Paris is an excellent place to study architecture, says Professor AnnaRussakoffof the Department of Art History and Fine Arts. You can go from Ancient Rome to contemporary times and always have something interesting to say. Its no coincidence that ParisThrough Its Architectureisa popularart history courseat AUP it'snot onlya chance tostudysome beautiful buildings,but itcanalso give you a new appreciation forlife in the City of Light.
Thecourse isopen to studentsat any level no art history background isrequired.Credit can contribute toyourgeneral education requirements, as well as to the art history and fine arts majorsor minors.Its great having people from diverse backgroundstaking the class, saysRussakoff. The moreperspectives we can get, the better.
It was the best course I ever took at AUP, says alumna LaureMoscheni15. Taking it in my first semester allowed me to discover Paris with an artistic perspective that has influenced my view of the city ever since.As with so many classes at AUP,Paris Through Its Architecture usesexperiential learningasa vital complement tothein-class experience. By witnessingbuildingsin context,you will develop anunderstanding ofthe continuing relevance of art history today, as well asan appreciation of how urban settings evolve.
Alongside major monuments such as Notre Dame and Sainte-Chapelle, thetoursinclude diverse examples such asfountains, parks, archways and railway stations.Classestake an interdisciplinary approach; youwill develop abasic knowledge of French historyas aframeworkto studythe capitals architectural development.Parisian architecture has beeninfluenced bypoliticalandeconomic forces,religious iconography, Frances secular symbolism andchanging trends inurban planning.Cultural figures, such asMozart and Victor Hugo,have links to the buildingsfeatured.
Russakoffcitestwotours of Pariss Marais neighborhood asapersonalclasshighlight.Thoughnowadays known for itsluxuryshopping, the area holds much historical importance.From14th-centurytimber-framed housestothechurchesandh繫telsparticuliersof the 17thand 18thcenturies,the tour allowsstudentstotraversethe architectural evolution ofthearea.TheH繫telde Sully,close to the Place des Vosges,is an important example forRussakoff. You have these personifications in relief sculptures of the four elements and the four seasons, she explains. And its one of the rare buildings where you see baroque decorations such as volute scrolls.
AUPsintegrated learning approach provides students with the tools they need toview Paris as a classroom a constant source of curiosity that they can shape torespond totheir own interests.Theres something that happens to a building when you see it and experience it yourself, saysRussakoff. It stays with you so much more than when you see a reproduction.
Paris is a vibrant city for not only Western art but also Asian, African and Middle Eastern art.
I wanted to major in Psychology until I fell deeply in love with Art History after a Firstbridge class and decided to dig deeper.
Dig beneath the rich layers of history or explore concepts in photography and drawing that make Rome a modern-day wonder.