The Capture of Casulum

Hi everyone! My name is Isabella, and I'm so excited to show you a really cool picture! It's called "The Capture of Casulum," and it's like stepping back in time to see a big battle! It was made a long, long time ago, in 1582, which is way before even your grandparents were born! This picture is small, only about the size of a large plate, but it tells a HUGE story. nn (Pause for questions and interaction. Encourage children to guess the size based on their own experiences with plates.) nn

Look closely! See all those soldiers? They're wearing shiny armor, like knights in a storybook! Can you see their swords and spears? What do you think they're doing? Are they fighting? Or is the battle already over? The artist, Philip Galle, was really good at showing us what happened. He used light and dark to make the picture look exciting. He even showed us the expressions on their faces – can you see if they look happy, sad, or scared? nn (Pause for questions and interaction. Encourage children to point out details and describe the soldiers' expressions.) nn

This picture is like a puzzle! The artist used tiny lines to make everything look real. It's called cross-hatching, and it's like drawing lots of tiny lines that cross over each other. It makes the armor look shiny and the clothes look wrinkly. See how dark most of the picture is? That makes the bright parts stand out even more! It's like a spotlight on the important parts of the story. nn (Pause for questions and interaction. Show examples of cross-hatching with simple drawings.) nn

This picture isn't just about a battle; it's a window into the past! It shows us what soldiers wore and what weapons they used a long, long time ago. It's like a history book, but instead of words, it uses pictures to tell the story. Isn't that amazing? What do you think is the most interesting part of this picture? nn (Pause for questions and interaction. Encourage children to share their favorite parts and explain why.) nn

So, next time you see a picture, remember to look closely! There's always a story waiting to be discovered. Thank you for joining me today! I hope you enjoyed learning about "The Capture of Casulum." Now, let's go see some more amazing art!