Study for "Under Niagara"

Hi everyone! My name is Isabella, and I'm so excited to explore this amazing painting with you all today! It was made by a really talented artist named Frederic Edwin Church. He loved to paint pictures of nature, and this one is super special. nn Can you guess what we are looking at? That's right! It's a waterfall! But not just any waterfall, it's the famous Niagara Falls! Have any of you ever seen a waterfall in person? They're so big and powerful, aren't they? nn Now, this painting is called a "study." That's like a practice painting artists do before the big show! It helps them figure out what they want their final masterpiece to look like. nn Look closely at the painting. Do you see all the different colors Church used to paint the water? It's not just blue, is it? There are whites, greens, even some grays! And look at how the water seems to be moving and crashing. You can almost feel the mist on your face, can't you? That's how good Church was at painting! nn What do you think it would feel like to stand at the bottom of Niagara Falls? Would it be scary? Exciting? Maybe a little bit of both? nn Church wanted people to feel the power of nature when they looked at his paintings. He wanted them to feel small compared to the hugeness of the waterfall. nn We're going to look at some other paintings now, but keep thinking about this one. How did it make you feel? Art is all about feelings and ideas, so don't be afraid to share yours!