Studying online

There are now 2 possible online modes for units:

Units with modes Online timetabled and Online flexible are available for any student to self-enrol and study online.

Click on an offering mode for more details.

Unit Overview

Description

This unit explores the visual representation and sensorial experience of Paris as the quintessential modern city. By engaging the unique built environment and museum collections of Paris, this study abroad unit contextualises art and architectural history through on-site learning and affords students the opportunity to investigate spatial and visual concepts through direct experience. Primarily, students examine how large-scale city planning reshaped the spaces and culture of Paris in the nineteenth century. Students scrutinise how acts of ‘creative destruction' altered Paris after 1850 and analyse how art, literature and politics responded to these changes. The unit traces the transformation of urban spaces over time and also considers how the modern framework of the nineteenth century persists to the present day. The unit encourages students to research Parisian streets, spaces, and works of art through a variety of representational tools, making use of both on-site writing and drawing as well as online resources in order to understand how this icon of urban modernity has been reshaped and reimagined over the last two-hundred years. Ultimately, the unit presents Paris as a site of living history and offers students the unique opportunity to learn about France's built environment and visual culture in situ.

Credit
6 points
Offering
AvailabilityLocationMode
Not available in 2025ParisFace to face
Details for undergraduate courses
  • Level 2 elective
Outcomes

Students are able to (1) demonstrate understanding of the historical and cultural context of nineteenth-century Parisian art and its built environment; (2) critically reflect on how art and architecture mediate social and cultural meaning in nineteenth-century Paris; (3) address issues of display, dissemination and museology in interpreting art and architecture on site; (4) synthesise visual, aesthetic and spatial analyses into broader discourses of art and architectural history; and (5) apply principles of argument in art historical and architectural discourses.

Assessment

Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) essay; (2) short writing assignments (field book, blog, postcard project); and (3) oral presentation. Further information is available in the unit outline.



Student may be offered supplementary assessment in this unit if they meet the eligibility criteria.

Unit Coordinator(s)
Assistant Professor Emily Brink and Philip Goldswain
Unit rules
Prerequisites
HART1000 Great Moments in Art (formerly VISA1000)
or HART1003 Ways of Seeing: Themes and Theories in Art
or ARCT1010 Drawing History
or LACH1010 History and Theory of Landscape Architecture
or LACH1020 The Culture of Nature
Incompatibility
HART3042 Living Paris: Experiencing and Representing the Modern City
Advisable prior study
FREN1401 French Studies 1
Approved quota: 30—places are allocated based on academic merit and year of study (i.e. a Level 3 student is given precedence over a Level 2 student who can re-apply the following year.)
Incidental fees
Incidental student fees and charges are costs incurred by students as part of their studies at UWA that are in addition to their tuition fees (further information is available "
Participation in this unit will incur the following incidental fee(s):
(1) Overseas fieldtrip (estimated cost - 4,740 AUD)
(2) Entrance fees to museums and monuments in Paris (estimated cost - 260 AUD).
Contact hours
30 hours over 3 weeks (10 hours per week)
  • The availability of units in Semester 1, 2, etc. was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change.
  • All students are responsible for identifying when they need assistance to improve their academic learning, research, English language and numeracy skills; seeking out the services and resources available to help them; and applying what they learn. Students are encouraged to register for free online support through GETSmart; to help themselves to the extensive range of resources on UWA's STUDYSmarter website; and to participate in WRITESmart and (ma+hs)Smart drop-ins and workshops.
  • Visit the Essential Textbooks website to see if any textbooks are required for this Unit. The website is updated regularly so content may change. Students are recommended to purchase Essential Textbooks, but a limited number of copies of all Essential Textbooks are held in the Library in print, and as an ebook where possible. Recommended readings for the unit can be accessed in Unit Readings directly through the Learning Management System (LMS).
  • Contact hours provide an indication of the type and extent of in-class activities this unit may contain. The total amount of student work (including contact hours, assessment time, and self-study) will approximate 150 hours per 6 credit points.