GLOBAL EXPERIENCES
Highlights: Florence, Utrecht, Berlin, NaviGators
FLORENCE, ITALY
The Dutch University Institute for Art History in Florence (NIKI)
Exploring the city where sunsets feel like magic and smells of fresh coffee fill the air, Florence felt the most unreal. The view from San Miniato al Monte, where we went on the first day of class, was immaculate. As one of the highest viewpoints in Florence, the church overlooked the city, and the views were even more stunning at night.
Day after day, we followed Clas, our Dutch professor, through the narrow streets of Florence to discover and learn the Art of the Italian Renaissance. I fell in love with the Florentine Renaissance even though I have never identified myself as religious. Renaissance artwork spoke to me—specifically, Botticelli, who used antiquity and Roman myth in his paintings. The soft colors, immense dimensions, and golden shimmering highlights of Primavera & The Birth of Venus at the Uffizi Gallery captured my gaze and advanced my curiosity. Not only did we see works in museums, but we got to see works created specifically for churches and palaces by artists like Michelangelo, Leonardo, Filippo Lippi, Donatello, and Raphael. Our professor would talk to us in depth about Florence’s art, architecture, culture, and history. His remarks allowed us to build art historical knowledge but also cultural knowledge of the Florentine Renaissance.
The assignment for this two-week portion of the trip was to write about a chapel. The chapel paper was similar to most other art history papers, but the exciting part is that the art and history were all right before our eyes. I chose one of the family chapels at Basilica di Santo Spirito, where no photography was allowed. I sat in that church for hours documenting the details of the painting and sketching the intricacies of the family crest because I wasn’t allowed to take any photos back to the Dutch cultural institute, the Istituto Universitario Olandese Di Storia Dell'Arte.
The experience of visiting Art History in real life is remarkable and fascinating. Appreciating the work in person allows you to see the size, details, textures, etc. that are often overlooked when studying via textbooks. I would not trade this experience for anything in the world. With only two weeks to view the masterpieces, day in and day out was filled with church visits, museums, and writing. The Florence Art History experience was breathtaking, and I am beyond grateful to be afforded the opportunity to see artworks four hundred years old before my eyes.
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Attached is the Chapel Paper from these studies.
UTRECHT, THE NETHERLANDS
Utrecht University
During the Netherlands portion of the trip, we studied Art of the Dutch Golden Age and focused on artists like Rembrandt Van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, Frans Hals, & Jan Steen. The course included traveling all over the Netherlands instead of strictly staying in Utrecht. Our Professor split the schedule so that we spent some days in the classroom while on the other days, we traveled to cities like Leiden, the Hague, Delft, and Amsterdam. Most of the artwork felt dark or muted and focused strictly on everyday life rather than religion or antiquity.
Specifically, I took an interest in how other cultures influenced and were influenced by the Dutch art of the Golden Age. Delftware, a type of widespread Dutch pottery, mimics the look of fine china, yet it was much cheaper because they used red clay painting white to create the porcelain look. Because of trading with China, the Dutch developed an art technique still prominent in their culture today.
Overall, this wasn’t the only highlight of the two-week course in the Netherlands. Going to Mauritshuis in the Hague and seeing the Girl with a Pearl earring, which is much smaller than some may think (15” by 18”), sparked thoughts on whether we can speculate if the painting is a portrait or a “tronie”: a painting of someone imaginary. My experience viewing Vermeer’s masterpiece contrasted with the experience of seeing Rembrandt’s Nightwatch at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam because the painting practically fills the entire room with subtle variations in tone and significant attention to little details.
Whether it was landscapes, genre paintings, expressive portraiture, dimly-lit portraiture, or still lives, the Dutch Golden Age has attractions for everyone. I learned that the art market was based on high-paying buyers who acquired or commissioned paintings for their private homes rather than those commissioned for secular purposes.
BERLIN, GERMANY
Freie Universität Berlin International University
The culmination of our six-week three-course program was a course on Art in Germany from the Middle Ages to the 20th Century. Our emphasis was primarily directed towards the 19th and 20th centuries, highlighting significant movements such as German Romanticism, Art Nouveau, Expressionism, and other manifestations of Modern Art, particularly those influenced by the World Wars. For this course, we spent mornings in the classroom with a short lecture that would align with the sites & museums we were visiting in the afternoon.
Berlin flourished with bustling activity and is known for its contemporary art and music scene. The modern architecture contrasted with old buildings covered in vines and ornamental detail. One of my favorite areas was Museum Island because of the decadent architecture and the interior of the Alte Nationale Galerie, in English, the Old National Gallery. I fell in love with German Romanticism, which is not what the name suggests. Romantics were individuals who pulled away from modernity and society at the time to focus on the value of emotions and the connection to nature. Most of these artworks contain extraordinary mystery in their subtleties. Many artworks, such as Friedrich's "The Monk by the Sea," exuded a profound feeling of mystery, inviting contemplation on themes of isolation and existentialism.
Furthermore, encountering Arnold Böcklin's "The Isle of the Dead," a piece famously displayed in Hitler's office, added to our intriguing exploration. The variations of this artwork, each subtly distinct yet bearing the unmistakable mark of its creator, sparked profound reflections on the intersection of art and history.
For our final project, we had to write a paper about anything, and I chose Post-War Surrealism, a topic I knew little about. I selected artists who constructed surrealist works to escape from society following World War One. That topic included Max Ernst and Rene Magritte, among others. Our Professor, Matthias, sent me on a journey to a museum specifically catered to work within a Surrealist realm, but it also contained artists like Picasso, Matisse, and Klee.
My time in Berlin was transformative, widening my understanding of historical narratives that I previously overlooked. I was captivated by the profound symbolism embedded within artworks emerging from the tumultuous periods preceding, during, and following the World Wars.
NaviGators International
University of Florida
My first semester as a NaviGator mentor was this past Fall. I was nervous and eager to meet my match for the semester because of all the incredible international exchange students I had befriended in the Spring semester through my friends involved in similar clubs. My match was a German girl named Kaya (picture on the left in the picture) and we instantly got along pretty well. She quickly introduced me to her other friends who became the people I hung out with weekly. Whether it was grabbing a quick lunch, having a Friendsgiving, or celebrating a friend's birthday, the international students were always in the mix. Kaya and I bonded over a variety of things, but we realized we had many similarities in the way we think, the foods we eat, and the things that make us laugh.
Over the Winter Break, at the end of Kaya's semester in Florida, we planned for me to visit her in New York. I am originally from New Jersey, so this was an easy trip on the train. Quickly this trip became our bonding experience. She ended up canceling her lodging in Philadelphia and staying with me instead. Now, my plans include visiting her this summer in Germany.
This is just one experience I've had with meeting international students in NaviGators. I've had countless experiences with members even before becoming a member myself. The international students always enjoy feeling like they belong here, but in reality, it is the international students that make me feel like I belong.
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