ART: Illuminated in the 'City of Light'

A trip to the breath-taking French capital of Paris amazed, impressed and even inspired a new generation of artists as a whole city of art was revealed before them, reports KAREEM SAID

TAKING the train from Harrogate to King’s Cross, from where they switched onto the Saint Pancras International station, the set of anticipating dreamers embarked on their speedy journey to the very city that inspired a class of famous artists including Van Gogh and Picasso. After the bon voyage, the artists-in-the-making began the true expedition, going around as many as six various and famous art museums in three days.

Destinations included the intriguing Centre Pompidou, the fascinating Musée d'Art Moderne and the gift that keeps on giving, the Louvre. Make no mistake, such a journey required great physique, as the group clocked in a whopping 56,000 steps over the whole journey, going as far as it takes in order to find any inspiration they could from the wonderful city of Paris.

In addition to visiting the museums, students saw the major landmarks, visiting the Sacre Coeur, the Notre Dame cathedral and, of course, the Eiffel Tower. They also took a once-in-a-lifetime ride along the River Seine.

“The Art trip to Paris was an amazing experience for all of the upper sixth art students.” Says Isabel Burningham.

“We visited around six art museums in three days, which was excellent as it allowed us to see in person the art that we have been studying all year. Alongside the visits to the galleries, we had time to take in the amazing city and its culture. We ate at a variety of restaurants and visited a number of Paris’s most famous tourist attractions such as the Eiffel Tower, the Sacre Coeur and the Notre Dame. One of my favourite experiences was the evening boat ride along the Seine. We saw the Eiffel Tower sparkle and light up which was truly breath-taking!”