Venice Art Trip

A student’s account

On the 20th of March 2016, twelve pupils set off for the annual art trip to Venice. This was our second Art trip and having been to New York City the previous year it was safe to say that we had relatively high expectations! However, everything that Venice had to offer exceeded them all.

After arriving in Venice we headed over to our accommodation at the Hotel Tintoretto via vapporetto (water taxi) which gave us time to soak up the magical views of this water consumed city. The hotel offered beautiful views varying from romantically sun washed canals to vibrant and colourful concrete walls. Our first evening also provided an introduction to the monumental amount of food we would consume over the course of the trip, dinner at Bruno’s educated me on the joys of having a plate of lasagna as a starter.

The Doge’s Palace was our first introduction to the art Venice has to offer, although walking through the peach and golden city felt like being in a painting itself. Our first day was a great way to absorb the beautiful architecture and colours around us, walking around San Marco Square and sketching the city below from the roof of the church. We also took a gondola ride through Venice’s green canals gaining a perspective from low down before spending an evening walking in the lamplight by the water’s edge to the sound of a violinist. But to stop it feeling so like the setting for a European romantic drama, free Wi-Fi at dinner was taken full advantage of.

Enthused by the beautiful atmosphere of the city Molly and I decided to wake up at an ungodly hour the next morning and go for a walk.  We ended up sitting on a bridge outside the hotel getting to know the pigeons and sketching the canal like the perfect art students that we are. Visiting two galleries in the morning, the Academia as well as a display of more contemporary art, we witnessed the contrast of artistic eras.

As well as the island of Venice itself we also took to Murano, the island of glass and then ventured onto Burano, the land of lace and breath taking colour.   We witnessed the creation of Murano’s signature glass horse at a glass forge where we experienced, first-hand, the intricate skill required to work with hot glass.  We took a second boat over to Burano after eating ice-cream in the glorious sunshine. The island is a truly magical maze of perfectly placed colourful houses and intricately woven canals, a visual feast for any creative. We spent time sketching by the water front looking back at Venice Island and after the sun set over the island we headed back to wait for the boat home, happy and tired, before a welcome dinner of pizza and some more ice-cream

The next day started with Ca’ Rezzonico and opportunity to sketch the many paintings in the building. The classical style and delicate brushwork in stark contrast to the work at the Peggy Guggenheim collection later in the day. After a visit to a museum on the inventions of Leonardo Da Vinci the Guggenheim offered a vast range of artistry, some strikingly absorbing and others a little more perplexing.

On the 24th, with a heavier heart we had to pack up, and after our regular indulgent breakfast provided by the Tintoretto we embarked on our final morning in Venice. A final ice-cream appropriately accompanied our final destination, going up the tower in San Marco Square to look out across the city. The beautiful view provided a perfect farewell, but not before wandering through the bustling market stalls by our hotel to pick up our suitcases. I felt a familiar sense of sadness on the waterbus to the mainland, much like at the end of Christmas day, but the trip had provided us with such a rich experience of Venice and many memories as well. I know I certainly will be back soon, hopefully to live in an apartment overlooking the grand-canal with a little dog, to get fat off spaghetti, ice-cream and pizza.

Anna Elwin U6 A Level Art & Design