Week 1 Writing Gallery

Please share your writing inspired by the Van Dyck painting here.

Remember to write your name and school.

Feel free to leave comments on other pupils’ writings but keep comments positive.

39 thoughts on “Week 1 Writing Gallery

  1. We are writing a letter (FAKE!!) to Van Dyck telling him him how his art work is showing who the princess is.

  2. Dear Van Dyck,

    I am writing to tell you about your brilliant picture. I have notice some astonishing things that I
    have seen in your master piece.

    You have put in really interesting thing in the picture. Also I have some question to ask you but I will ask you later, for now lets talk about the picture. I like your style that you use in your picture. Also I like the background color. How have you managed to put all that detail in your picture.

    The questions I would like to ask you is how could possibly do an extraordinary painting? Also did you have to sketch it? Why did you put a rose with dagger inside and why did you make the little boy hold something in his hand? You could of the made royal boy a bit taller than Henriette. Anyway,I wanted to tell you that I loved the symbols in the painting and I also liked the way you wanted to show that Henriette has such horrible grit and determination. But the thing I really liked was how the Boy was looking up at the Queen.

    Here are the questions I really wanted to ask you:
    How old are you now?
    What is your favorite painting you have painted?
    Where were you born?

    Now I would like to tell you what I think of your painting. When I saw the painting I thought it was a brilliant masterpiece. As I stared at the wonderful painting I saw the Queen’s rose dagger. I had no idea what It meant but then I realised that It was about Henrietta’s horrible grit and determination. Suddenly I saw the small, black coloured Boy by the Queen’s shoulder. He was holding something small, I can’t really work it out but it looked like a crown with flowers on it. I had no idea whatsoever for what that meant but I thought that It meant that the small Boy was the Queen’s servant.

    In conclusion I figured out what the picture meant. When I realised this It was time to go home.

    1. this is a nice piece of work and i love it. One thing i would improve though: Maybe if you use 1 or 2 more questions

      Thanks for this website

      Louie

      1. Hi Lola,

        That’s helpful feedback. You’ve clearly identified what you like about the letter.

        Thank you for taking the time to help others.

  3. 14th May 1634
    602 Icklesbury Lane

    Dear Mr van Dyck,

    I was wandering by a new exhibition in the National Gallery of Icklesbury this morning and I saw your painting, it was being taken down for repair. I’m afraid I thought it horrendously despicable.

    I do not know how you made Miss Lorraine look so so fat. I loathe the background, the dreadful colours make me want to cry. I am no fan of yours Mr van Dyck. I think your painting captures the worst of Miss Lorraine.

    If I were you, I would make some significant changes to your horrific painting. Firstly, I would not have included the page boy; he adds an eerie feeling to the painting, he makes Henrietta appear as if she is evil. Secondly, all of your colours make the portrait gloomy and unsettling, in my opinion. Thirdly, your dress for Miss Lorraine is loathsome. The background is the same, amber and grey just don’t go together.

    If I were you I would add some more colours to the dress. The dress is lovely but with black and white it looks odd. I would have put pink instead of black, the black and white make Henrietta appear stiff. Her dagger makes her appear malicious and her lacy collar makes her seem very firm.

    To make her appear softer, I would recommend making her skins less pale. Her raised eyebrows could be lower to make her softer and welcoming.

    Kind regards,

    Mr Kent

    1. Hi Ines! This is a Wonderful letter, and I love your Fantastic adjectives! Another word for fat could be plump – I hope this helps! Martha 🙂

    2. Hi Ines it is me sumeyye.I love your work because it is creative. I like the way you wrote Mr Van Dyck.Also i like it because you added some interesting words like dreadful,horrific and significant.

  4. Grafton School
    Eburne Rd
    Holloway
    London
    N7 6AR

    Wednesday 29th April 2015

    Dear Mr Anthony Van Dyck,

    I am writing to you because I have visited Kenwood house in Hampstead Heath. I saw your magnificent painting, looked at it for most of the day and thought it was very interesting. I liked Henrietta Lorraine as she looks strong and powerful. She looks like a giant compared to the boy.
    Your painting caught my eye as soon as I looked at it; I especially liked the dagger on the brooch it makes me wonder what the dagger means. I also think the boy is amazed with the woman. I can tell this by looking at his face.
    However, the King will not be pleased with this painting because it is showing Henrietta, and the King has just banished her from France as she is accused of treason. If the King sees her with a servant the he will think that she doesn’t care at all.
    The symbols in the painting are the hand on the shoulder showing power, the flowers showing beauty and the dagger in the brooch showing skulduggery.

    Yours sincerely,
    Beti

  5. Dear Van Dyck,

    I am writing to comment on your wonderful painting. Personally, I think that it is the best painting on earth!

    The way you made the woman look real posh and beautiful. Van Dyck, the rose dagger stands out massively. As well as the rose dagger, I think the clothes show that she was rich. She looks so impressive because of the material used to make her clothes. Amazingly, the crown has so much detail, like the flower petals.When you painted this amazing portrait your concentration must have been unbelievable. Over all I would rate the picture five stars. I think that the rose dagger shows that the lady had killed somebody she loved [the king].

    Not many things need improving but I think the ladies facial expression could be improved. You could have made her look bold and brave. The background [the mountains and sky] could have a bit more detail. To do that you could have painted birds like hawks. Not to be rude but the colours are quite dull. If you had painted brighter colours, then it may have attracted more people.

    Many things I noticed, like the rose dagger showed me things about the lady in the the picture. The rose dagger told me that she had killed somebody she loved. I think this because a rose shows love and a dagger shows you don’t like somebody or your aim is to injure somebody. In addition to the rose dagger, the posh clothes told me that the lady must have been rich, like a queen. The detail is flabbergasting because I knew everything straight away.

    In conclusion, your painting is the best one on earth by one hundred miles. Many people would just lie down with the picture and stare at it.

    1. Ofrande and Ebenezer

      Do you want to be in north place or the south place either in the middle?In the north, they have more richer houses than the south because in the south they have wooden , broken houses.

      In the middle of London, there were a boat,who was carrying a blanket ,which was by golden ,gold treasure . Down the bridge, there were lots of alleys in the middle that alley was the biggest of all. There were boatman ,who were heading towards the north maybe because they are making new outstanding houses.

      The houses in the south are broken and damaged may be because there was a flood or thunder crashed into their houses.the north have the richest houses in London and there are many fantastic houses that i can’t even count them.That treasure box was full of gold it could because they are spending their money for poor people and people who are homeless.

  6. Dear Van Dyck,
    Hello mate how’s life treating you? I happened to have come across one of your latest paintings a few days ago. Your work just gets better and better, it was magnificent! The texture was amazing!

    Although you could have asked her to wear bright colours ,you also could have made her slimmer! But other than that you have done another masterpiece – so jolly well done!

    Your pal,
    Max

    1. Hi max you have clearly taked good time on this letter me and Ava loved it and it was really enjoyable to read

    2. Wow Max!
      your letter is very good and has lots of good language.I also like the improvements you have asked Van Dyke to make.

      well done

      Rosie

  7. Drayton Park Primary School,
    Arvon Road,
    Islington,
    London N5 1PJ

    Thursday 30th April 2015
    Dear Mr Van Dyck,
    We have just arrived back after seeing an excellent painting of yours at Kenwood House. We felt very happy that you had this opportunity to paint a portrait. (After all, you are a painter.) It is an exquisite masterpiece. The lady Henrietta wears a lot of shining jewellery, black silk and magnificent white lace which look stunning on her. Her skin is as pall as a vampire’s body and that silk is as black as the night sky. We think the lady looks quite murderous because she has a stern look with eyes as big as a bush baby’s.
    We got quite a shock when we noticed the dagger in her rosette. She might be rich and royal but she seems very cruel. The poor page looks nervous and uncomfortable in that position. We don’t think he likes her resting her hand on his shoulder.
    If you wanted to paint Henrietta again, try not to make her so massive and serious. That is our advice.
    Your loyal friends,
    Rawan, Tasfia, Max, Labib, Felix and Sarwar in Saturn Class.

  8. Pakeman found the painting very interesting and there was a lot of debate about what improvements could be made in the painting.

  9. zer
    The prospero
    In the picture,Prospero looks like 4 things, first of all, he might look impress to see that she gazing upon someone which she never seen before.Second of all, he looks jealous because for 2 things, his face looks so jealously and he doesn’t want to his daughter to get married with a prince never.Third of all, he looks so happy because he never seen a prince.

    aI don’t think the prospero is happy because on the picture he was spying on miranda.That is because miranda was gazing at the prince.At first I thought,she was pointing at the wrecked ship.There was a boat and I think it was a prince and he wants his revenge back.He was looking at the girl firlecely.When the girl was turrning the prospero was lookin g at the prince and the girl

    he feels angry because the girl has found a prince and think the prince is he is not a traitor.I was right they came back for their revenge.While they were sleeping someone was trying to stab them there was something whispering to him and he woke up.Then they were setting down the road.

    inclusion,prospero was ahappy man

  10. I liked Henryettas painting because the servant is looking at her like she is really tall and I think he thinks he would like to be as tall as her.

Leave a Reply to Naz Sufi Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *