5 good reasons for going to the Art HIstory lectures "Les Paris de l’art / Art in Paris”
Whether you are already an art lover or just a beginner in Art History, here are five good reasons to enrol for the "Les Paris de l’art / Art in Paris” course of lectures.
All the lectures are given in French.
Thursday 13 December sees the first of 17 themed sessions (in French) introducing you to the major periods and significant movements in art and how they impinged on the history of Paris.
The lectures are given (in French) by curators and art historians and provide a fascinating insight into the collections of the City of Paris museums.
- More information about: "Les Paris de l’art / Art in Paris”
- Reserve here for: "Les Paris de l’art / Art in Paris”
Here are five good reasons for getting involved in "Les Paris de l’art / Art in Paris”
1] Become an expert in art history
© Musée Carnavalet/Roger-Viollet
Do you feel inadequate when somebody mentions paintings by Courbet or sculptures by Antoine Bourdelle?
After a few lectures (in French) in the auditorium of the Petit Palais, you will have a deeper understanding of the city's cultural and artistic history and have learned where to find out more.
And the friends who were going on about artists you didn't know that much about just a short time ago might be glad to have you as their guide on a museum trip one day.
2] Become familiar with the major artistic styles and period
Le quai des Tuileries © Musée Carnavalet Roger-Viollet
Have you sometimes wondered what is meant by ‘Pre-Raphaelite’, ‘Art Nouveau’ or ‘Land Art’?
By examining the important periods covered in the Paris de l'Art lectures, you will gain insight into the major artistic trends in the history of art, in painting, in sculpture and in architecture.
3] Gain a deeper understanding of the history of Paris
Le Louvre en 1380 © Musée Carnavalet - Roger Viollet
The geography and layout of Paris, its architecture, its fashions and its artistic and cultural history have come a long way since prehistoric times.
From prehistoric times to Antiquity, from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, from Neo-Classicism to Modernity, the Paris de l'Art lectures will give you the tools to analyse the important movements in art, but they will also provide a detailed overview of the great periods and the historical and social contexts that shaped the capital of France.
The works from the collections of the City of Paris museums which you will be exposed to add up to a picture of Paris over the centuries like you have never seen it before.
4] The expertise of the curators and art historians
© Musée Carnavalet/Roger Viollet
La Bastille, dans les premiers jours de sa démolition, Hubert Robert, 1789 / Musée Carnavalet - Histoire de Paris
They are curators but also teachers, heads of sculpture departments, and exhibition organisers.
The lecturers in the Paris de l'Art series have been chosen for their scholarship and enthusiasm in their respective fields.
You will have the benefit of their knowledge in optimal conditions and can apply all your own enthusiasm to the period you have chosen in the lectures.
5] Discover the collections of the City of Paris museum
The lectures in the Paris de l'Art series are based on the collections in City of Paris museums, so they are also an opportunity to discover the works in the 14 major Paris museums.
Between Antoine Bourdelle's sculpture Hercules the Archer (the teaching aid for analysing a work in the lecture "Comment décrypter une oeuvre / How to decipher a work"), and Courbet's famous painting "Le Sommeil / The Sleepers", from the Petit Palais collections, (an example of Realism in the lecture on 19th century French painting), you will be given a very broad overview of the collections in the City of Paris museums.
And remember: you have free admission to the permanent collections in the City of Paris museums.