Textiles and Art of Florence

Sixth Form AS and A Level Art and Textiles students made the most of a fantastic four day study tour to Florence over the half-term holiday. Whilst in Italy the girls visited a selection of museums and galleries, gaining fantastic inspiration to help them in their work as they spent their time sketching, painting and observing their surroundings. 

The venues they visited included:

• The Church of Santa Maria Novella where to girls saw “The Holy Trinity” by Masaccio, one of the earliest examples of perspective being used in art.
• The Accademia, which houses the amazing sculptures of Michelangelo including “The Slaves” and his most famous sculpture “David”.
• The Pitti Palace, which incorporates a number of different galleries including a special exhibition on photographic textiles and the Boboli Gardens where the girls sketched the different plants and views of Florence.
• The Uffizi Gallery where the girls took the opportunity to observe pieces of art close up.  They were also given a practical demonstration on how to draw in front of a piece of artwork when standing up.

During their time away the group had the chance to visit other towns in Tuscany including Siena and San Gimignano, a hilltop town in the countryside.  Further drawings of landscapes and art works were completed, along with lots of walking round and seeing beautiful buildings and vistas across the Tuscan landscape.

On their last evening the group were fortunate enough to come across a concert given in San Filippo Neri’s Church, where they listened to a medley of songs from Italian opera, sung by a soprano and tenor, accompanied by a harpist.

Before travelling home the girls visited Prato Textiles Museum which was the centre of Textiles production in Italy. They were given a guided tour and were able to see an exhibition by Canadian Textile Artist, Marjolein Dallinga, and a wonderful display called “Across Art and Fashion”.

Head of Textiles, Mrs Tebb, said “This was a fantastic trip to organise for the girls. They were able to experience a wide range of art from the classical pieces such as Michelangelo’s “David” and Italian architecture to contemporary fashion and art. The musical experience was truly a highlight. I think they really soaked in the atmosphere and came home with a greater appreciation of their cultural experience”

For more information contact:
Rebecca Conroy, Senior Marketing Executive, Pipers Corner School. Telephone 01494 719850 or email [email protected]
You can also follow Pipers Corner School on Twitter @PipersCornerSch and Like us on Facebook