One of the more embarrassing facts about me is that my desire to come to school in Chicago was actually sparked by two (FANTASTIC) films: The Vow and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Both of these films heavily feature the Art Institute of Chicago, one of the greatest museums in the world. I knew that I had to engage with the museum while I attended UChicago, so I jumped at the opportunity to fulfill my arts Core requirement with “19th Century French Art at the Art Institute.”
The class was absolutely fantastic. We would meet once a week on campus to learn about different movements within 19th Century French art. Our class consisted of around ten students, so our small, Socratic-style discussions were very productive and helped reinforce the topics we were learning about. We would then meet once a week at the Art Institute (getting there for free with our UPass and receiving free admission with our UChicago Arts Pass!) to look at paintings from each movement up close. We sometimes looked at multiple paintings a class period, but also sometimes focused on only one for the full hour and a half! I initially thought that this would be way too long for me, but by the end of the class I gained a newfound appreciation for really taking your time and examining all aspects of a painting.
My favorite movement in French art is definitely Impressionism. One of my favorite Impressionist series in the Art Institute is Claude Monet’s Stacks of Wheat. Each painting captures the same haystacks at different points throughout the year (my favorite one is End of Summer). I also loved Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s Seascape, which I chose to focus on for one of my papers. I wrote about how the painting’s instantaneity and uniform scattering of light were key aspects of the painting’s Impressionist qualities.
Overall, this was a fantastic course! We not only gained exposure to art history but also got to explore the Art Institute of Chicago in depth! I loved how accessible it was; the course had no prerequisites. I was also able to visit paintings in our on-campus museum, the Smart Museum of Art, with the class. If you are looking for classes to fulfill your arts Core requirement, check this one out!