Vittore Carpaccio
Reception of the English Ambassadors

Ursula:

Well, first of all, secondly, thirdly…

Cat:

Yes, I know! Meow! Here on the far right – the woman in the blue dress, she's a princess. Her name is Ursula. And she is supposed to marry an English prince. He has sent messengers to her father's court. You can see them kneeling in the middle of the picture and asking for the hand of the beautiful princess. There's just one problem: Ursula is a Christian and the prince ... isn't. So she is setting conditions, and the prince will only be allowed to marry fair Ursula if he fulfils them. And those conditions – well, she's giving her father a list.

Mouse:

Seventeenth, eighteenth, nineteenth…

Cat:

No, no, there aren't really that many conditions. Just three. The most important one is that the prince must become a Christian, too, so he has to change his religion.

Mouse:

Easy-peasy! Lemon squeezy!

Cat:

Well... not that easy... Was that the pesky mouse again? Meow! Where's that cheeky little rascal hiding this time??

Mouse:

You won't find me!

Cat:

Rats! These paintings are always so full of detail! Carpaccio can never make do with just a single scene in a painting; there are always several. And everywhere you look, something's going on – someone will be listing their conditions, someone else will be holding an audience, and the next lot are strolling along the shore or looking at the ships…

Mouse:

Like you do – in Venice, the city where Carpaccio lived 500 years ago.

Cat:

Aha! And how would you know??

Mouse:

Because I was there!

Cat:

There? Where?

Mouse:

Well… there! In Venice.

Cat: 

You were in Venice – yeah, no, of course you were! That might wash with a kitten just opening its eyes for the first time. But not with me, the smart gallery cat. You can't fool me. I know my way around...

Mouse:

But not around Venice! And not 500 years ago. But I do! Because I'm a time traveller…

Cat:

A time traveller?

Mouse:

Yes, and a picture traveller. I can travel through time and through the paintings. While you... just stand in front of them, looking silly and waffling... endlessly…

Cat:

You just wait! I'm going to get you this time!