Art is one of the most influential pieces of media that have survived as long as humanity has been on Earth. Works spanning centuries hanging in museums, created for the purpose of expression and education through the eye of the artist. Art expands through war, peace, death and life. It tells a story.
Mr. Egan’s AP European History class got the privilege to visit the Met, back in March. The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds 1.5 million pieces of work, with 5,000 years of culture from every continent. It is the largest museum in all of America.
“We are so lucky to have such a world class museum an hour away,” said Mr. Egan, “seeing our students walk through galleries filled with Picassos, Dalis, Rembrandts and other artists we study in class is a wonderful thing. I am so happy they got to experience it.”
Although we were allowed to roam, we began in the European Art wing which spanned from the late medieval through the Renaissance up to the Modern era. Walking through the museum felt never ending. There was always another corridor to walk through, or another wing to turn down and each new path exposes the visitor to untold gems of art. Our group couldn’t even see half of the various works before the day was done.
Ava Salveggi, a senior in AP Euro said, ¨The trip was super fun but also educational. I was able to find some of my favorite pieces of art that I learnt about in class! I especially love Picasso!¨
We saw various famous works, including Claude Monet’s “Waterlilies,” Pablo Picasso’s “Gertrude Stein,” and Edgar Degas’s “The Dance Class.” We even saw a sculpture that resembles hairy cheese, something I’ll never forget no matter how hard I try. Mr. Egan instructed us on viewing the history behind the works: seeing why, how and for whom the pieces were made.
Another memorable experience of being in NYC was the lunch options. Yes, there was a lot to choose from, but several slices of pizza and several drinks were well over 20 dollars. Other than the insane pricing of a meal near Central Park, my group and I had a great time meandering through the city with each other.
Izzy McCoy, another student in AP Euro said, ¨We ate lunch at some little Italian place. There was this gorgeous third floor and we had a view of the city. After lunch we stopped for some gelato, and made our way back to the Met. This trip has been the highlight of AP Euro for me, by far.¨
Trips outside the classroom are important learning opportunities. Thanks to Mr. Egan for making this possible. Overall, the trip to the Met was one of my best experiences of my senior year. If you have any interest in the class, I can highly recommend it.
