Paris calling: Art History elective takes students abroad
Our art history students travelled to Paris to visit over 20 museums, galleries, exhibitions, and art districts. Over two weeks they uncovered one of the globe鈥檚 most vibrant cultural hubs.
This month Paris has been synonymous with the Olympics across the world, but for art lovers, the true spectacle of the French capital is its history and culture, preserved in its museums, monuments, and architecture. Earlier this year our Art History students embarked on a two-week journey to explore Paris via the 鈥�Art and the City鈥� fieldwork unit of study.
In the Art History major, students delve into the history of making, viewing and experiencing complex and compelling works of art and architecture. By developing historical knowledge and analytical skills, they learn to examine art across time and space in historical and cultural contexts. To cap off their undergraduate program, the 鈥楢rt and the City鈥� fieldwork unit takes students from the classroom to one of the world鈥檚 most exhilarating cultural hubs,聽such as聽Berlin聽or Paris, as they approach graduation.
The group of Art History students at Versailles.
This unit has been incredibly rewarding, offering a real-world experience of art history. The exposure to really varying sites gave an indication of what a career in art history could be.
This year we ran the fieldwork unit as a Summer School Intensive during the European winter to elude the influx of visitors and the logistics of the Olympics. The strategic timing allowed our students to enjoy the city鈥檚 unparalleled history of architecture and public space, and its galleries, monuments, and artworks without any distractions鈥攁ll while earning academic credit.
The journey into the cultural heart of the metropolis was led by Professor Mark Ledbury, Power Professor of Art History and specialist in the art of Early Modern Europe, and Dr Victoria Souliman from the discipline of French and Francophone Studies, an expert in twentieth century and contemporary art.
A Parisian blockbuster program
The program took our students to world-famous museums, galleries, historic sites, and neighbourhoods. Over 20 stops formed the fieldwork itinerary but there was also time to discover hidden gems and socialise in the city鈥檚 trendy bars and restaurants.
Upon arrival, Paris welcomed our aspiring art historians with glorious winter sun. A visit to the Louvre kicked off the immersive program. The group marvelled over the museum鈥檚 extraordinary architectural and cultural riches such as the Raft of the Medusa, the Marie de鈥� Medici cycle, and Rembrandt masterpieces.
I loved seeing artworks up-close and learning on the field was important for my education in art history. The assessments pushed me to focus and get the most out of the trip. Professor Ledbury and Dr Souliman are incredible, knowledgeable, kind educators who care deeply about each student's education.鈥�
To discuss the development of the city鈥檚 neighbourhoods and its great urban squares, the students walked through the vibrant Marais district and the Place des Vosges. They gained further insights at the recently renovated Mus茅e Carnavalet, the museum dedicated to the city history of Paris.
Star attractions and hidden gems
The students admired the greatest collection of impressionist and non-impressionist paintings of the world at the Mus茅e d鈥橭rsay which houses works by Monet, Degas, and Van Gogh to name a few. Among the other highlights were the Sainte Chapelle, the Cluny Museum with its medieval treasures, and the Mus茅e de l鈥橭rangerie, home to an impressive ensemble of Monet paintings..
With over 140 museums, the city can overwhelm even the most experienced art historians but Dr Souliman鈥檚 Parisian know-how helped uncover some of its best-kept secrets: the Petit Palais, Mus茅e Montmartre, and the Gustave Moreau Museum. Dr Souliman also guided the group through the Opera Garnier to study one of France鈥檚 most opulent monuments.
I have enjoyed the deeply communal aspect of this overseas intensive, and the opportunity to be part of a learning group. Additionally the actual access to incredible resources during the trip has been unlike anything I could experience on-campus and I have cherished that experience.
Modern and contemporary art and architecture were in focus at the Bourse de Commerce, Centre Pompidou, and Mus茅e d鈥橝rt Moderne聽de la Ville de Paris, where Dufy鈥檚 enormous fresco La Fee electricite and Matisse鈥檚 mural designs captivated our students. At the Fondation Louis Vuitton, our students engaged with Frank Gehry鈥檚 architecture and Rothko鈥檚 paintings.
Bringing knowledge to life
Our students unpacked their observations in the seminar rooms of the Institut National d鈥橦istoire de l鈥橝rt. In engaging group presentations, they showed off their visual art expertise by linking sites and objects they鈥檇 seen with larger themes in art history. Throughout the trip, the students chronicled their journey in a reflective journal. They also created a monument video commentary to demonstrate their knowledge.
Beyond Paris
There were also excursion days to see the region鈥檚 historic marvels beyond the city limits of Paris. The group inspected the Basilica Saint-Denis in its gothic glory and the Mus茅e Conde at Chantilly to study some of the iconic works by Poussin, Ingres and Raphael. In the Chateau de Versailles, the group wandered the extravagant Palace of the Bourbons and explored the Petit Trianon and Marie Antoinette鈥檚聽hameau. On Sunday the students roamed the city on their own to discover other delights Paris had to offer.
This was an exceptional opportunity and absolutely crucial for my degree.
A visit to the Catacombs, Paris鈥檚 most 鈥榰nderground鈥� attraction, marked the journey鈥檚 end. The group ventured through quarry tunnels filled with bones from local cemeteries whose insalubrity had endangered the health of the city鈥檚 population in the eighteenth century. In the evening, our students delivered thought-provoking presentations and impressed their educators by responding to the assessment鈥檚 challenges with imagination. An exquisite French farewell dinner concluded the once-in-a-lifetime experience.
鈥淭he friendships formed during this unit created an atmosphere of excitement and intrigue into Paris and French art. I am grateful for this trip and the opportunities to explore the city with an incredible group and fantastic teaching team.鈥�
The Art and the City: Fieldwork Unit聽is offered through the聽Discipline of Art History. and was generously assisted by student travel聽scholarships聽from the聽Frank McDonald Memorial Fund. This scholarship supports student access and inclusive educational opportunities.
*Featured聽quotes taken from the ARHT3681 unit of study survey by students for the Summer Intensive 2024 period.听 聽
This article is based on a feature written by Professor Mark Ledbury and Dr聽Victoria Souliman for Art History's聽.听