School of Visual Arts: Paris Impressionist - A Walking Tour

Come join us in Paris this summer and refresh your creative palate with the masters of Impressionist painting!

During this 11-day program, we will study the main characteristics of Impressionist painting at its zenith, during the second half of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century. We will explore how it speaks to our emotions, understand why it was so innovative, and how it changed the course of art history.

Renoir, Monet, Manet, Van Gogh, Sisley, Degas, and Caillebotte all lived in Paris. They painted a great deal outdoors, in the city, and also in the surrounding suburbs of Paris, which were then countryside villages. We will follow in their footsteps and explore some of the locations where they set their easels.

Our main focus in Paris will be the Gare Saint Lazare area and the Montmartre neighborhood. As we walk through these areas, we will analyze the architecture and discover how some places appear not to have been touched by time. In the suburbs, we will explore Chatou, Louveciennes, and Marly le Roi, following trails that take us to various venues captured in famous paintings. To round off our exploration of the Parisian suburbs, we will travel to Auvers-sur-Oise, where Cézanne and Pissaro preceded Van Gogh, Yerres, where Gustave Caillebotte grew up and finally to Giverny, to visit Monet's home and gardens.

Museum visits will include the Musée d'Orsay, (the "temple" of Impressionist paintings), the Musée de l'Orangerie, the Musée Marmottan, Petit Palais Musée des Beaux Art, and the Musée de Montmartre where these famous artists are exhibited today.

Tuition includes: double-occupancy hotel accommodations, daily continental breakfast, welcome and farewell dinners, guided tours, museum admissions, as well as transportation for day trips and within Paris.