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ART AND CULTURE OF THE ILE DE FRANCE (and beyond)
ART 4905-401 (1 credit)
Summer Program in Paris, 2015
Lou Marcus, instructor [email protected]
The region surrounding Paris known as the Ile de France is steeped in history and rich with
extraordinary works of art and architecture situated in towns, villages and countryside that have
retained the charm and character of centuries past. This course will take advantage of our
proximity to sites just beyond Paris that have achieved the status of what the French historian
Pierre Nora would call “lieux de memoire”, sites that have become vital to the heritage and
collective memory of the nation.
The course consists of three required day trips as well as a few optional activities, all within
approximately one hour of Paris. Most will require a full day as we strive for an in-depth
experience of these locations.
Course goals:

To further your knowledge of the art and culture of France experientially and through an
immersion in the places that we will visit as embodiments of living history.

To provide you with an experience of the towns and rural landscape just beyond Paris.

To help you gain confidence in your ability to explore, navigate and take advantage of the
cultural resources of towns and villages just after arriving in them for the first time.
Course structure: In addition to the activities that we have defined for each of the required
group day trips (see below), there will be ample free time for you to explore these sites
independently and to absorb their character and ambiance.
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Required excursions (by chartered bus):
Saturday, June 6th: the Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte
This 17th century chateau and formal French garden constructed by Nicholas Fouquet predates
Versailles and is considered the model which it sought to emulate and surpass.
Required reading prior to the visit:
“Vaux-le-Vicomte: The Fatal Housewarming” by Robert Wernick
Meeting time: 3:30 p.m. inside the main gate of the Cité Universitaire
(departure promptly at 3:45 p.m.)
Schedule:
Arrival at Vaux-le-Vicomte at approximately 5:15 p.m.
Bring a picnic dinner – picnic at the park across from the chateau
Enter the chateau and grounds as a group around 6:00 p.m.
unguided visit – Explore the grounds first and plan to enter the chateau around 8:00 p.m.
to allow sufficient time for the visit.
Depart Vaux-le-Vicomte at 10:30 p.m.
Friday, June 12th: Chartres
Chartres is considered by many to be Europe’s best-preserved cathedral (12th century).
Consider this trip a voyage into the medieval era and mind. The town features medieval
architecture, several small museums and a fascinating folk-art site, the Maison Picassiette.
Required videos to watch prior to the visit:
Cathedral de Notre Dame de Chartres, parts 1-3
Meeting time: 8:15 a.m. at the main gate of the Cité Universitaire
(departure promptly at 8:30 a.m.)
Schedule:
Arrival in Chartres around 10:00 a.m. – stop at tourist office for maps
Independent exploration of the cathedral and town
Tour with Malcolm Miller at 12 noon (1 hr.)
Optional visit to the Maison Piccasiette (folk-art site) at 2 p.m., otherwise afternoon is
free to explore the cathedral and town, Museum of Fine arts and other venues
Departure for Paris at 6:30 p.m.
Friday, June 19th: the Chateau de La Roche-Guyon and Giverny
This is a journey into the land of impressionism, including a morning visit to a chateau with a
long and intriguing history (12th – 19th centuries) situated in a village that inspired numerous
late 19th century and early 20th century painters. The afternoon will be spent at Giverny, home
of Claude Monet from 1883-1926 and where an important colony of American and English
artists developed in the late 19th century. (Monet’s house and garden, to the Museum of
Impressionisms and exploration of the village).
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Required reading prior to the visit:
“Monet Discovers Giverny”
and “From the Parisian Arts Schools to the Countryside” by Rosalie Gomes
Meeting time: 8:15 a.m. at the main gate of the Cité Universitaire
(departure promptly at 8:30 a.m.)
Schedule:
Arrival at La Roche-Guyon at approximately 10:00 a.m.
Visit to the chateau (group entry but unguided)
Lunch at La Roche-Guyon (bring picnic lunch or purchase items there, though the
options are limited – boulangerie, grocery, café)
Back on the bus at 1:30 p.m. for Giverny
Group entry to Monet’s gardens and house (unguided) at 2 p.m.
Visit the Museum of Impressionisms (on your own) and explore the rest of the village
Departure for Paris at 6:30 p.m.
Optional excursions (by train):
Sunday, June 14th: Randonnée (hike) in the countryside
A 45-minute ride on the RER B to its southern terminus will bring us to the beautiful Chevreuse
valley. Sites visited include the town of Chevreuse with its 13th century church, the Chateau de
la Madeleine (12th century fortified castle) and the Abbey of Port-Royal. Total hiking during the
day (round-trip) is 9 miles broken up with several stops along the way. (This includes an
optional complimentary dinner at Chevreuse before heading back to Paris.)
Meeting time: t.b.a. – (approximately 10:15 a.m.) at the main gate of the Cité Universitaire.
(This is a full day. If you stay for the dinner at Chevreuse you will be back in Paris at
approximately 11 p.m.)
Sunday, June 21st: Auvers-sur-Oise
Vincent Van Gogh lived the last 70 days of his life in this rustic village on the banks of the Oise
river which in many ways has changed little since the 19th century. We will visit the Maison
Ravoux where Van Gogh lived and died. Your independent explorations of the village can
include sites that he painted including the wheat fields at the edge of town, the cemetery where
he and his brother are buried, the home and studio of the artist Claude Daubigny, and a few
other small museums.
Meeting time: t.b.a. (approximately 9:30 a.m.) Students can meet at either the main gate
of the Cité U. or in the lobby of the FIE.
Arrival at Auvers-sur-Oise at approximately 10:45 a.m.
11:15 a.m. - brief guided visit to Van Gogh’s apartment.
Independent explorations of the village, optional visits to the Musée Daubigny, Maison
de Dr. Gachet, Musée d’Absinthe.
Departure for Paris at approximately 6:00 p.m. (express train – 30 minutes). Earlier
trains (but a longer trip back) are possible for those who prefer to return to Paris earlier.
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Course Requirements:

Attendance and participation: As considerable effort has gone into the planning of the
three required excursions, it is essential that you show up for them. For each of the
required excursions missed the student must submit a five-page research paper on the site
visited or on a related topic and approved by me regardless of their reason for missing the
trip. The trips to Vaux-le-Vicomte and Chartres require an early departure at the main
gate of the Cité Universitaire (8:30 a.m.). It is strongly suggested that you do not stay
out late the night before these trips. You will also need to be attentive during the bus trip
to each site during which an overview of the day’s activities, information about the visit
and the program schedule for the following week will be presented. (Do not expect to go
back to sleep as soon as you board the bus.)

Completion of a short assigned reading or viewing of video(s) prior to each excursion
that will provide you with some context for what you will experience. These are posted
on the student login page of the Paris program website: http://usfinparis.arts.usf.edu Go
to: courses and instructors > student login > password: usfinparisstudent
Grading:
Grading is on an S/U (satisfactory/unsatisfactory) basis. Students who attend the
three required excursions will receive an S. Those who don’t will receive a U
(unless they do the research papers required for missing each of the three required
day trips).
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