Hedvig Eleonora, 1636-1715, prinsessa av Holstein-Gottorp, drottning av Sverige

Hi everyone! My name is Isabella, and I'm so excited to show you a really cool painting! It's a portrait of a very important queen. Does anyone know what a portrait is? (Pause for answers). Yes, it's a picture of a person! This one is HUGE! nn

This painting is of Queen Hedvig Eleonora. She was a princess, and then she became a queen! Look how big the painting is! It's taller than most of you! It's so big because the artist wanted to show how important she was. Can you imagine how much paint it took to make this? nn

See her beautiful dress? It's a deep red color, almost like burgundy! And look at all the sparkly gold thread! It's like she's wearing a million tiny stars. What do you think the patterns on her dress might be? (Pause for answers). Maybe flowers, or maybe special symbols for a queen! She also has a fluffy white cape. It's made of ermine fur, which was very special and expensive. Only important people wore ermine! nn

The queen is sitting in a big blue chair. See how the artist used different colors? The red dress, the blue chair, and the dark background all work together. It makes the queen stand out, doesn't it? What other colors do you see? (Pause for answers). The artist was really good at showing light and shadow, making the painting look very realistic. Can you see where the light is shining? nn

This painting isn't just a pretty picture. It tells us about a long time ago, about a real queen who lived hundreds of years ago! It shows us how queens dressed and how important they were. It also shows us how talented the artist was. He was named David von Krafft, and he was amazing at painting details! What do you think is the most interesting part of the painting? (Pause for answers). nn

So, next time you see a painting, remember to look closely! Think about the colors, the shapes, and the story it might be telling. Art is fun, and it can teach us so much! Thank you for joining me today! Do you have any questions?