTEGNA
Dad remembers Mantegna’s
Loving Sob! Ouch
1431
1506

12 DAN
SIGNORELLI
a Ravishingly Rich Tune
Love In Music
1441
1523

13 DAM
BOTTICELLI
Her Hairs Long
Love Adorned Seashore
1445
1510

14 DAIRY
BOSCH
Heronymus Loved Scaring
Little Tiddely Children
1450
1516

15 DALE
LEONARDO Da VINCI
Renaissance Lisa Nods
Leonardo DaVinci Paints
1452
1519

16 DASH
DURER
Richly Cloaked Durer
Lively Hands Flabbergast
1471
1528

17 DECK
MICHAELANGELO
a Roman Catholic Lid
Last Judgement – Rome
1475
1564

18 FEE
GRUNEWALD
Really Gruesome Scene
Loved In Vain ?
1470
1528

19 DAB
GIOGIONE
Rigid Madonna Sits
through Light Thundery Showers
1430
1516

20 NASA
RAPHAEL
Raphael Equalled Michaelangelo
Leonardo In Skill
1473
1520

Here are some links to great talks from the National gallery on some of the artists above.