George Booth, 2nd Earl of Warrington (1675-1758)

My name is Isabella, and I will be your guide today through one of our most impressive paintings! Look at this amazing picture! It's a portrait of a very important man. His name was George Booth, and he was an Earl! That's like a super-duper important lord! This painting is super old; it was made way back in 1727! Can anyone guess how old that is? (Pause for answers). Wow, that's a long, long time ago! nn


nn This painting is so big! It's taller than most of you! The artist, Michael Dahl, was really, really good at painting people. Look closely at George Booth. See his fancy clothes? He's wearing a creamy white robe with some furry bits, and underneath, you can see a bright red jacket! It's like a superhero cape, but fancier! And look at his wig! It's big and curly, just like the wigs people wore a long, long time ago. What do you think about his clothes? Do they look comfortable? nn


nn See how the artist used lots of colors? The red and cream are really bright, aren't they? They make George stand out from the dark background. It's like he's shining! The artist was clever, wasn't he? He used light and shadow to make the painting look real. Can you see the shadows on his face? They make his face look three-dimensional, like a real person! nn


nn This painting shows us how important people dressed and acted a long, long time ago. It tells us a story about wealth and power. George Booth was a very important person, and the painting shows that. What do you think the artist wanted us to feel when we look at this painting? (Pause for answers). Maybe he wanted us to feel impressed, or maybe even a little bit awestruck! nn


nn So, what did you think of George Booth's portrait? Wasn't it amazing? Remember, looking at art is like reading a story, but with colors and shapes instead of words! Now, let's go and see some more amazing art!