Ships off the coast, in the foreground a man on the shore

Hi everyone! My name is Isabella, and I'm so excited to show you this amazing painting! It's called "Ships off the coast, with a man on the shore," and it's super old – it was painted way back in 1689! Can anyone guess how old that is? (Pause for answers). Wow, that's a long, long time ago! This painting is like a window into the past. nn

This painting was made by a very talented artist named Ludolf Bakhuizen. He was from the Netherlands, a country famous for its ships and sailors. Look closely at the painting. What do you see? (Pause for answers). Yes, you're right! There are lots of ships! And the sea! And a little person standing on the shore. nn

See those big ships? They're sailing on the ocean. One ship is really big and has a flag. Can you find it? What color is the flag? (Pause for answers). That's the Dutch flag! The other ships might be fishing boats or trading ships. Imagine all the adventures those sailors had! What do you think they were doing? (Pause for answers). nn

Look at the colors. They're mostly browns, grays, and beiges, right? It's kind of like a calm, peaceful day, isn't it? But look at the clouds! They're fluffy and big, and they make the sky look really wide and open. What do you think the weather is like? (Pause for answers). nn

And see that little person all alone on the shore? He's just watching the ships. He's probably thinking about the sailors and their journeys. He's very small compared to the big ships and the huge ocean. It makes us think about how big and powerful the sea is. nn

This painting shows us what life was like a long, long time ago. It shows us how important ships and the sea were to the people of the Netherlands. It's like a story painted on a canvas! Isn't it amazing? What's your favorite part of the painting? (Pause for answers). I'm so glad you all came to see it with me today! Now, let's go look at some more amazing art!