James Bruce of Kinnaird, 1730 - 1794. African explorer

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 man named James Bruce. He lived a long, long time ago, in the 1700s! Can anyone guess what the 1700s are called? (Pause for answers). That's right, they're part of a time period called the 18th century! nn

This painting is super old, and it shows James Bruce from his chest up. See how it's just his upper body? That's called a half-length portrait. The background is dark, so all our attention goes straight to James. What do you notice about him? (Pause for answers). Yes, he has a fancy wig! And look at his coat – it's a beautiful dark blue, almost teal, with shiny silver decorations. It looks very fancy, doesn't it? nn

The artist who painted this was very clever! His name was Pompeo Batoni, and he was from Italy. He made the painting look three-dimensional, like James Bruce is almost popping out of the canvas! He did this by using light and shadow. Can you see how the light makes James' face and clothes look brighter? That's called chiaroscuro. It's a fancy word, but it just means using light and dark to make things look real. nn

James Bruce was a famous explorer. He traveled to faraway places, just like some of your favorite explorers might have done! This painting shows us what he looked like and how important he was. It's like a snapshot from the past, showing us what people wore and how they looked a long, long time ago. Isn't that amazing? nn

This painting is very special, and we're lucky to have it here in the museum. It helps us learn about history and about the people who lived before us. What do you think is the most interesting thing about this painting? (Pause for answers). I'm glad you all enjoyed learning about this painting! Now, let's go see some more amazing art!