Summary by Students

Paris Trip February 2022

From Thursday 24th – Sunday 27th February 45 students and 5 staff went to enjoy Paris and take in its cultural heritage. It was quite an achievement just arriving in the city with Covid still looming over us.Irrespective of this, we had an excellent time and below are the thoughts from three representatives on the trip. 

Even though everyone made a good effort, we had prizes for the best use of French language and for the best sketchbooks!

Art Perspective by Monty Year13

Arriving in Paris at midday, the city's wide avenues and Haussmann architecture welcomed us before we stopped off at our first bistro and headed into the Louvre. The museum's sheer scale and corridors of art were an irresistible source of inspiration for students to start filling in their sketchbooks with illustrations of art, sculpture and even each other. From the 'Venus de Milo' to 'The Wedding Feast at Cana' and of course the 'Mona Lisa', the history of art on display at the Louvre was an exciting teaser for the collections that would follow.

Catching an early train, the next morning allowed us to explore the Musée d'Orsay and appreciate its fantastic combination of Impressionist art housed in such an industrial structure. To see in person the works of Édouard Manet, Claude Monet and Vincent Van Gogh provoked new emotions for those of us who have studied and even recreated their works in the course of our A-Level without actually seeing the art up close. Shortly after, we jumped forward to the 20th-century works of Robert Delaunay and Wassily Kandinsky on display at Paris's Museum of Modern Art. Marching from one gallery to another, we then quickly visited the Giacometti Foundation and ended the day with an open-top cruise down the Seine, admiring the City of Light's illuminated bridges and Eiffel tower in all its splendour.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the fashionably dressed passers-by and inconspicuous mosaics that one could notice high-up on every street corner. Art seemed to appear in unexpected ways, and I look forward to documenting such a vibrant trip.

French Perspective by Olivia Year13 

We spent 4 days in Paris and managed to enjoy many aspects of the city and the language. We started with museum visits to the Louvre and D’Orsay and saw the classics artworks which we had heard so much about. We got around everywhere on the metro and so were able to immerse ourselves into Parisian life such as rush hour with people on the way to work whilst we were on our way to explore the city or Friday and Saturday nights with people going into the centre to enjoy the nightlife. Friday was our main sightseeing day, and we walked all day from Solférino station, along the river and to the islands in the Seine and then Le Marais area. Here, we were able to see the landmark historical sites such as the Sainte Chapelle and Notre Dame (not inside due to the fire), which were even more impressive than expected. On Saturday we went on the train to the chateau of Fontainebleau, where figures like Louis XIV and Napoleon once lived, and we were all mesmerised by the grandeur and opulence which had been preserved for so many years. We also had many opportunities to walk around and explore by ourselves, which was great for visiting wherever each person was interested in, such as Galeries La Fayette to buy high-end macaroons. Overall, it was a very enjoyable trip with many opportunities to immerse ourselves in Paris and practice the language despite only being there for a few days. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

History of Art Perspective by Ines Year13

Paris has come to be seen as one of the world capitals of art, on arrival I had no idea what to expect and what I was going to learn and experience. As someone who is passionate about the history behind art, mainly from an interest in understanding cultures and society throughout time, this trip was genuinely eye-opening. Not only was visiting the galleries an incredible experience, but the visits to Brancusi’s and Giacometti’s studios were also astounding, as well as the visit to The Pompidou centre. Paris to many has been seen as an art historian’s ecstasy, from seeing impressionist pieces at the Musée d'Orsay and historic gems at the world's largest art museum, the Louvre, I was taken away. It’s one thing seeing a painting through a picture and a completely different thing seeing it in real life. From an art historian’s perspective, being in Paris was inspiring, from the visit to the museum of modern art to seeing artists such as Picasso, Braque, Matisse, Derain and many more who have been significant in the representation of the development and process of presenting art to the world in a different perspective. To the visit to the Louvre to see works of Michael Angelo and Leonardo da Vinci, as well as byzantine works to Greek marble sculptures. Visualising them changed my perspective and signified their importance. The trip to Paris to which I became immersed in this art deepened my knowledge and understanding. The trip from an art historian’s perspective was breathtaking, we became truly emersed in the culture of Paris, there was so much to do, and so much to see. The French Revolution and political and social change in France had a profound influence on art, this is still seen today. Witnessing this on this trip has deepened my interest as an art historian, with works of art from the most famous and renowned artists throughout the time being based in Paris. Overall, my experience was incredible and witnessing this art on this trip will be a significant motive as to why I want to study the history of art at a higher level.  

Thanks go to WLFS for allowing an international trip to go ahead and also a big thank you to Ms. Owen, Mrs. Clanchy, Mr. Mansel Lewis and Mrs. Barrett for coming along and well done to the students for their positive attitude and embracing every aspect of the trip with gusto. All students were perfect representatives on WLFS abroad!!

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