Year 4 had a fantastic trip to the National Portrait Gallery this week, where we travelled through hundreds of years of history — all through the power of portraits!
The children explored paintings and photographs of famous people from Tudor times right up to the present day. They were amazed to see how clothing, hairstyles and even facial expressions have changed over the centuries. Many pupils were especially surprised by how serious people looked in older portraits compared to the more relaxed and creative styles in modern artworks.
We spent time looking closely at portraits of important historical figures from the Tudor period, including monarchs and explorers. The children enjoyed spotting the rich fabrics, detailed jewellery and symbolic objects artists used to show power and wealth. They asked brilliant questions about why portraits were so important before cameras were invented.
As we moved through the gallery, the class discovered portraits from different periods in history, noticing how art styles changed over time. They compared traditional oil paintings with modern portraits, including photography and more abstract pieces. It sparked great discussions about how portraits today can show personality, feelings and identity in new and creative ways.
