SPRING - UCSC Extension Silicon Valley

Education
Institute for the Study of Western Civilization
New! Americans in Paris
Summer 2012
Monday Nights
In the years before Thomas Jefferson became President, he lived in Paris as the American ambassador to the court
of Louis XVI—one of the very first “Americans in Paris.” But certainly not the last. In the peaceful and progressive
years of the mid- to late-nineteenth century, Paris emerged as the cultural capital of the world, and thousands
of Americans decided they wanted to be there! In painting, sculpture, architecture, interior design, city planning—
in every aspect of culture—Paris was the place to be, and painters like Mary Cassatt and sculptors like Augustus
Saint-Gaudens packed their bags and headed to the City of Lights. Other Americans, like Isabella Stewart Gardner,
came to buy their art, and writers and intellectuals followed. In our summer course, we will study ten of these
fascinating Americans and their years in Paris. We will enjoy their paintings, visit the noteworthy locations in the
city that influenced their work, read their books, and share the great city that inspired and uplifted their
art and their lives.
Week by week:
1. June 25: Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826).
In his five years in Paris, Jefferson was clearly influenced
by Paris intellectuals, which helped to obliterate
the last traces of provincialism in the Virginia farmer
and further implanted in him the ideals of the
Enlightenment and the French Revolution.
2. July 2: Winslow Homer (1836–1910).
Born in Boston, Homer went to Paris in 1867 at the
height of the Impressionist movement, motivated
perhaps by the chance to see two of his Civil War
paintings at the Exposition Universelle. He shared
the Impressionists’ interest in using outdoor light,
simple forms, and free brushwork.
3. July 9: Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848–1907).
This “American Renaissance” sculptor was born in
Dublin and grew up in New York. At 19, he traveled
to Paris to study at the École des Beaux-Arts. He came
home to create grand monuments to Civil War heroes
and noted designs for U.S. coins, including the famous
gold double eagle, still considered the most beautiful
American coin ever issued.
4. July 16: Mark Twain (1835–1910).
In 1867, a local newspaper funded Twain’s travels
throughout Europe, whereupon he wrote: “In Paris
they just simply opened their eyes and stared when
we spoke to them in French! We never did succeed in
making those idiots understand their own language.”
—The Innocents Abroad
5. July 23: Mary Cassatt (1844–1926).
Cassatt moved from Pennsylvania to Paris in 1866.
Since women could not attend the École des Beaux-
Arts, she studied privately and augmented her artistic
training with daily copying in the Louvre. She was
encouraged by Degas, and her work, often featuring
tender scenes of women and children, was ultimately
included in Impressionist Exhibitions.
6. July 30: John Singer Sargent (1856–1925).
Sargent was an American expatriate trained in Paris
who enjoyed international acclaim as a portrait
painter, though not without controversy: his Portrait
of Madame X was intended to consolidate his position
as a society painter, but it resulted in scandal instead.
7. August 6: Isabella Stewart Gardner (1840–
1924). Isabella Stewart Gardner, born in New York
and doyenne of her adopted city of Boston, lived
an engaging, exuberant life including much travel,
entertainment, and adventure. She made frequent
trips abroad to collect the work of ex-patriot artists,
and endowed the museum that bears her name.
8. August 13: Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961).
Hemingway arrived in Paris in December 1921 and
produced there some of the most significant works
of 20th century fiction. Within a few short years, he
went from being an unknown writer to being the
most important writer of his generation.
9. August 20: Gertrude Stein (1874–1946).
Stein, who was born in Pennsylvania and lived for
a time in Oakland, moved to Paris in 1903 and spent
the rest of her life there. Much of her fame derives
from her “salon” of the avant-garde of Paris and
for a private modern art gallery she assembled,
from 1904 to 1913, with her brother Leo Stein.
10. August 27: Julia Morgan (1872–1957).
One of the first women to graduate from University
of California at Berkeley in civil engineering, Morgan
pursued architectural studies in Paris at the École des
Beaux-Arts, which had initially refused her admission.
Her architecture now graces many locations in
California.
WILLIAM FREDLUND, Ph.D.
INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION
Fee: $335. Discounts do not apply to this course.
10 meetings: Mondays, 7–10 pm,
June 28–August 30, 2012.
ENROLLMENT INFORMATION
The “Americans in Paris” course is a presentation
of the University of California Extension, Santa
Cruz, and the Institute for the Study of Western
Civilization.
All enrollment is handled by the Institute.
To enroll, you may call the Institute
at (408) 864-4060 (Monday-Friday,
10 am–6 pm). Classes are held at the Institute,
10060 Bubb Road, Cupertino, 95014.
Internet Requirement and Course Web Site
An e-mail account and access to the Internet
are requirements for this class. Please be ready
with your e-mail account information at the time
of enrollment.
For more information about “Americans in Paris”
with timelines and other material, visit the
Institute Web site at www.westernciv.com
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