Our Year 12 Art and Graphics students attended a trip to Paris in the Autumn term. Over four days, students explored world-renowned galleries including the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, and Centre Pompidou, gaining firsthand experience of iconic masterpieces and contemporary works. The trip offered a unique opportunity to sketch on location and gather research for their coursework. Paris provided the perfect backdrop to spark creativity and deepen students’ understanding of visual culture. It was a truly enriching experience that brought classroom learning to life and celebrated the power of art to inspire, challenge, and connect.
Here is an article one of the students wrote about the experience:
An Adventure to Paris by Nina Sethi
Recently, from the Friday 8th to Monday 11th of November, the Year 12 Art, Graphics and French students went on a trip to Paris to gain a greater insight into the broad culture and the beauty of art throughout Paris. The trip started off with a visit to Sacre-Cœur, looking at the beautiful architecture and spending free time exploring the surrounding area of Montmartre. Next, on day 2, we started with a visit to the Eiffel Tower, and then headed to the Musée d’Orsay. Here, the students were able to go around the vast museum, seeing exhibits of Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh and some famous French war paintings, allowing the French students to deepen their knowledge on French culture, and providing inspiration from post-impressionist art, for the art and graphics students. Students walked along the Seine, spending some time at Notre Dame and then heading to dinner. Dinner was spent in the Pompidou area, exploring local restaurants and shops and giving the opportunity to practice some French. Day 3 begun with a Parisian street art tour, looking at how art has transformed Paris and gives artists a way to express their views creatively and towards a range of people. Afterwards, the students visited the ‘Père Lachaise Cemetery’, where they were able to view the intricately detailed graves, and see where many French icons were buried, such as Oscar Wilde and Thierry Mugler. Next, students walked to the Louvre, where they were given the opportunity to go in and view famous paintings and sculptures, including the Mona Lisa, the Wedding at Cana and the Winged Victory of Samothrace. To round off, dinner was in the Latin Quarter, where students enjoyed shopping and having dinner in a variety of bistros and restaurants of French cuisine. Finally, day 4 was spent viewing modern art at the Pompidou Centre, such as Precious Liquids, Blue Monochrome and The Frame. Overall, the trip provided a valuable insight into French culture and allowed all students to be inspired by the art and Parisian way of life.
