Paris

We will visit important monuments of medieval and modern Europe in Paris. We will tour Notre-Dame and Chartres as exemplars of the Gothic architecture, as demonstrations of technological achievements and as demonstrations of religious faith. Notre-Dame claims a superb set of portal sculptures while Chartres possesses arguably the best surviving set of stained glass windows. These public buildings of faith will be compared to the private royal chapel of Saint-Chapelle where students can study both the original glass windows and can learn about modern issues related to architectural preservation and restoration.

Museums in Paris include the Louvre, Orsay, Picasso Museum and the Georges-Pompidou. At the Louvre, the students can trace the development of Western art from the Ancient Near East through the nineteenth century. Each area is represented by excellent collections. At the Orsay, students will study 19th century art, particularly the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists. At the Picasso Museum, students will become acquainted with the 20th century master artist whose impact upon his artistic age has been incalculable. And at the Georges-Pompidou, students will focus upon contemporary artists whose works are sometimes difficult and challenging.

Again, Paris is one of the most important centers for music in the Western world, and we hope to be able to attend performances at the modern Opera Bastille, and the 19th-century Opera Garnier. There are several excellent venues for concerts in Paris, including the Centre Georges-Pompidou. A visit to the Pere Lachaise Cemetary allows the students to visit the recent and distant past, and to touch on all the arts, as many artists, musicians, and literary figures are buried there.