All posts filed under: Europe

Paris trip 2014: Day 2

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After a long and tiring previous day, we had to get up extra early in order to catch our morning train to Chartres. Located outside of Paris, our journey consisted of traveling on a double-decker train! (I’ve been on such trains before, but every time I go on one I still act like a small child getting all exciting at experiencing something different!) When we arrived at Chartres, we were welcomed by a hazy morning mist which surrounded the top of the  cathedral’s western towers. The photo above does not do the scene we saw justice, it was truly magical. The first thing on our agenda of the day, was heading down to the crypt to have a guided tour. Despite the tour being in French (and my French is not so good!), it was still really interesting to have a look at the previous Romanesque chapels. The crypt of Chartres Cathedral was once used as a hospital, so it seems somewhat surreal to imagine ill people resting below (the crypt was not the warmest …

Paris trip 2014: Day 1

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I am officially back from Paris, and what an amazing time I had! Although we were only there for two full days, we managed to pack a lot of things to do within the time that was available to us. The only thing to note about Paris in February is how cold it is! The weather wasn’t quite amazing, yet that did not dampen our spirits! (Pardon the pun about the rainy whether…) Wednesday was the first ‘official’ day of our trip here in Paris. We were very lucky to be given a late start that morning, which meant that we got the chance to do some exploring of the city before we got to grips with the Virgin Mary in Paris. I headed to the Sainte-Chapelle as I am currently researching/writing about it for my dissertation! It was great to get back in there this morning – I absolutely love it, and if you haven’t been you must! I always have a very transcendental experience whenever I enter the chapel. Below are a few …

Bye York, hello Paris!

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So today I am off to Paris with my current module – The Virgin’s Places: Chartres, Siena and Castile. During our week away we will spend the day visiting Chartres Cathedral, which I was lucky to go to the last time I was in Paris with Autumn’s module, Death and Devotion. I love Chartres Cathedral, as it’s a beautiful space – it’s so big and overwhelming. As well as spending the day outside of Paris in Chartres, we will be going to Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Lourve. I will also, in any spare time that we have, go and visit the Sainte-Chapelle – probably my favourite place in Paris! I will try and blog some photos about our trip, so keep checking back! I hope everyone has a great week, whether you’re a third year also going away (I know some people are going to Rome this week with the History of Art department!), or if you’re still in York.  

‘SUMM’: Joe Clark and Steven Dickie – The Norman Rea Gallery, University of York

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Tonight is the opening of the latest exhibition to be held at The Norman Rea Gallery. For the next two weeks (7th October – 18th October), the gallery will be displaying the works of Joe Clark and Steven Dickie. This show aims to approach the idea of the individual pitted against the various media formats that increasingly make up the world. As a society we both embrace them and are suspicious of them.  Steven Dickie is preoccupied with knowledge in an absolute sense, and Joe Clark with a kind of spiritual or haptic knowledge. Both use a distinct grammar of symbolism as a cipher for their concerns: super-imposing an abstruse language onto media types and processes. For those not acquainted  with The Norman Rea Gallery, it is a university campus art space (located in Derwent College) that promotes the work of both students and professional artists, practicing in a huge range of media. The gallery is run entirely by students for the enjoyment of the whole of campus and the wider university community. What is great about The Norman …

Paris awaits

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Three weeks today, myself and my fellow students on the ‘Death and Devotion’ module will be travelling to Paris for the week, and I cannot wait! I was lucky enough to go to Paris in the summer with my family, and going again with the department will be an incredibly enriching experience. We will be heading to Sainte-Chapelle, Notre Dame Cathedral, St Denis and venturing out to explore Chartres Cathedral. I have never been to St Denis or Chartres, so it will be great to experience some new, as well as familiar sites.