Unveiling the 2024 Hohenberg Travel Award: Celebrating Carolina Brunet (CERT 2024)

Receiving the Hohenberg Award marked a significant juncture in my life, unlocking opportunities for an extraordinary adventure through Europe’s abundant artistic heritage. Filled with gratitude, I commenced on a five-week expedition. My travels took me to Amsterdam, where I immersed myself in the masterpieces of Dutch greats such as Rembrandt and Vermeer. I reveled in the brilliance of Impressionism in Paris, examined the vivid and expressive art of the Nabis, and admired the colorful, audacious pieces of the Fauves. In Berlin, I encountered the dynamic essence of German Expressionism. Ultimately, I dove into the Renaissance in Florence and Venice. This exceptional chance has not only widened my comprehension but also ignited my enthusiasm for the everlasting language of art.

Among my aspirations for studying art at The NYSS was to immerse myself within the art realm and enhance my grasp of color, composition, and expression. Each location I visited across Europe not only assisted me in comprehending these artistic components but also enriched my knowledge on various other themes.

While at the Rijksmuseum and Rembrandt House, I acquired insights on how Dutch paintings are celebrated for their realism and mastery of chiaroscuro, depicting everyday life with remarkable precision and depth. The genre scenes, often featuring a touch of humor, offer a captivating view into the domestic life of that period. Such attributes render Dutch art incredibly alluring. Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Hals will forever remain engraved in my memory, imparting a heightened sense of detail and emotion to my creations.

My next destination was Paris, the birthplace of Impressionism. I roamed the halls of the Musée d’Orsay, surrounded by Monet’s water lilies and Degas’ dancers, experiencing the light and motion of late 19th-century France. Paris, with its lively streets and timeless Seine, infused life into those Impressionist strokes. I was privileged to attend the “Paris 1874” exhibition at the Musée d’Orsay, commemorating 150 years of the Impressionism movement. The Louvre Museum, Montmartre, Centre Pompidou, Musée de L’Orangerie, and Museum of Impressionism Giverny were key highlights of my excursion. Picasso has long been an artist I deeply admire, and my visit to The Picasso Museum in Paris was extraordinary; it offered me insights into blending diverse influences and incorporating them into a piece of art.

One pivotal topic I aimed to investigate was color. The collections of the Nabis and Fauvism, making bold statements through their distinct approaches to color, helped me comprehend the role of color as an expressive tool in painting. Subsequently, my journey to Berlin and visit to The Brücke Museum reinforced and expanded my insights into color. Essentially, while Fauvism emphasized joy and vibrancy through color, German Expressionism explored a more dramatic and reflective application of color to evoke profound emotional reactions. Both movements pushed limits and paved the way for contemporary art.

I concluded my travels in Florence and Venice, Italy, where the Renaissance’s revival of classical art and philosophy captured my imagination. I was particularly intrigued by the evolution of humanism and divinity in subjects, as well as in composition and structure. The Uffizi Gallery in Florence, showcasing works by Botticelli and Leonardo, along with Venice’s Galleria dell’Accademia, featuring masterpieces by Titian and Bellini, both felt as if I was stepping into a canvas alive with history. Piero Della Francesca’s geometric application in composition was revolutionary. His fresco series, “The Legend of the True Cross,” exemplifies his proficiency in crafting balanced, harmonious scenes where every detail is meticulously positioned.

This expedition has made a lasting impression on my comprehension of art. Every city, every movement, has brought me closer to the essence of artistic expression. This transformative journey has enhanced my appreciation for the diverse language of art and its lasting influence on our world, while also enriching my personal artistic practice.

2024 Hohenberg Travel Award Exhibition: Carolina Brunet

NYSS Student Gallery
January 17 – 30, 2025

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Hohenberg Travel Award

The Hohenberg Travel Award is granted to a full-time MFA or Certificate student who has been enrolled at the New York Studio School for at least four semesters. The recipient is provided with a stipend for travel across Europe. It represents one of numerous post-graduate possibilities and recognitions available to recent NYSS Alumni.