Dialogue by Mark:

Have you ever made a picture that tells a story? In the Master's Gallery today we have a painting that is not only a beautiful masterpiece from art history, but it also tells a story without words.

This painting is called "The Broken Pot." It was made in 1891 by the French artist, William Adolphe Bouguereau (Boo-ger-ew).

Bougereau worked in France during the time of the Impressionists, but he was not a painter in this new style. Instead, he painted traditional scenes from mythology and romantic historical images. Bougereau was highly respected and very wealthy. Many rich people wanted to buy his paintings. The Impressionists, artists who are now world famous names like Monet and Degas, were considered outsiders in the art world and were not anywhere near as popular or as rich as Bougereau.

A young peasant girl, on her way to market, has dropped the clay pot she was carrying. It lies in the dust at her feet, and now she's in big trouble. She has lost something precious and valuable. You feel that she's just about ready to cry.

Bougereau used this picture to create a touching story without words. It surely appealed to his rich clients, and is now pleasing visitors at the DeYoung Museum of Art in San Francisco.