The Seine in Paris

Hi everyone! My name is Isabella, and I'm so excited to show you a beautiful painting today! It's called "The Seine in Paris," and it's like a window into the past. Does anyone know what Paris is? Yes, it's a city in France! This painting shows us what the city looked like a long, long time ago. nn --- nn This painting was made by an artist named Albert Marquet. He painted it using oil paints on a big canvas, like a really, really big piece of paper. He painted it between 1914 and 1915. Can anyone guess what might have been happening in the world around that time? (Pause for answers). Yes, it was a very important time in history! nn --- nn Look at the river! See how the water is mostly green? That's because the artist painted it to look like the way the light was shining on the water. He used lots of different shades of green, don't you think? What other colors do you see? (Pause for answers). Yes, there are browns and grays too! They show the buildings and the trees. The sky is a light gray, like a cloudy day. nn --- nn See that little boat in the middle? It's a tugboat! It's a small boat that helps bigger boats. Can you see any other boats? (Pause for answers). They're tiny, aren't they? It shows us that the river was busy, even back then! And look at the people walking along the riverbank. They're so small, but they help us understand how big the river is. What do you think those people are doing? (Pause for answers) nn --- nn Albert Marquet was a very special artist. He didn't use bright, shouting colors. He used soft colors to show us how the light and shadows made the scene feel peaceful and maybe a little bit quiet. It's like a calm, quiet day in Paris. What do you think it might feel like to be there? (Pause for answers) nn --- nn So, "The Seine in Paris" isn't just a picture of a river and some buildings. It's a story about a city, a time, and the way an artist saw the world. It shows us that even quiet moments can be beautiful and important. What did you like best about the painting? (Pause for answers) I'm so glad you came to see it with me today! Now, let's go see some more amazing art!