BU, Far Afield: Capturing Tuscany: Learning to Paint, with Help from the World’s Most Beautiful Landscape
A four-part series about studying abroad
Photos by Damon Lehrer
More than 1,500 Boston University students study abroad each year, heading to places like Sydney, Australia, where they work as journalists, Israel, to study engineering, or Ecuador, to research tropical ecology. And the opportunities don’t end with the academic year — as soon as Commencement is over in May, summer internships, intensive language programs, and research trips begin in 11 countries around the world.
This week, BU Today looks at four of the University’s study-abroad programs. The previous installments are “Drums of Dakar: Six Weeks in Senegal,” “Caring, Internationally: Geneva Program Focuses on Humanitarian Careers,” and “Unearthing the Ingenuity of Maya Culture.”
Capturing Tuscany: Learning to Paint, with Help from the World’s Most Beautiful Landscape
Villas. Vineyards. Sun and art. Life is rich in central Italy, and during the summer, art students are able to take advantage of its richness by spending six weeks learning there as part of the BU Tuscany Landscape Painting Program.
The purpose of the program is to study and to paint the landscape of the scenic Mugello Valley, which is in the northern part of Tuscany. Last year’s students also lived well: they stayed at Capitignano, a beautifully refurbished farm compound built on the ridge of one of the Apennine foothills, where the rooms are filled with antiques, the meals are served on a breezy outdoor terrace, and the wine comes from neighboring vineyards. For recreation, there is a swimming pool, a tennis court, Ping-Pong, badminton, and basketball.
The students did, however, earn their credits. The course consists of two required classes each week, and there is a serious expectation that students will paint extensively on their own time, with their professors available for questions and discussion. Hour-long art history classes are held four days a week, with one full-day trip and one half-day trip a week, usually to Florence, to look at paintings that have been discussed in class. Students are encouraged to remain at the beautiful Capitignano compound to work on painting assignments during most of their nonclass free time and to travel on their own during a long weekend built into the program after the third week.
“Capturing Tuscany” originally appeared on BU Today in August 2006.
Art Jahnke can be reached at jahnke@bu.edu.
