鈥淧aris is an excellent place to study architecture,鈥 says Professor Anna聽Russakoff聽of the Department of Art History and Fine Arts. 鈥淵ou can go from Ancient Rome to contemporary times and always have something interesting to say.鈥 It鈥檚 no coincidence that Paris聽Through Its Architecture聽is聽a popular聽art history course聽at AUP聽鈥 it's聽not only聽a chance to聽study聽some beautiful buildings,聽but it聽can聽also give you a new appreciation for聽life in the City of Light.聽
The聽course is聽open to students聽at any level 鈥 no art history background is聽required.聽Credit can contribute to聽your聽general education requirements, as well as to the art history and fine arts majors聽or minors.聽鈥淚t鈥檚 great having people from diverse backgrounds聽taking the class,鈥 says聽Russakoff. 鈥淭he more聽perspectives we can get, the better.鈥澛
鈥淚t was the best course I ever took at AUP,鈥 says alumna Laure聽Moscheni聽鈥15. 鈥淭aking it in my first semester allowed me to discover Paris with an artistic perspective that has influenced my view of the city ever since.鈥澛燗s with so many classes at AUP,聽Paris Through Its Architecture uses聽experiential learning聽as聽a vital complement to聽the聽in-class experience. By witnessing聽buildings聽in context,聽you will develop an聽understanding of聽the continuing relevance of art history today, as well as聽an appreciation of how urban settings evolve.聽
Alongside major monuments such as Notre Dame and Sainte-Chapelle, the聽tours聽include diverse examples such as聽fountains, parks, archways and railway stations.聽Classes聽take an interdisciplinary approach; you聽will develop a聽basic knowledge of French history聽as a聽framework聽to study聽the capital鈥檚 architectural development.聽Parisian architecture has been聽influenced by聽political聽and聽economic forces,聽religious iconography, France鈥檚 secular symbolism and聽changing trends in聽urban planning.聽Cultural figures, such as聽Mozart and Victor Hugo,聽have links to the buildings聽featured.聽
Russakoff聽cites聽two聽tours of Paris鈥檚 Marais neighborhood as聽a聽personal聽class聽highlight.聽Though聽nowadays known for its聽luxury聽shopping, the area holds much historical importance.聽From聽14th-century聽timber-framed houses聽to聽the聽churches聽and聽h么tels聽particuliers聽of the 17th聽and 18th聽centuries,聽the tour allows聽students聽to聽traverse聽the architectural evolution of聽the聽area.聽The聽H么tel聽de Sully,聽close to the Place des Vosges,聽is an important example for聽Russakoff. 鈥淵ou have these personifications in relief sculptures of the four elements and the four seasons,鈥 she explains. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 one of the rare buildings where you see baroque decorations such as volute scrolls.鈥澛
AUP鈥檚聽integrated learning approach provides students with the tools they need to聽view Paris as a classroom 鈥 a constant source of curiosity that they can shape to聽respond to聽their own interests.聽鈥淭here鈥檚 something that happens to a building when you see it and experience it yourself,鈥 says聽Russakoff. 鈥淚t stays with you so much more than when you see a reproduction.鈥澛
I appreciated how I was being encouraged to try out classes in multiple subject areas.
Paris is a vibrant city for not only Western art but also Asian, African and Middle Eastern art.
Professor Vanel specializes in mid-twentieth century art and has worked on a diverse range of artists and topics.