History of Art courses
have returned this season with a large course selection full of exciting
topics. With a professional background in History of Art, Christina Vremes
joins the WICE Instructor team to teach a series of Exhibition Seminars and
Venetian Renaissance art courses. WICE's free social event to launch these History of Art classes was held on November 3, 2013, at the Chateau
Champs-sur-Marne, where Christina presented all of her upcoming courses and
seminars. Participants were treated to wine (provided by WICE's wine tasting department) during the presentation, before exploring the recently
restored 18th century chateau and its gardens.
Art History tour at the Chateau Champs-sur-Marne -photo by Jenna Smith |
When it comes to the
latest art exhibitions in Paris, do you wish that you had a better
understanding of what all of the buzz is about?
Well, the Exhibition Seminars are a great way to enhance your knowledge and enjoyment of the current
art exhibitions in Paris. These seminars examine the main works of art
displayed at the exhibitions to help you learn the significance of each
piece, identify what to look for in the various works of art, and understand
the relationship between the different pieces displayed in the exhibition.
design by Francisca Valenzuela Rivera |
The first of the
Exhibition Seminars discussed the Musée d'Orsay's Masculine/Masculine exhibition that takes a look at the male nude from 1800 to the present
day. As a starting point of the seminar, Christina examined a couple of
paintings to show how male nudes are portrayed differently from female nudes.
From there Christina delved deeper into examining the various ways
that the male nude has been presented in the different art movements over time.
Lighting, body position, muscle tension, facial expression, and movement
are some of the elements that convey strength, weakness, confidence,
submission, anguish, and other qualities in the
pieces displayed in the exhibition. For something so seemly simple, in this
Exhibition Seminar it is fascinating to discover the complexities of all of the different elements
of the male nude that work together to express the meaning and significance of
each work of art.
Pieter Brueghel, The Elder - Children playing
(source: Wikimedia Commons)
|
Some cool benefits of
attending the Exhibition Seminars:
1) Learn about the works
displayed in the exhibition in a comfortable classroom environment, where you
can easily get expert answers to all of your questions, and clearly see the
images of the art without crowds blocking your view.
2) When you actually visit the museum's
exhibition, you can leisurely admire the works of art and contemplate what was
discussed in the seminar, without having to rush to keep the tour on pace, or
move along because of pushing crowds.
Titian, Self-Portrait (source: Wikimedia Commons) |
In addition to the
Exhibition Seminars, Christina is teaching a series of Venetian Renaissance art courses. This series starts with a rough historical sketch of
Venice, its myths, its identity and its status as a 'melting pot' of different
cultural influences. Christina will examine Venice's self-representation
and self-fashioning by revisiting fictions and half-truths that the Republic
invented for itself, in order to create an image of a powerful independent
republic- the legitimate heir to the Roman Empire.
The Venetian Renaissance
series continues by examining several main characteristics, such as color,
iconography, portraiture, artist's status, nudes, and landscape by discussing
particular issues and aspects through case studies embodied by some of the best
known Italian Renaissance painters such as Titian, Veronese, Tintoretto, and
Giorgione. For added convenience for those who would like to see these
works of art in person, Christina has chosen to discuss pieces that can be viewed at the
Louvre, Jacquemart -André, and other Paris museums.
**** Register now for the upcoming Exhibition Seminars:
Friday, November 29, 2013
10am to 11:30am
This seminar covers the exhibition at Le Grand Palais of George Braque, the founder of cubist art.
Friday, December 6, 2013
10am to 11:30am
This seminar covers the exhibition at Le Grand Palais of Félix Vallotton, associated with Post-Impressionism and the Nabis movement.
Friday, December 13, 2013
10am to 11:30am
This seminar covers the exhibition at the Pinacothèque of paintings by the Brueghel family that serve as witnesses of their time.
**** Register now for the upcoming Venetian Renaissance Art courses:
Wednesdays, November 20 & 27, 2013
2:00pm to 3:30pm
Wednesdays, December 4 & 11, 2013
2:00pm to 3:30pm
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
2:00pm to 3:30pm
Wednesdays, January 8 & 15, 2013
2:00pm to 3:30pm
Wednesdays, January 22 & 29, 2013
2:00pm to 3:30pm
Wednesdays, February 5 & 12, 2013
2:00pm to 3:30pm
Wednesday, March 5, 2013
2:00pm to 3:30pm
Wednesday, March 12, 2013
2:00pm to 3:30pm
Post by Veronica Kugler