Christ on the Cross, sketch for the courtroom of the Court of Assises of the Palais de Justice in Paris

Hi everyone! My name is Isabella, and I'm so excited to show you a really cool painting! It's called "Christ on the Cross," and it's a tiny but powerful picture. It's so small, it's only about this big! (Hold up hands to demonstrate a small size). Can anyone guess how big it is? It's only about as wide as a small book! But even though it's small, it tells a big story. nn

--- nn Look closely at the man in the painting. He's Jesus, and he looks sad, doesn't he? Can you see how his body looks tired and hurt? The artist, Léon Bonnat, really showed us how much pain Jesus was in. He painted Jesus's body very realistically, showing all the details. What do you think the artist wanted us to feel when we look at this painting? nn

--- nn See the dark background? It's almost black, isn't it? It makes Jesus stand out even more. It also makes the painting feel a little bit mysterious and serious. What do you think the dark background makes you feel? nn

--- nn Above Jesus, you can see some letters. They say "INRI." These letters are from a long time ago, and they tell us something important about Jesus. This painting is all about Jesus's sacrifice and his faith. What do you think sacrifice means? nn

--- nn This painting wasn't just made to be pretty. It was actually a sketch for a much bigger painting that was going to be in a courtroom! Can you imagine seeing this picture in a courtroom? What do you think it would make people think about? Maybe about justice, or about making good choices. nn

--- nn So, even though it's a small painting, it's a very important one. It makes us think about big ideas like faith, sacrifice, and justice. What did you like best about this painting? What made you feel something? I'm so glad you came to see it with me today! Now, let's go look at some more amazing art!