All posts tagged: Life

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 …

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!

Day 1 Paris Trip

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So today is the first day of our trip to Paris, and what a great day it has been! This morning the ‘Death and Deovtion’ group ventured to the amazing Saint Denis church. There we explored and analysed the stained glass, the tombs of various French Kings and Queens and the crypt! After spending the morning there, we took the metro and emerged on the isle which houses Notre Dame and Sainte Chapelle. In Notre-Dame we went around the treasury,  looking at the various reliquaries that the church possesses and then we had the rest of the day off! Tomorrow we will go to Chartres Cathedral, which I’m really looking forward to! It’s great to be seeing all these places in person, especially because I’ve been studying them for the last 4 weeks. It seems even stranger seeing as I only come to Paris about 3 months ago – since coming to the same places again, I’ve noticed just how much more I can see in the various buildings since doing my course. Posted from …

My week in photos

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Sorry for the lack of posts the last week. This week has been incredibly hectic for me both work and leisure wise. I thought it might be cool to try and devote a post per week which basically details what I’ve been up to through my photos! The life of an art historian here at York does not only revolve around reading, but also venturing out of the confines of the library. This week I had a lot of reading, but whilst I wasn’t reading I’ve been playing tennis when the weather has been good, and this week I went to Leeds to see one of my favourite musicians play (Johnny Flynn – he’s great to listen and relax to. I find his soothing songs very good during revision!) This following week seems busy too, but I will endeavor to post some more! I’ve get some great posts coming to keep checking my blog out. Also, if you have any questions, I’m going to answer them this week so feel free to ask away! I …

First day on campus!

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It’s official. My third year has begun. We had our ‘Welcome Back’ briefing meeting today, which has mentally prepared me (and scared me a little) for what this year holds for me. This autumn term I have one module, Death and Devotion, and I shall begin to research for my dissertation. Basically, I’ll be doing a lot of reading this year, so nothing too new! It was great to see everyone back, and now the wheels are in motion and I should really begin to crack on with my work.  Good-bye summer, hello autumn!