Self-Portrait

Hi everyone! My name is Isabella, and I'm so excited to explore this amazing painting with you all today! nn We're looking at a Self-Portrait. Can anyone guess what a self-portrait is? That's right! It's a painting someone makes of themselves. This one was painted way back in 1640, which is over 300 years ago! Wowzers! That means the man in the painting lived a long, long time ago. nn Can you imagine painting a picture of yourself? What would you wear? nn --- nn Look closely at the painting. The artist painted himself from his chest up, and he's coming out of a dark background. It's like he's popping right out at us! nn Do you see how one side of his face is bright, and the other is darker? That's because of the light! It's like when you shine a flashlight on your face, and one side is lit up. The artist used light and shadow to make his face look round and real. nn --- nn He's wearing a fancy coat and a big white collar. He also has a mustache and a little beard called a goatee. Do you think he looks serious or happy? nn --- nn This painting is like a window into the past! It shows us how people dressed back then and what they thought was important. The artist wanted us to see him, to know what he looked like, and how he felt. nn Isn't it amazing that we can still connect with someone who lived so long ago just by looking at their painting? Art is like a time machine! nn Now, let's go see what other treasures we can discover in the museum!

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