Self-portrait

Hi everyone! My name is Isabella, and I'm so excited to show you a really cool painting today! It's a self-portrait, which means it's a picture an artist made of themselves! This one is super old – it was painted way back in 1635! Can anyone guess how old that is? (Pause for answers). Wow, that's a long, long time ago! nn

This painting is by a famous Italian artist named Guido Reni. He was super skilled! Look closely at the man in the painting. See his face? It's a close-up, just his head and shoulders. What do you think he looks like? Is he happy? Sad? Thinking hard about something? (Pause for answers). nn

See his hat? It's big and dark, and it makes shadows on his face. This is called chiaroscuro – it's a fancy word for the way light and dark make the painting look interesting. It makes his face look really dramatic, doesn't it? And look at his collar! It's big and puffy, almost like a cloud around his neck. What do you think it's made of? (Pause for answers). nn

The background is very plain. It's not colorful or busy. Why do you think the artist did that? (Pause for answers). That's right! He wanted us to look at him – the artist himself! The painting is all about him. What colors do you see mostly? (Pause for answers). Yes, lots of browns and dark colors, with some pale skin tones. nn

This painting isn't just a picture; it's like a window into the past. It shows us how artists painted a long time ago, and it also shows us something about the artist himself. He seems thoughtful, doesn't he? What do you think he might have been thinking about when he painted this? (Pause for answers). It's amazing to think that this painting has been around for hundreds of years, and now we get to see it! nn

Isn't it wonderful? Remember, looking at art is like telling a story with colors and shapes. What story do you think this painting tells? (Pause for answers). Thank you for joining me today! I hope you enjoyed learning about this amazing self-portrait! Now, let's go see some more art!