Sewing Tartar girl. From the journey to Crimea

My name is Isabella, and I will be your guide today through one of our most impressive paintings: "A Tartar Girl Sewing." nn Isn't that a lovely title? It tells us what we're going to see, right? A girl, and she's sewing! This painting is super old; it was made in 1887! That's a long, long time ago. Can anyone guess how old that is? Think about your grandparents or great-grandparents! nn

This painting is quite small, only this big (gesture to indicate a small size). But even though it's small, it's packed with interesting things to see. Look closely at the girl. What do you notice about her? What is she wearing? What color is her dress? Does it look like something you've seen before, or something from a different time? nn

The artist, Jan Ciągliński, used lots of brown, grey, and muted colors. It's not bright and flashy, but it's very peaceful and calming, isn't it? He didn't paint a busy background. He kept it simple so we can focus all our attention on the girl and her sewing. See how carefully she's working? What do you think she's sewing? Maybe a beautiful dress, or a cozy blanket? nn

Look closely at the way the artist painted her. Can you see the brushstrokes? They're not perfectly smooth, are they? That's because the artist wanted to show the texture of the fabric and the girl's skin. It makes the painting feel more real, like we could almost touch it! The light is soft and gentle, too. It makes the girl look peaceful and quiet. nn

This painting shows us a little moment in time, a glimpse into the life of a young girl a long, long time ago. It's a simple picture, but it tells us a lot about the artist's skill and the life of people in a different place and time. It's a beautiful example of art from Poland, and we're so lucky to have it here in our museum! What did you like best about the painting? nn