Anne Hyde, Duchess of York, 1637 - 1671. First wife of James VII and II

Hi everyone! My name is Isabella, and I'm so excited to show you a really cool painting today! It's a portrait of a lady named Anne Hyde. She lived a long time ago, in the 1600s! Can anyone guess what year it was painted? (Pause for answers). That's right, it was painted in 1661! It's HUGE, almost as tall as [mention something familiar to the children's height, e.g., two grown-ups standing on top of each other]! nn


nn Look at Anne! She's wearing a beautiful golden dress, isn't it shiny? It's like a princess dress! And see the blue fabric draped over her shoulder? It makes the gold look even brighter. What do you think the artist wanted us to notice about her dress? (Pause for answers). The artist, Peter Lely, was super skilled at painting fabrics, making them look soft and real. He also painted her pretty pearl earrings and necklace. What do you think those show about Anne? (Pause for answers). Yes, they show she was rich and important! She's sitting near a fountain. What do you think fountains represent? (Pause for answers). Maybe cleanliness or new beginnings! nn


nn This painting is done in a style called Baroque. Baroque artists loved using lots of light and shadow to make things look really realistic. See how the light makes the folds in her dress look so soft? And look at the background – it's a lovely garden! The colors are so pretty, aren't they? What are your favorite colors in this painting? (Pause for answers). The artist used warm colors like gold and yellow up close, and cooler colors like green and blue in the background. It makes the painting feel exciting and interesting! nn


nn This painting isn't just a pretty picture. It tells us about life a long, long time ago. It shows us how rich and important people dressed and what their lives were like. It also shows us how talented the artist was! Peter Lely was amazing at painting people and making them look real. He really captured Anne's beauty and her importance. What do you think makes this painting so special? (Pause for answers). I hope you enjoyed learning about this amazing painting! Now, let's move on to see some more art!