Portrait of the philanthropist Olga Sergeyevna Aleksandrova-Heinz

My name is Isabella, and I'll be your guide today! We're going to look at a really cool painting. It's a portrait, which means it's a picture of a person. This one is of a woman named Olga. nn (Pause for children to look at the painting.) nn Isn't she beautiful? This painting is HUGE! It's almost as tall as you are! The artist, Ilya Repin, painted it a long, long time ago, in 1890. That's almost 140 years ago! Can you imagine what life was like then? nn (Pause for children to think and possibly answer.) nn

Look at Olga's dress. It's dark and velvety, like a really soft blanket. See the pretty lace? And the shiny pearls? She looks very fancy, doesn't she? What do you think she might be like? Is she kind? Serious? Playful? nn (Pause for children to share their thoughts.) nn

The artist painted lots of details. See the red couch she's sitting on? It's a very rich, bright red. And there's a little bit of gold in the room, too. He even painted a little plant and part of a picture frame in the background. It shows us that Olga lived in a beautiful, comfortable home. What do you think she might do all day? nn (Pause for children to share their thoughts.) nn

This painting isn't just about a pretty dress and a fancy house. It tells us about a woman who lived a long time ago. It shows us how women who were wealthy lived in Russia. It's like a little window into the past! What do you think Olga might be thinking about? nn (Pause for children to share their thoughts.) nn

The artist was very clever at showing us all these things. He used light and shadow to make the painting look real. He made Olga look like she's looking right at us! It's amazing, isn't it? What's your favorite part of the painting? nn (Pause for children to share their thoughts.) nn

I hope you enjoyed learning about Olga and this wonderful painting! Remember, looking at art is like reading a story. Sometimes, we have to look closely and think carefully to understand what the artist is trying to tell us. Now, let's go see what other amazing art we can discover!