Galleria Borghese 2/25

Being abroad has given me the opportunity to visit a bunch of museums and monuments that I might not have otherwise made it to. Each week for Baroque Art and Architecture and Caput Mundi, we meet at a different on-site location, which is an amazing perk of taking these classes. We go to the spots that we will be learning about each class and see all the incredible artwork and ancient places. We’ve visited St. Peter’s Basilica, the Roman Forum, and this week we went to the Galleria Borghese. It’s like we get our own personal tour of these places but will eventually be tested on the material. I feel like I learn a lot more seeing the pieces of art in person because a picture can only convey so much. Standing in front of a Caravaggio painting, or a Bernini sculpture meant so much more to me and my education than looking at a picture of it on a slideshow. Taking an art class is totally new to me. I had never taken an art class before, and honestly, I thought it would be easy. I was very wrong. Looking at and learning about Baroque era art and architecture forced me to think differently than I ever had before. I had to learn about lighting techniques, what colors help to identify one artist from another, the different stages that characterized the Baroque era, and architecture was the hardest part for me. Each class I feel overwhelmed with information but looking back when studying for quizzes or organizing my notes proved that I was retaining a lot from these classes. I truly think that visiting these places and paintings helped me to do this! I could remember more details clearly and be able to remember which paintings were in which place due to context. It was amazing to see that I was learning and retaining information about something that I never have before. It was a sort of accomplishment for myself, and fun at the same time. The Galleria Borghese had some of my favorite works in it, like Sacred and Profane Love by Titian, Apollo and Daphne by Bernini, and The Rape of Propserpina, also by Bernini. It was mind-blowing to see these in person, and the detail that was conveys in works made in the 16 and 17 centuries. Another very cool part of getting to this gallery was walking through the park created before actually reaching the building. It was like a small little park placed in the middle of the busy city of Rome. The whole experience was amazing and unforgettable.