All posts tagged: University of York

‘And so this is Christmas’

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  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 further …

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

This week – Alfonso X’s Cantigas

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This week in ‘Death and Devotion’ we have moved swiftly from Paris and England, and are now focusing on Castile and Leon. Within this, we are primarily looking at King Alfonso X’s Cantigas! The Cantigas are a collection of poems about the Virgin Mary which would have been performed in the court, and during the feast days of the Virgin. I’m not going to lie, before encountering this week I was a little skeptical as to what the Cantigas would sound like. But after reading more about them, the historical context and political propaganda behind their conception; I actually quite like them! Here are a few for you to enjoy! I think it’s fascinating that people during the medieval period would have listened to these, and would have invested emotional resonance into them. History of Art definitely incorporates pretty much everything you can think of, and I think that this week proves it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kwh0m5EzRXg Cantigas 137 is my favourite, it’s just so cheerful! I feel like I am actually back in the Middle Ages listening …

Back from Paris, back to reality

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  So for some reason WordPress deleted a post that I wrote last week about the last two days of my Paris trip! How annoying. Anyway! So, I have returned from my Paris trip and it was amazing! It really does make a huge difference seeing the objects that you’ve been learning about in person. As  mentioned in a previous post, I went to Paris in the summer and went to some of the places that I returned to on my HoA trip. It was really interesting coming back, with the new knowledge that we have been learning about in the last few weeks, and I cannot believe how I experienced the same spaces in a new light. For the last few weeks in ‘Death and Devotion’, we have been focusing on the Gothic architecture in Paris, focusing on St Denis, Chartres Cathedral (just a little outside Paris) and Saint-Chapelle. It was great to see Chartres in person. I have never been there before, and it was incredible to get the opportunity to explore. The …

Question and Answers

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Q: “Hi, I’m a first year studying History of Art at York and wondered if you had any useful advice for the course. I’ve got an exam for Encounters with the Material Object in January – how did you prepare for this and manage your time in the first year and what would you do differently if you could go back? Thanks!” Q: “Hi there! I’ve just started studying HoA at York and wondered whether you could give me any advice about the first year, how to do well in exams and any techniques to improve my reading and note taking? Thanks” (These questions are very similar so I’ll answer them in one go!) My advice would be – try to be as open-minded as you can to all the different things you explore, whether that be particular theories (which I remember studying in first year), or particular time periods. By being open-minded, this allows you not only to appreciate different things that you might have somewhat ignored or not given much enthusiasm to; and also …

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 …