Students explore European art

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Editor's note: this is the fourth in a series of letters back home, relating the experience of Cottey College students during their annual visit to Europe. Educational modules, sight-seeing and an immersion in local culture are highlights of the trip.


Hello, Mum! It's another cloudy London morning, but it looks to be a bit milder today. Ran several errands, such as visiting the ATM, before going off to lead my second educational module this week. Today's module is on art. My group will have an optional lunch at St. Martin-in-the-Fields followed by a non-optional trip across the street to the National Gallery.

I ate at the cafe in the crypt when I was here five years ago, and find it a fascinating place to eat lunch. The food is good, the prices are somewhat reasonable, and the tables are on top of the graves of folks who died more than 200 years ago.

Today I sat over the stone for Sarah Brown who died in childbirth in 1770 at the age of 26. Her two children died in infancy and are interred with her. Her husband, Isaac, lived for another 31 years before he was rejoined with his family. Fascinating what you can learn from these old headstones.

Several students joined us for lunch, which I thought was smashing. I was afraid they might think lunch in a crypt was a bit macabre, and maybe the ones who didn't join us felt that way. However, the ones who were there seemed to enjoy it. Julia even went back to the rubbings room and did a paper rubbing of a bronze Shakespeare relief to take to her father. Brilliant.

The rest of the module group met up with us at the Gallery at 1:30. I am so impressed that British museums have free admission. Once we were together, I had to go register my group and get my "self-directed tour guide" label to wear. (I was a bit self-conscious about wearing it as I have no formal art training. I'm just a bloke who likes art.) Our group studied five specific paintings in the gallery before our arrival, and now we went to see each of those, and discuss the history of each and what we thought of them. After we had visited those five, I turned the group loose to explore the rest of the Gallery on their own. I was quite pleased to see them exploring and taking notes as they went from one area to another.

Betsy was my co-leader on this module, and after we had turned the students loose, we went to explore on our own too. There was a very nice exhibit of Mary Cassatt prints (the only American woman ever to exhibit with the French impressionists), but we stumbled on a photo exhibit that was amazing. It was a series of photos by Tom Hunter titled "Living in Hell and Other Stories." Hunter takes sensational events reported in the East Hackney paper and recreates them in the style of famous paintings by old masters. For example, there is a painting by Vermeer of a woman reading a summons, and Hunter posed a woman and baby in the same way. Only in his version it's a woman in a run-down flat reading her eviction notice.

East Hackney is a poor, industrial neighborhood, so Hunter's photos have a gritty reality to them as well as reflecting great art. I was absolutely fascinated by this exhibit and watched a short interview video on him in the Gallery as well. I bought a couple of postcards of his work to show you when I return.

After the Gallery, Betsy and I went to do a bit of souvenir shopping. I've been trying to find a football (soccer) jersey for Mark, and hadn't had any luck finding something his size. Our coach driver on Wednesday night told me to try a sporting goods store called Lilliewhites. There was one off of Picadilly Circus, close to the Gallery, and they had a splendid selection of licensed football gear. I finally found a Manchester United football jeresy in Mark's size. Don't tell him though, I want it to be a surprise.

When we left Lilliewhites, the rain was coming down in sheets. Despite my little brolly, Betsy and I were getting soaked. We stopped under a construction scaffold to wait out the worst of it. A very proper gentleman in a suit turned to Betsy and said, "Wouldn't you know it, on the day I told my wife I'd risk it and not take my umbrella." I'm beginning to think that umbrellas should be standard issue here.

This evening, six of us decided to go to dinner together. I was really craving Indian food. Since Brianne and Betsy also like that type of cuisine, we were able to "persuade" Gary, Amy, and Adam to choose it. Most stuck with the milder fare, but Brianne and I both like the hot dishes. I chose the mutton madras, which is almost as hot as it gets. I have to tip my bowler to Brianne, though; she choose the mutton vindaloo which IS as hot as it gets. In either case, the food was outstanding, and with my curry craving satisfied, I went home a happy camper.

Back at the hotel, we ran into a group of our Cottey folks who had gone to the symphony, and boy, were they excited.

Turns out Prince Charles attended that night's performance, and our Cottey group was seated about 20 feet away from him. Caitlin took a photo of him as he walked in.

Poor Helen Lodge. Our resident Anglophile has missed every royal spotting by Cottey groups. One group on Tuesday saw the Queen in her carriage as she returned to Buckingham Palace, and Helen missed that. Now she's missed the Prince at the symphony. I only hope the others don't gloat too much around her.

Well, Mum, another full day, and only one day left in London. There's still so much I'd like to do, and I don't know how I can possibly fit it all in. Tomorrow may be a busy day of dashing about.

Your loving son,

Steve

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