English for art historians

Merci de prendre connaissance du cours sur PowerPoint intitulé “Comparing three equestrian sculptures’ dans la rubrique SCULPTURE. Vous trouverez une version word du texte de ce PPT (comparing two sculptures) si vous ne parvenez pas à ouvrir le PPT.

Ce travail est indispensable à la préparation de votre travail à la maison puisque vous devrez à votre tour comparer deux (ou trois) sculptures. Faites le donc sérieusement et notez les mots ou structures pour lesquels vous aurez besoin d’explications.

Bonne lecture,

V.M.

1. The Magasin in Grenoble was created within the precincts of an industrial site and now hosts various contemporary exhibitions. The industrial architecture, with its steel and iron beams all exposed, is beautiful to lokk at and connects the visitors to the area’s industrial history. The interior space is made up of to different parts: a large nave may provide a perfect setting for large-scale works while a more classical area may welcome smaller works. The project was a success in so far there were very few constraints and the architecture was perfectly suitable for such a transformation.
2. Versailles : “The palace is principally dedicated to the permanent collections. The interior of the castle shows Louis XIV’s extravagant taste for luxury. The architecture and the furniture highlight the king’s absolute power. Versailles may also house temporary exhibitions even though the castle is not the ideal setting for such events. Last year, the glass gallery welcomed Jeff Koon’s kitsh works, which provoked a shockwave among the visitors. Yet, there was a link between the aesthetics of Koon’s work and the interior decoration in the palace.” (C.G.) Even in a museum that has undergone very few modifications (and this is a problem as Versailles welcomes hoards of visitors), audacious interventions may be organized.
3. The Rodin Museum in Paris : “At first it was a town house, a private mansion, known as the Hotel Biron. The house was built between 1728 and 1730 and commissioned by A. Peyrenc de Moras. It became the propriety of the State in 1905 and, after being neglected for years, it was no more than an empty shell. The State even considered demolishing it. Hopefully several artists, Matisse, Duncan, and Rodin, were enticed by the house and decided to become its custodians. On the eve of Rodin’s death, the building had not yet been transformed into a museum. Since its opening, in 1919, two years after Rodin’s death, it has welcome throngs of visitors.” (M.M.A.J) The architecture of this mansion, with its quiet garden now housing Rodin’s outdoor pieces, account for much of the charm of the visit.
4. La Villette, Paris : “La Villette was built on the premise of a former slaughterhouse, still used in the mid-1970s. French President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing decided that it should be refurbished in 1977. It now shelters a Science Museum and various exhibition spaces dedicated to temporary exhibitions.” (L.S.) While the main building was created so as to welcome the Science Museum, the original architecture was kept for some side galleries, testifying to the former function of the site. Keeping only one part of the previous building is a means of reconciling the historical importance of industrial heritage for local populations and the needs of an up-to-date museography.

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You can use this blog to read the descriptions of the works shown in class, to improve your vocabulary thanks to the vocabulary pages, or to read complementary texts related to the subjects tackled in class. You may also add your comments on the pictures described, the artists under scrutiny or the difficulties you encountered while studying the documents. Updated posts will also cover art exhibitions in England or the U.S.

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