All posts tagged: History of Art

Valentine’s day arty treat

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As it’s Valentine’s day, I have decided to repost a piece that I published this time last year for the student-run magazine, HardZine. These are some of the most ‘Romantic’ paintings that I enjoy, if you can think of some others that you believe should be on here then post it in the comments section! Whether Valentine’s day is a day to enjoy with one’s significant other, or just a commercial creation conjured up by corporate conspiracy to make money; there is no denying the impact that it has on our society. How love is visually represented is wide and varied; from traditional depictions of couples sharing a moment of intimacy by embracing and being intertwined almost as one, through the written form, to the tragedy of a doomed romance. From Renaissance paintings to Contemporary Art, love is an emotion universally explored and understood. To celebrate the day we have come up with our favourite paintings, sculptures and artwork that represent the notion of ‘love’. Where does one start when describing and commenting about this …

Busy, busy, busy

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Sorry for the lack of blog posting, it’s been an incredibly busy week! So, what I have been doing the last few weeks? Well, this term I started by new module for the Spring/Summer term: The Virgin’s Places. This term I will be exploring all about the Virgin Mary in various places around medieval Europe, focusing specifically on Chartres Cathedral in France, the city of Siena and in the Spanish kingdom of Castile. This course is great fun, and its really fascinating to be studying the extent to which these people from the Medieval ages saw Mary as their intercessor, guardian and divine source of help. This week we’re looking at Duccio’s amazing panel painting Maesta, which if you haven’t seen, it’s stunning! As part of the module I am back off to Paris next week! – boy, I cannot get away from there, 3 times in the last 7 months, not that I am complaining. Luckily we are travelling to Paris by train, which was a great relief to me and other students who …

Spring 2014 public lectures

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At the University of York there are many interesting talks, lectures and workshops taking place throughout the year; many of which the History of Department present. I just wanted to encourage anyone interested in expanding their knowledge and learning something new to have a look at the variety of talks and attend one! I have been to a couple of these presentations, and have found them extremely helpful. Whether you’re in first or third year, there will be a talk for you! There’s a talk coming up next week which I am attending, and I think it will prove beneficial towards my dissertation and current module research, and plus because it’s focused on something that I am really interested in! The talk is presented by Dr Meg Boulton (who was a tutor of mine in my first year) and is titled: ‘City of God, city of gold: the symbolic of ecclesiastical ornament in the early Church’. (http://www.york.ac.uk/news-and-events/events/public-lectures/spring-2014/city-of-god/) I happened to come across this by pure chance, and I am really grateful that I did – I …

End of a long week

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So last week I completed my first ever 48 hour open exam, and boy oh boy, it was an experience that I wouldn’t really recommend to people. Actually, it wasn’t as bad as I had anticipated. I’m the kind of girl who plans her essays in advance, and  ends up writing an extra billion words, to which I then have to get rid of – hard to do in a limited amount of time. Anyway, I survived! I’m working on a post which will detail some tips that I found really helpful for preparing for this type of exam. I’ve also started my new module this term – The Virgin’s Spaces – all about the Virgin Mary! So keep checking out the blog to see what I’m learning about. I hope that the first two weeks have gone well for everyone, and in the up-coming-weeks I have many plans for some potential posts, including tips on getting internships in the arts!

‘And so this is Christmas’

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  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhH5jPq5mVQ I cannot believe that term has finished and I am back in the comforts of family home living. This term has been hectic, but in a good way. My ‘Death and Devotion’ module has been beyond awesome – I have been completely inspired and wish I could just keep learning! My Tutor Emily has been very inspiring. I have always been interested in the Medieval period, and was always intending to hopefully continue my studies within this period, and this course has just confirmed it. From studying France and England, to Spain, Bohemia and Italy – I feel that I have traveled as a pilgrim so to speak throughout my reading and learning. Even though I’ve really enjoyed the module and all the reading, it is nice to have a break and put my feet up! This holiday will see me relaxing, catching up on readings not completed and getting all my material and revision ready for my open book exam in the beginning of January (a topic I shall not discuss any …

Art History Christmas Party

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On Wednesday 4th December 2013 at 19:30 the Art History society are hosting their annual Christmas party! Tickets cost £15, and food will take the form of a wide variety of buffet food and a glass of wine. There will also be a band performing, so check out the facebook page to keep up-to-date with information. For more information check out the facebook event page! https://www.facebook.com/events/651118501606418/?source=1 If you want to buy your tickets you can buy them here: http://www.yusu.org/tickets/ticket/5021