Field Trip 5: Disneyland Paris

JB’s Art Appreciation class takes Disneyland Paris

As the last field trip for Art Appreciation, Disneyland Paris was the way to end it with a bang. While we were there to have fun and enjoy ourselves, we still had to keep the class in the back of our minds. The main purpose of this field trip was to compare and contrast the European Disney park to the Disney parks we are familiar with back home (in California and Florida). And I actually made comparisons to both Walt Disney World as well as Hong Kong Disneyland because I visited both of those parks in the past two years.

Before leaving for Paris, we had to watch an animated Disney movie that was set in Paris. We were supposed to pay attention to the way Disney portrayed Paris and then later compare that to how Paris actually looks when we arrived.

I watched the Aristocats, and I thought the scenery was a relatively close depiction of Paris. The Seine River. The Eiffel Tower. The Notre Dame. All of the major landmarks of Paris are animated in the movie to set the scene. Even the cobblestone and roundabout streets spidering out from a central point are exemplified. I think Disney movies cartoonize Paris in an effective way that makes it easily identifiable.

Having that pre-departure assignment set the scene for going to Disneyland Paris. It made me prepare myself to be attentive to the art and architecture while exploring the parks.

In general, both parks were similar to Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, from what I can remember. But in Paris, everything is on a smaller scale. So the two parks combined were probably about as big as Magic Kingdom or Epcot alone.

All Disney parks are built around a castle as its center. Cinderella’s Castle is replicated in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland. Sleeping Beauty’s Castle can be seen in Disneyland (Anaheim), Hong Kong Disneyland and Disneyland Paris.

Feeling like a princess from atop the Sleeping Beauty Castle

One of the major differences about Disneyland Paris was that guests have access to the Sleeping Beauty Castle. It features stained glass windows that tell Aurora’s story, a balcony that overlooks Fantasyland, and a lair beneath the castle where the dragon rests. I thought this was such a cool aspect because I had never been inside the Princess Castle at any Disney park before. I also thought it was innovative because guests could get to Fantasyland more easily by going through the castle rather than around it.

Another notable aspect about Disneyland Paris is how it caters to its visitors. With a majority European audience, the park has to adapt. The main way that Disney does so is through its food choices. You can still get the typical burger and fries or chicken nuggets meal that you would see in California or Florida. There was even a Mexican option that served fajitas and tacos. But I ate at Au Chalet de la Marionnette, where they served bagel burgers and Bavarian hot dogs with a special currywurst sauce. I thought it was interesting to see such unique presentations of familiar foods.

Bavarian hot dog with currywurst sauce and side of fries

Bagel Angus Burger with currywurst sauce and side of fries

To appeal to the large population of its British audience, the park has a restaurant in Fantasyland that serves fish & chips. But the most interesting food choices offered (and personally, my favorite) were crepes, waffles and hot drinks. You’re in France so crepe and waffle stands are appropriate in Disney. Forget about having popcorn and a soda as a snack. Although ice cream comes as a close second choice, I would choose crepes and coffee or hot chocolate as my snack any day. I think it’s interesting how the park appeals to its European visitors mostly through food.

One turn-off about appealing to the European audience though was smoking. I understand that smoking is allowed in France, and it is a common thing. But I feel like Disneyland Paris was sort of forced to allow smoking in the park solely because of its location. It’s a family park and many children are present. I think the smoking policy should at least be reconsidered, especially as the park is such a populated space. I personally did not enjoy being around many smokers inside the park. I experience that enough all over Paris.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril

Indiana Jones: Roller coaster edition

Many of the rides and attractions in both Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios were similar to ones back home. I noticed that most of the big thrill rides were indoor roller-coaster type rides in the dark, which where the most fun for me. One ride stood out to me though. I walked up to get in line for Indiana Jones thinking it was an indoor ride on a Jeep like in California. But it was nothing close. I got to the entrance and saw a roller coaster with a small loop. That was not what I expected the ride to be at all. I was looking forward to riding the jeep and follow a journey through the temple, but instead I rode a roller coaster. Regardless, I still enjoyed the ride. My only wish is that the ride lasted longer than three minutes.

Overall, I really appreciate having the experience of visiting Disneyland Paris. I enjoyed it because it brought me a little close to home. But it was also like another way of experiencing different cultures of the world with one unifying theme. It’s been quite a while since I’ve visited Disneyland in California. But since I went to Walt Disney World in 2013 and Hong Kong Disneyland in 2014, it was nice to keep the streak going at Disneyland Paris for 2015. Now all I have left is Tokyo Disneyland and I can officially say I’ve been to all 5 Disney parks in the world! How cool would that be?

Picture Theme 5: Graffiti/Street Art

Paparazzi on a boat

While getting lost somewhere around the 5th arrondissement of Paris, I came across this piece of graffiti. Most of the graffiti I see around Paris is writing so this one stood out. There’s just something about the use of color and the presentation of the subject that is interesting to me.

Sophisticaed shopping district

Walking down Rue de Rivoli, I passed this construction site with walls built around it. Instead of the walls being of plain, ridged metal or being covered in ads, these walls had a series of airbrushed-looking art. I found it interesting to see a more sophisticated type of street art covering the ugly mess of a construction site. I think these images are a representation of what it looks like to walk down Rue de Rivoli.

Disney Princesses on the street

Just off the Metro stop by the entrance of the Louvre, I saw this Disney Princess themed piece of street art, literally on the street. It seems to look like chalk, but after a few times of passing by this square, I can assure you that it’s still there. I personally think it’s a little weird to find Disney themed street art on the ground near the Louvre. It is a tourist spot, but I’ve also never seen Disney street art. It makes me wonder if it would have to be licensed since Disney is such a big name.

Batman meets Mexican sugar skull

I found this piece of street art while walking down Avenue du General Leclerc from the Denfert-Rochereau Metro station. It looks like a combination of Batman and Mexican sugar skulls. It clearly is supposed to represent Batman as the symbol is right on the mask. But the detail in the piece of art reminded me a lot of the design of sugar skulls.

Surrealist style graffiti

Somewhere near the Jussieu Metro stop, I found another piece of unusual graffiti. At first, I thought the cartoon-like character was squeezing out toothpaste that turned into the water on which the sailboat is floating. But now I think it’s just some sort of liquid being poured out to give the same effect. It reminded me of surrealism in that the juxtaposition of the water and the liquid in the bottle is not realistic.

Field Trip 4: Musée d’Orsay

Musée d’Orsay as a converted train station

The Musée d’Orsay is an art museum that houses the largest collection of impressionist and post-impressionist works of art in the world. Impressionist paintings include those of Degas, Manet, Monet, Renoir, Seurat, Van Gogh, and more. The museum also holds sculptures, furniture, and photography of French art between 1848 and 1915. Fun fact: the museum used to be a Beaux-Arts railway station called Gare d’Orsay.

Out of all of our class field trips so far, I have appreciated this recent trip to Musée d’Orsay the most. I’ve studied the impressionist and post-impressionist movements a lot in school. So I recognized many of the paintings and had a greater appreciation for them because I could connect to them. I even surprised myself when I could point out a Manet painting from a Monet painting in the impressionist gallery. Being able to make a connection to these paintings from what I’ve learned in the past made this field trip a lot more meaningful. It’s also cool that I can now go back home and say I’ve seen these paintings in real life.

The Luncheon on the Grass, Édouard Manet

Lunch on the Grass, Claude Monet

The Ballet Class, Edgar Degas

Edgar Degas’ The Ballet Class is an oil on canvas painting produced between 1873 and 1876. Generally an Impressionist painter, Degas liked to use dance as the subject of most of his works. From sculptures to paintings, a majority of his work revolved around the theme of dance, particularly ballerinas.

The Ballet Class depicts the end of a dance lesson under Jules Perrot, a good friend of Degas who gave him backstage access. The girls are drained from the lesson, having trouble paying attention to their teacher. They seem antsy and eager to finish their stretches to mark the end of class.

Although classified as an impressionist, Degas rejected much of the movement because he embraced painting indoors and preferred to be a realist. He looked down upon the technique of painting en plein air. But, he still used some Impressionist techniques.

Especially in his dance paintings, Degas was talented in capturing an exact moment during a dance rehearsal or ballet class. In this particular painting, it is obvious how he depicted the movement of the dancers in such a naturalistic way. The viewer can connect with the subjects and feel their exhaustion from the way her body slumps.

Another impressionist technique that can be identified in this painting is the use of light. There appears to be light coming from a window in the room in the upper right hand of the painting. The window can be seen in the reflection of the mirror in the background. Degas uses the light to illuminate the faces of the dancers and thus evoke their emotions. Impressionists play with the effects of light in the their paintings to add to capturing an exact moment.

On the other hand, Degas never fully adopted all the Impressionist techniques and focused on being more realistic. One of the most different aspects of his paintings is his use of color. He used more subdued and muted colors whereas impressionists tend to use brighter colors. Degas’ use of color almost depicts the moment as a mundane, everyday part of life. He doesn’t use color to enhance the painting. Rather, the color is his way of adopting the realism techniques.

Another different method used within his paintings is the off-center composition of the scene. The Ballet Class has a diagonal viewpoint slightly above eye-level, which is enhanced by the direction of the floorboards. This leads the eye to a vanishing point towards the upper left of the painting, creating the off-center composition. Visually there is more weight around the vanishing point, the intended focus of the painting.

Bedroom in Arles, Vincent Van Gogh

Bedroom in Arles is an 1889 oil on canvas painting by Dutch Post-Impressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh. I chose to analyze this painting specifically because it reminded me of my childhood and took me down memory lane. In one of my elementary art classes, I remember learning about this painting and even having to recreate it. It made the experience of seeing the painting that much more meaningful and memorable.

This painting is a composition of Van Gogh’s bedroom in his Yellow House. While the contents of the bedroom are those you would normally find in a typical room, Van Gogh depicted the room in a slanted way. The painting almost looks like a kid with no knowledge of depth perception had painted it.

However, the room was actually not rectangular but more of a trapezoid. One wall had an obtuse angle and the other an acute angle. Thus, the shape and space of the room was more difficult to create in the painting. But, Van Gogh didn’t really focus too much on this unusual aspect.

Post-Impressionism, a reaction to the Impressionist movement, had an emphasis on more abstract characteristics. So instead of using naturalistic light and colors, painters of the movement enhanced the use of color and structure to liven up the subject matter.

In Bedroom in Arles, the viewer can see how much brighter the colors are and how defined the lines are. These are all techniques of the Post-Impressionists. The subject is clearly not depicted as realistic. Van Gogh particularly used vibrant colors and swirling brushstrokes to represent his feelings and mindset.

Van Gogh wanted to express the tranquility and simplicity of his bedroom in this painting. He does so through the use of color in each object as well as the uneven floors and walls. This makes the painting seem more real and not “perfect.” However, the uneven floors throw off the perspective of the painting.

Picture Theme 4: Transportation

Light blue Renault car

Many cars in Paris, and I assume Europe in general, look just like this — small and compact. I think such cars are ideal for Paris because of the lanes and parking here. There are also a lot of small electric cars like this, which is perfect for city driving. I’m not exactly sure about the model of this car. But this particular one caught my eye because it reminded me of my car back home, a light blue Volkswagen Convertible Beetle.

Fancy motorcycle

I found this fancy motorcycle-looking vehicle walking towards Champs-Elysées. It actually has two wheel in the front and one in the back. It has a comfortable seat with a back, a front shield and a mini roof. It was also parked right in front of a high-end designer store. So I feel like this is something I would only see in Europe as a vehicle for big name European brands. Also, motorcycles (maybe more normal than this one) are another popular way to get around the city.

RER A double-decker train

The RER and Metro are the most common modes of transportation, especially for us as students. The RER A was the first time I saw a double-decker train here in Paris. It was also a lot roomier and less crowded than the RER B or M4 lines. However, it can get packed as it goes all the way to Disneyland Paris. I just thought it was interesting that the RER A was a double-decker train.

Bike rack at Cité Universitaire

Bikes are everywhere in Paris. You see people riding them down the streets. Some take it on the metro from one stop to the next. There’s a specific bike lane on the sidewalk. I’ve seen people wearing dresses, suits, heels and dress shoes while riding a bike and carrying a bag. It’s another common mode of transportation around Paris.

Volvo taxi

I think it is interesting that there are Mercedes-Benz and Volvo taxis all over Paris. You don’t just see them in touristy or higher end places. But there are also “normal” branded taxis that do the same job and get you from point A to point B. It intrigues me because in America, taxis are almost all the same brand and model. I wonder if it’s more expensive to ride a Volvo taxi than a Toyota taxi.

Baroque Art and Architecture

“Estasi di Santa Teresa” by [1] – Flickr. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The Ecstasy of St. Theresa is a white marble sculpture designed by Gianlorenzo Bernini from 1647-1652. The sculptural group can be found above the altar in the Cornaro Chapel of Santa Maria della Vittoria in Rome, Italy. Bernini captures scenes from St. Theresa’s life as told in her autobiography. This sculpture illustrates the moment when an angel pierces St. Theresa’s with a fire-tipped spear, sending her into an overwhelming state of God’s love. She describes, “The sweetness caused by this intense pain is so extreme that one cannot possibly wish it to cease, nor is one’s soul then content with anything but God.”

Bernini creates these sculptures in a naturalistic way that makes the viewer feel like he or she is in the moment. He does so using detailed faces of the figures, a sense of movement, and surrounding elements. St. Theresa’s head is thrown back. Her eyes are closed. She is in the middle of collapsing to the ground. The angel, on the other hand, appears delicate and graceful. The juxtaposition of these two figures evokes the true intensity and drama unfolding in this moment.

The folds in the fabric of St. Theresa’s robe add to the intensity and energy that she feels. The angel is holding onto her robe with one hand and the spear in the other. The viewer can tell the exact moment that this sculpture is representing.

The gold beams look like rays of light, emanating from what is assumed to be heaven. This represents how St. Theresa is feeling God’s love. The beams are the divine lights that give the sculpture more power.

Caravaggio [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

The Calling of Saint Matthew is an oil painting on canvas completed by Caravaggio in 1599-1600. It is located in the Contarelli Chapel in San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome, Italy alongside two other Caravaggio paintings of Matthew. In this painting, Caravaggio depicts a story from the Gospel of Matthew in which Jesus calls Matthew and he follows Him. Matthew, a tax collector, is sitting at a table with four other men. Jesus and St. Peter enter the room, and Jesus is pointing his finger at Matthew.

The light beams through the door as they enter, and the men’s faces are illuminated. The light represents hope as Jesus enters, which is associated with the divine. The beam of light specifically leads the viewer’s eye to Matthew. The combination of the direction of the light and Jesus’ pointing finger makes the implication that He is calling Matthew to follow Him.

Another element that adds to the drama of the painting is the use of chiaroscuro. Chiaroscuro is an art term meaning light to dark. This technique creates contrast in a painting, like in this one. The room is dark, but as soon as Jesus enters, He brings light with Him. More importantly, the light brings focus to a certain area of the painting. In this case, the eye is directed towards Matthew, as he is the main subject of this painting.

Diego Velázquez [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Las Meninas is an oil on canvas painting by Diego Velázquez, finished in 1656. It can be found in the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain. This piece of art draws much attention because of its composition; it’s said to break the fourth wall. The painting raises questions about illusion and reality because of the relationship between the viewer and the painting itself.

Velázquez uses repoussoir, which is the use of an object along the foreground that directs the viewer’s eye. In this painting, the Infanta Margaret Theresa is the central figure. She has maids surrounding her, along with two bodyguards and a dog. Seems like a normal painting at first, until the viewer realizes the middle and background scenes. This is where the fourth wall is broken between the viewer and painting.

Behind the princess and to the left, Velázquez portrayed himself in the scene, painting a large canvas. He appears to be looking in the direction of the viewer, as if he were painting the viewer. But, in the background, there is a mirror in which the viewer can see the reflection of two figures. The figures appear to be the king and queen. So it raises confusion because to the viewer’s eye, it looks like Velázquez is painting him or her. But when the viewer looks straight ahead as if he or she were standing in the room, the reflection in the mirror is of the king and queen. Some say the reflection in the mirror is that of the painting that Velázquez is working on.

Johannes Vermeer [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Woman Holding a Balance is a 1662-1663 oil painting on canvas by Johannes Vermeer. It is located in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., USA. Previously known as Woman Weighing Gold, closer inspection of the painting revealed that the balance in her hand is actually empty.

A woman is depicted holding an empty balance over a table. On the table sits an open jewelry box and a draped blue cloth. Behind the woman is a painting of the Last Judgment. While there are various opinions on the theme and symbolism of this painting, critics have reasonable arguments.

Some people say this painting depicts her weighing her valuables. Some say her actions compare to those of Christ, reading parable into the pearls. Art critics describe her as a figure of Mary.

But, I think the most powerful critique is the perception of the woman weighing her valuables. This juxtaposition with the painting of the Last Judgment represents Heaven and earth. It suggests that the woman should focus on the treasures of Heaven, represented by Jesus on the cross, rather than those of earth, the precious valuables.

Peter Paul Rubens [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

The Raising of the Cross (or The Elevation of the Cross) is a triptych oil on canvas painting completed by Peter Paul Rubens in 1610-1611. The painting is located in the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp, Belgium.

This painting took elements from all styles of Baroque. The central panel depicts Jesus on the cross as numerous muscled men struggle to lift the cross. Rubens is good at depicting foreshortening and anatomy. Foreshortening is the visual effect or illusion that makes an object appear shorter than in actuality.

This technique is evident in all the figures of this painting. The diagonal positioning is a way in which Rubens uses foreshortening. Particularly in the contortions of the bodies and muscles, the viewer can see and feel the struggle of the men. The diagonal angle of Christ, the central figure, also adds to the struggle in which the men try to stand the cross upright.

Picture Theme 3: Fashion

Valentino display in Galeries Lafayette (1st floor)

The entire Valentino display at Galeries Lafayette caught my eye. All the dresses were so sparkly and intricately detailed. Not to mention, the prices almost gave me a heart attack. But I think this dress, in addition to the others, captures Paris as a fashion capital of the world. I feel like I would see this dress on the runway during Paris Fashion Week.

Repetto display in Galeries Lafayette

The presentation of this Repetto display drew my attention. It’s amazing how fashion designers can turn a simple piece of clothing, like a ballet costume, into a precisely detailed work of art. I think that this display represents the Paris Opera Ballet, which is the oldest and finest national ballet company. Therefore, it illustrates the artsy side of fashion in Paris.

Scarf rack in Monoprix

Scarves are everywhere in Paris. Both men and women are seen around the city wearing scarves. No matter the weather, a scarf is the essential accessory to have in your Parisian wardrobe.

Trench coat from Pimkie

Being in a city known for it’s fashion, Parisians are always in style. When it rains, especially during the Spring, they reach for their trench coat, not a rain jacket. A trench coat is water repellent but sleek and more sophisticated than your typical North Face or Columbia rain jacket. Therefore, a trench coat is a classic in Paris.

Women’s oxford shoes in Bocage

Because Europeans walk everywhere, they mostly wear flat shoes, like ballet flats and oxfords (or brogues). I think oxfords are popular in Europe because they give a bit more sole and support than ballet flats. They also are inspired by menswear, which is a style that is becoming more popular. Women can wear oxfords with dresses and pants and shorts. A versatile, but fashionable, pair of shoes, like oxfords, is a good thing to have in Paris as well as Europe in general.

Field Trip 2: Basilique Cathédrale de Saint-Denis

Basilique Cathedrale de Saint-Denis

The second field trip of Art in Life was to visit the Saint-Denis Cathedral, which is the earliest example of gothic architecture. While the Notre-Dame de Paris is a more popular and well-known site, we were still able to examine the same gothic architectural elements with less crowds. Other than the construction and restoration, I thought it was a better experience because we got to explore the church at a leisurely pace without feeling rushed. At popular tourist sites, I often feel the crowds push me to move along faster. But at Saint-Denis, I enjoyed walking around and admiring the church with little distractions.

Picture Theme 2: Food

Plat du fromage (Cheese plate)

This was my first French meal. I ordered it thinking about what the French people like to eat. I had no idea what types of cheeses were included, but I just tried all of them anyway. I think it was better that I didn’t know because then I tasted all of them, which isn’t something I would normally do. Overall, I liked getting to try different cheeses with the salad and bread. I didn’t even finish the plate because it filled me up.

Poêlé steak tartare (Pan-seared steak tartare)

I was ready to try the raw steak tartare until I saw that this restaurant had a pan-seared option. I thought ordering this would be a good way for me to ease into the raw beef. I’ve eaten raw meat before, but I wanted to take it easy. I thought it was very flavorful, but it had an acquired taste. I realized the meal portions here are bigger than I thought because meals always come with a salad. So I got full pretty fast, especially with those potatoes too.

Escalope de poulet (Chicken scalop)

At every restaurant, I try to choose something different. I wanted chicken this particular day and the only thing that was  one the menu was called chicken scalop. It had no description so I had no idea what to expect. To my surprise, my meal came out and it was chicken and pasta with mushroom sauce. It didn’t seem very French to me, but regardless, I enjoyed the meal very much.

Tiramisu and Stracciatella Gelato

My friends and I had been talking about getting ice cream or gelato since we got to Paris. Finally, on our way back to Cite one day, we decided to go to Amorino because one of my friends had already gone and said it was delicious. You just had to choose what size you wanted and if you wanted a cup or cone. I chose to get a petit cone rather than a cup, specifically because I know I wanted to take a picture of it’s amazing presentation. How can they shape gelato on a small cone into the shape of a flower? It still amazes me. And the gelato tasted so good! I will definitely be back.

Döner kebab sandwich

Some friends and I wanted to get some lunch around the school so we walked along one street. We came across this cheap sandwich shop and decided we would try it. I ordered the first thing at the top of the menu, which is called a döner kebab sandwich. The meat for the sandwich was shaved off a vertical rotisserie, which reminded my of gyros. I’m not sure what kind of meat this was, but it was little too salty for my liking. But hey, at least I still tried it.

Field Trip 1: Musee du Louvre

Selfie with Mona Lisa

My art class went to the Musee du Louvre, and it was an incredible experience. I didn’t realize how massive the building was until I saw it in comparison to the famous pyramid entrance. I was just in awe as I waited to enter the museum. Upon entering the museum, my group and I decided to make our way to see the Mona Lisa to avoid the major crowd. I was surprised that we didn’t really have to push and shove to make our way to the front. I even got to take a selfie with Mona Lisa! Besides the famous artworks, I stopped to look at other works that stood out to me. Some that I observed include the Winged Victory of Samothrace, Magdalena Bay, and Apollo Slays the Python.