María and Her Grandmother

My name is Isabella, and I'll be your guide today! We're going to look at a very special painting called María and Her Grandmother. It's like peeking into someone's life a long, long time ago! nn (Pause for children to look at the painting.) nn This painting was made by an artist named Joaquín Sorolla. He painted it a long time ago, in 1905. Can anyone guess how old that is? It's older than your grandparents, maybe even your great-grandparents! He used paints on a special cloth, kind of like a really big piece of paper. It's not very big, though, is it? It's about as tall as [mention a familiar height reference, e.g., your mom, a door]. nn (Pause for children to observe the size.) nn Look closely! See the two people? That's María, a little girl, and her grandmother. They're sitting close together. See how Sorolla used different colors? María's clothes are warm colors, like peaches and oranges. Her grandmother's clothes are darker, more like the shadows. And look! María has a little yellow flower behind her ear. It's a tiny bit of bright color in the painting. What do you think that flower means? nn (Pause for children to answer and discuss.) nn Sorolla was really good at painting light and shadows. See how the light makes María's face look bright and happy? And her grandmother's face is a little bit serious. It's like she's thinking about something important. What do you think she's thinking about? nn (Pause for children to answer and discuss.) nn Sorolla didn't paint everything perfectly smooth. He used his brush in a swishy way, kind of like when you paint really fast. This is called Impressionism. It makes the painting feel alive and a little bit blurry, like a snapshot of a moment in time. The background is a little blurry too. Why do you think Sorolla made the background blurry? What is the most important part of the painting? nn (Pause for children to answer and discuss.) nn This painting isn't just about a girl and her grandmother. It's about their love and how they feel about each other. It shows us how families are important, and how even though people change, some things, like love, stay the same. It's a beautiful story told with paint! What do you think about this painting? What feelings does it give you? nn (Pause for children to answer and discuss.) nn Isn't it amazing how a painting can tell us so much? Remember, art is all around us, and it can make us feel lots of different things! Now, let's go look at some more amazing art! nn