Student Life

More of the Ovid show opening tonight at the Galleria Borghese with the fantastic chorus singing Monteverdi around the museum (Cappella Musicale Villa Medici). Sorry that the videos are imperfect, the singing was perfect and right at home in the show. #romeinstituteofliberalarts #sjc #uta #galleriaborghese

Tonight at the opening of the Ovid show at Galleria Borghese. The chorus (Cappella musicale Villa Medici) was unbelievably beautiful. They moved from room to room singing Monteverdi madrigals in front of Titian, Bernini, Rubens and so on. My videos can’t capture it, but they were truly excellent singers. To hear them up close, and with the acoustic in some of the rooms (plus the settings) made it overwhelming. 🙏🏼 The show itself is perfect for the Borghese, the Ovidian scenes fit right into the permanent collection. And some astonishing pieces, like the Rodin Pygmalion. And the permanent collection was such a pleasure: have you ever seen the Caravaggio room completely empty? #romeinstituteofliberalarts #uta #sjc #galleriaborghese #monteverdi

We got to go through some back room type places in the Vatican museums but also had to brave the crowds. We were prepared by a lecture on Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel and another on Raphael’s Stanze. In seminars students were reading either Dante or Vergil which both seemed to fit in here. Our fearless students powered through a long day here without complaining, for which I am grateful. 🙏🏼 #romeinstituteofliberalarts #uta #sjc

Students were meditative at a couple of our stops on our Constantine focused excursion. These pictures are from Santi Quattro Coronati and the Lateran. The compound at Santi Quattro feels like being outside the city, and the requirement of being silent there makes the experience different from other places in Rome. The Lateran is a much bigger and more of a public space, but the vastness of it creates a quiet atmosphere there too. Beautiful places to stop and reflect. #romeinstituteofliberalarts #sjc #uta

Most of the RILA group on the roof of the Capitoline, smiling through the heat. #romeinstituteofliberalarts #sjc #uta

Capitoline museums today, students are now very comfortable with ancient art after the lectures and a bunch of museums, and were making connections with some of the readings they did (Livy in one group, Apuleius in the other). #romeinstituteofliberalarts #sjc #uta

First official visit to the Pantheon and Gesu’ (and some other places in the neighborhood of our classroom building). Great group of students trooping through the jet lag and the heat while keeping their spirits high. #uta #sjc #romeinstituteofliberalarts #firsttripofthesummer

Just getting started with the summer program, did a little informal visit with a few students to the Villa Farnesina. Still astonished every time I see it by the illusionism in the fake architecture and the “sotto in su” figures by Raphael, Giulio Romano and others here. A couple of other pictures from the walk home. #romeinstituteofliberalarts #sjc #uta #rila

More Borromini today this time for “work”: Out today with a great class from Providence College to see his San Carlino as well as Bernini’s Sant’Andrea (and some neighboring places). #sjc #utaustin #providencecollege