After being in Paris and taking two art history classes, I would definitely say that I have developed a new interest in and passion for both art and art history. I have been lucky enough to visit many museums with CEA CAPA, and with my student ID card, I can visit any museum in Paris for free with no tickets. This has allowed me to attend museums like L’Orangerie, Musée d’Orsay, the Louvre, Musée Rodin, Musée Marmottan, and the Petit Palais with my class and then return on my own any time I like. 

Being a student in Paris has made me come to really appreciate art and how easily accessible it is here. Through this photoset, I have accumulated a series of photos of my favorite pieces of art and what drew me to them. 

Most of the pieces of art I have chosen to share are from the eighteenth century. This influence comes from my art history class, as we mostly focus on the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and some of my favorite artists, like Monet, Doré, and Bouguereau. Some of my favorite architecture is also included, such as the Tuileries Garden, Pont Alexandre III, and the Eiffel Tower. 

Parisian art and architecture are striking, and we are constantly surrounded by it here. I feel very lucky to be able to see all this art and would like to share it with others. 

Dante et Virgile by William-Adolphe Bouguereau in the Musée d’Orsay. I wanted to include this because it is one of my favorite paintings, and I’ve visited it many times while in Paris. 

My friend in front of Monet’s Water Lilies in the Musée L’Orangerie. One of my favorite paintings, it is an immersive experience with over twenty panels. 

Statue in the Tuileries Gardens—one of my favorite gardens in Paris on a cloudy day. 

My friend, looking out over the Seine towards the Louvre, one of my favorite museums in Paris. 

A painting by An

ne Vallayer-Coster, who was one of the first women to be admitted to the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture, at the Musée Marmottan. I visited their special exhibition focusing on trompe l’oeil (ocular illusion). 

A painting from the Petit Palais—I liked the light in this painting as well as the whole museum. 

Pont Alexandre III with the Eiffel Tower in the background. I love both of these structures and think that they are essential to Parisian architecture and skyline. 

Gustave Doré’s L’Enigme is a black-and-white painting in the Musée d’Orsay. The depth and shading, achieved using only black and white, was really interesting to me, and the emotion between the two creatures is evident even through the lack of color.