This week brought me to a whole new light in terms of art history. I am beginning to more fully understand how instillation in art is used to make us understand what an art piece means. For me, the greatest example of this was at Napoleon’s tomb. When I first entered the Invalides cathedral, I was immediately drawn to the hole in the center, where Napoleon was laid, and it made me realize how important Napoleon was because he is allowed to take the center of the cathedral, even though a monarch built the cathedral. I found all of the discussions interesting, but I think my favorite this week was our trip to the Museum of Bourdelle, because it was the first time that I was able to see an entire sculpture from molding to finish. Since I was a little kid, I had assumed that sculpture was done by just continuously chiseling a block of marble or other material until the artist achieved what they desired. I have to admit, now that I know how it’s actually done, it makes a lot more sense to do it this way. I definitely think that I learned a lot more this week than last week because in class we have started looking at things that I have never looked at before. Through the readings, discussions, and tours, I have come to understand a lot about French art history, and I’m loving every second.

I think that all of this affects my growth as a student because this week has really opened my eyes to how vast the subject is and how much more I have to learn. I definitely loved this week, I’m loving Paris, and I can’t wait to travel to the Rodin museum and all of the other sights that Paris still has to offer!