Part of the Town of Messina Showing the effects of the Earthquake of 1783

Hi everyone! My name is Isabella, and I'm so excited to explore some amazing art with you today! We're going to look at a really interesting drawing. It shows what happened after a big, scary earthquake a long, long time ago. nn Are any of you familiar with earthquakes? What do you think happens when the ground shakes really hard? nn

--- nn This drawing is called "Part of the Town of Messina Showing the effects of the Earthquake of 1783." It was made by an artist named Robert Smirke. He drew it using just a pencil, can you believe that? It's a little drawing, not very big, but it tells a very big story. nn Do you think you could draw a picture of a town after an earthquake? What would you draw? nn

--- nn Look closely at the drawing. See all the broken buildings? See the rubble, which is all the broken pieces of houses and walls? The earthquake knocked everything down! It was a very bad day for the people of Messina, a town in Italy. nn What do you think the people in the town felt when the earthquake happened? Were they scared? Sad? nn

--- nn The artist used lots of grey, right? It makes the drawing look a little sad and gloomy, just like it probably felt in Messina after the earthquake. It's like a cloudy day, isn't it? There aren't any bright colors. nn If you were drawing a picture of a sad day, what colors would you use? nn

--- nn Even though it's just a pencil drawing, we can still see the shapes of the buildings. We can see a big, round building in the back – maybe it was a church! The artist didn't draw every tiny detail, but he showed us the important parts. nn Can you point out the biggest building in the drawing? What do you think it might have been used for? nn

--- nn This drawing isn't just a pretty picture. It's like a photograph from a long time ago! It shows us what happened in Messina. It helps us remember the earthquake and learn about history. It also shows us how strong people can be, even when things are very difficult. nn What do you think we can learn from looking at this drawing? nn

--- nn So, next time you see a drawing or a painting, remember that it can tell a story, just like this one. It can show us about the past, and it can make us think and feel. Thank you for exploring this amazing piece of art with me today! I hope you enjoyed it!