Two boys playing dice

My name is Isabella, and I will be your guide today through one of our most impressive paintings! It's called "Two Boys Playing Dice," and it was painted a long, long time ago by a very talented artist named Bartolomé Esteban Murillo. He lived in Spain! nn (Pause for questions. Encourage children to ask about Spain or artists.) nn

This painting is HUGE! It's so big, it's like looking through a window into the past. See these two boys? They're playing a game with little cubes called dice. One boy is wearing a reddish-brown coat, and the other is wearing a lighter shirt. What do you think they're feeling? Are they happy? Excited? Maybe a little bit nervous? nn (Pause for discussion and answers from the children. Encourage them to describe the boys' expressions.) nn

Look closely at the colors. Murillo used lots of browns, reds, and beiges. It's not super bright, is it? It's like the colors of the earth. And see how the light shines on the boys? It makes them look really real, doesn't it? The background is a little blurry, but we can still see some rocks and a cloudy sky. What else do you see in the painting? A basket? A cloth? nn (Pause for observation and discussion. Encourage children to point out details like the basket and cloth.) nn

This painting shows us something very special. It shows us how children played games a long, long time ago. It's like a snapshot of their lives. Even though it's an old painting, we can still see how much fun they're having! What games do you like to play? Is it similar to what these boys are doing? nn (Pause for discussion and comparison of games.) nn

So, "Two Boys Playing Dice" isn't just a pretty picture. It's a story about friendship, games, and what it was like to be a child a long time ago. It shows us that even though things change, some things, like playing games with friends, always stay the same. Isn't that amazing? nn (Pause for questions and final comments. Encourage children to share their thoughts and feelings about the painting.)