Justinian's wall. From the journey to Constantinople

Hi everyone! My name is Isabella, and I'm so excited to show you a really cool painting today! It's called "Justinian's Wall. From the Journey to Constantinople." It's a little bit like a snapshot from a long, long time ago. nn Does anyone know where Constantinople is? It's a city, but it has a different name now. It's called Istanbul! This painting shows a part of a very old, very strong wall that was built in Istanbul a very, very long time ago. It was built by someone named Justinian. Imagine how long ago that was! nn (Pause for questions and discussion) nn

This painting was made by an artist named Jan Ciągliński, a long time ago too, in 1893. It's a small painting, but it shows us so much! Look at the colors. They're mostly muted colors, like soft grays, browns, and greens. What do those colors make you think of? Do they make you think of something old and maybe a little bit worn out? nn (Pause for questions and discussion) nn

See how the wall looks a little bit broken down? The artist used his paintbrush to show us how old and weathered the stones are. He didn't paint every little detail, but he captured the feeling of the wall, the feeling of history. Can you see the plants growing on the wall? That shows us how much time has passed. nn (Pause for questions and discussion) nn

In the background, you can almost see a city in the distance. Maybe you can even spot a tall, thin tower, like a minaret from a mosque! This painting shows us how things change over time, but also how some things, like this wall, stay for a very long time. It's like a silent story, telling us about the past. nn (Pause for questions and discussion) nn

This painting is part of a big collection of art in a museum in Warsaw, Poland. It's a small painting, but it's very powerful. It makes us think about the past and how long ago things happened. What do you think about this painting? What does it make you feel? nn (Pause for questions and discussion) nn

I hope you enjoyed learning about this amazing painting! Remember, art can tell us stories and make us think about many things. Now, let's go see some more amazing art!