Christ Carrying the Cross

My name is Isabella, and I will be your guide today through one of our most impressive paintings! It's called "Christ Carrying the Cross," and it was painted a long, long time ago by an artist named Frans Francken the Younger. He lived hundreds of years ago! Does anyone know what that means? (Pause for answers). Yes, it means it's a very, very old painting! nn


nn Now, look at the painting. See how long and wide it is? It's like a big storybook page, isn't it? The artist made it long so we can see lots of people all at once. It's like a big, busy street scene, but instead of cars and buses, we see people from a long time ago. What do you think is happening in the picture? (Pause for answers). nn


nn This painting shows Jesus carrying a very heavy wooden cross. It looks heavy, doesn't it? Can you imagine how heavy that would be? (Pause for answers). He's surrounded by lots of other people. Some are soldiers, and some are sad women. Can you see their faces? What do you think they are feeling? (Pause for answers). The artist used lots of brown and green colors, making it look a little bit dark and serious. But look closely – can you see some little bits of brighter colors? Where are they? (Pause for answers). nn


nn The artist was really, really good at painting people. He made each person look different, with their own feelings showing on their faces. He even painted the wrinkles in their clothes! It's like he wanted us to feel like we were right there with them, watching this important moment in history. What do you think is the most interesting part of the painting? (Pause for answers). nn


nn This painting is a great example of art from a long time ago, called Baroque art. Baroque artists loved to paint lots of details and show strong emotions. This painting shows us a very important story from the Bible, and it helps us understand how people felt about their faith a long, long time ago. What do you think this painting is trying to tell us? (Pause for answers). It's a very powerful painting, and I hope you enjoyed looking at it with me today! Now, let's go see some more amazing art!