Cephalus and Dawn

Hi everyone, my name is Isabella! Today, we're going to look at a beautiful painting called "Cephalus and Dawn." It's like a magical storybook come to life, filled with gods and goddesses! nn Can you say "Cephalus and Dawn?" That's the name of the painting, and it comes from ancient Greek myths. Myths are like really old stories people used to tell each other. nn nn Now, look at the painting. Wow, it's big, isn't it? Almost as tall as a grown-up! The painter, a man named François Boucher, made it over 250 years ago! That's even older than your grandparents! nn See all the pretty colors? Boucher loved to use bright, happy colors to make his paintings look extra special. nn nn In the middle of the painting, we see a beautiful woman bathed in light. That's Aurora, the goddess of dawn. Have you ever woken up early and seen the sunrise? That's Aurora's doing! She brings the daylight every morning. nn Do you see how the light seems to shine right out of her? Boucher was very good at painting light. He wanted to show how important and powerful Aurora is. nn nn Now, look over here. Do you see the man sitting down? That's Cephalus, a very good hunter. He's strong and brave, and he uses a bow and arrow to hunt. nn Cephalus looks a little bit sad, doesn't he? Maybe he misses his family, or maybe he's thinking about his next big hunt. What do you think? nn nn All around Cephalus and Aurora, we see little baby angels called "putti." They're having so much fun playing! One putto is even holding a piece of sparkly fabric. It looks like they're trying to get Cephalus and Aurora to play with them. nn Don't you wish you could join their game? nn nn This painting is like a snapshot of a magical moment in time. Boucher wanted to show us how beautiful and exciting Greek myths could be. He wanted us to feel like we were right there with Cephalus, Aurora, and the playful putti. nn Next time you see a sunrise, remember Aurora and her magical light! And remember, art can take us to amazing places and tell us incredible stories. nn Now, who wants to see more amazing paintings?