Study for Porvoo from Näsinmäki Hill

Hi everyone! My name is Isabella, and I'm so excited to show you a really cool painting today! It's called "Study for Porvoo from Näsinmäki Hill," and it's like a little window into a special place in Finland. It was painted a long, long time ago, in 1898, by an artist named Albert Edelfelt. nn What do you think a "study" for a painting might be? Do you think it's a big painting or a smaller one? This one is quite small, only this big! (Gesture to indicate a small size). It's like a sneak peek before the artist painted a much bigger version. nn

This painting shows a town called Porvoo, but it's a bit tricky to see at first. See all these dark brown and black lines? Those are tree branches! They're like a curtain, hiding the town a little bit. Can you see the branches? They're all different sizes, aren't they? Some are thick, some are thin. nn

Can you spot the town of Porvoo now? It's peeking through the branches! The buildings are reddish-brown, all huddled together. Do you see a tall, lighter-colored building? Maybe it's a church! The artist didn't paint every tiny detail. He just gave us a feeling of the place. It's like a puzzle, and we have to look carefully to see everything. nn

The sky is very pale and light. What kind of feeling does this pale sky give you? Does it feel happy, sad, peaceful, or exciting? The whole painting is mostly browns, reds, and greens – earthy colors. It makes the painting feel calm and peaceful, doesn't it? nn

This painting isn't just about showing us a town. It's about showing us a feeling – a peaceful, quiet feeling of being in this special place. Albert Edelfelt was really good at showing us feelings through his paintings. What feelings do you get when you look at this painting? I hope you enjoyed looking at this beautiful painting as much as I enjoyed showing it to you!