On Thursday 7th October, the L6th Form History of Art pupils visited the local country estate of Stourhead as part of their investigation into Classical art.
The weather held out for us as we toured the stunning landscaped gardens to visit the Temple of Apollo, the Pantheon and the Palladian Bridge. The calmness of the morning added a deeper sense of time and perspective to the experience.
We had a guided tour of the estate from one of the tour guides, and were given the history of the estate and the Hoare family who owned the property. Inside the house the pupils had the opportunity to learn about the artwork and artefacts which ranged from original copies of Thomas Hardy novels to Chippendale furniture. There was a huge range of art to be looked at, mainly British Rococo, but there was also Byzantine and Renaissance influenced work.
Pupils will be designing their own virtual exhibition at the estate based around their studies on Greek art. To compliment this they will be stone carving elements of the Parthenon in their lessons.
Seamus Harkness - Head of Art