History: French Art in French - From Lascaux to the Rococo (18th c.)

*** Please note, this course will be taught in French and your tutor will expect you to be able to understand French well. It will be possible to ask questions in English. ***

When we think about French Art, we might first imagine Impressionist paintings and Cézanne’s apples, or Matisse’s colourful paintings. But what about art created before the 19th century? There are Poussin and Claude Lorrain… and what else? This term, we will focus on a series of works of art and places created in France, from the prehistoric paintings of Lascaux and Chauvet to the Palace of Versailles. The examples we will study will be diverse: Gallo-Roman mosaics, Carolingian manuscript illuminations, and frescoes in Romanesque churches, medieval ivory sculptures and Gothic reliquaries, the Fontainebleau School, the paintings of Enguerrand Quarton and Nicolas Fouquet, the enigmatic scenes painted by Georges de la Tour, the gardens of Vaux-le-Vicomte, and much more. These artistic treasures, part of the country’s heritage, will also be an opportunity to expand your knowledge of the history, geography, and culture of France, as well as its regional identities.