Art Archives - sateless suitcase

Of Baguettes and History – Jardin du Luxembourg

Most of the time, it just takes a pretty picture on Pinterest or a scene in a movie and all of a sudden I'm not able to get my mind off of Paris. This city is everywhere -- in the movies, the commercials, the fashion magazines. And every time I see it, I'm reminded of how I cannot wait to go back. For me, Paris is the almost surreal contrast between picture-perfect movie settings and the edgy urban agglomeration. Its beauty is so out there and so subliminal at the same time, that it is almost impossible to describe Paris in [...]

By Julika|2014-09-22T23:52:36+02:002014/02/11|Categories: Destinations, Europe, France|Tags: Architecture, Art, Europe, France, Paris|12 Comments

Seven Free Geeky Things to Do in Dublin

Ireland has always been one of the many places on the (endless!) list of countries I needed to see someday. I wanted to go for the countryside and landscapes, for the green endless lawns, and steep impressive cliffs. But besides seeing a glimpse of Ireland's amazing landscape, I found an abundance of cultural highlights! I don't mean to do Dublin any injustice, but what I heard about the city before going centered a lot around whiskey and Guinness. Honestly, I had people telling me that there is not too much you can do in Dublin. They couldn't have been more [...]

By Julika|2021-06-16T18:44:59+02:002014/01/26|Categories: Destinations, Europe, Ireland|Tags: Art, castle, Dublin, Europe, Ireland, Museums|25 Comments

Photo Essay: Berlin’s East Side Gallery at Night

I was overwhelmed with all the options in Berlin. There is so much to do and see while in Berlin that you'll never have enough time to see it all. And this is especially true when it comes to art: Berlin has so many museums and galleries that it would take you a lifetime to see them all. All these museums and galleries combined with wonderful street art and an unstoppable artistic scene, make Berlin THE place to be when you're into art. As an art geek I couldn't have been more excited about going to Berlin this summer. Unfortunately, [...]

By Julika|2013-09-28T23:06:54+02:002013/09/23|Categories: Art History, Photo Essay|Tags: Art, Berlin, Germany, Photo Essay|6 Comments

Photo Essay: Musée Rodin in Paris

Paris has some of the most amazing museums of the world, and when re-visited Paris for the third time earlier this summer, I challenged myself to see as many museums as possible. But the weather was so perfect that I didn't want spend too much time inside crowded and gloomy museum hallways -- summer in Paris is just too magical to not experience it outside. So I was really glad when my lovely museum date Edna suggested that we should go see Musée Rodin. This museum in the 7th arrondissement wasn't originally on the list of museums I wanted to [...]

By Julika|2013-08-31T21:11:26+02:002013/08/27|Categories: Art History, Photo Essay|Tags: Art, Europe, France, Museums, Paris, Photo Essay|9 Comments

The Art Historian’s Failed Guide to Hipster Berlin

I already had the words formed in my head before I even arrived in Berlin. Maybe that was a mistake in the first place. The Art Historian's Guide to Hipster Berlin. I was convinced I could write this. I exactly knew what this post was supposed to be like. I wanted to write about street art and those cool coffee shops were you can buy coffee as well as the mug your coffee's served in and the chair you’re sitting on. I wanted to write about Berlin the party capital, where every café serves breakfast until 7 pm so you will [...]

By Julika|2014-02-14T23:36:54+01:002013/08/03|Categories: Art History, The Art Historian’s Guide to…|Tags: Architecture, Art, Berlin, Europe, Germany|18 Comments

Utrecht’s Amazing Illumination Festival

My previous posts on Utrecht already revealed that I really fell hard for this gorgeous little Dutch city, but I saved the very best for last. Because among beautiful canals, delicious food and great museums there was one last thing that I loved even more than all of the above: The Trajectum Lumen Festival. These amazing outdoor installations are where the city's beautiful sights and landmarks meet incredibly creative light design. Illuminated Utrecht at night Utrecht's colorful lighting installations can be seen immediately after nightfall and all over the city. And the best thing about: It's free, it's absolutely unique [...]

By Julika|2013-08-03T18:30:49+02:002013/06/28|Categories: Destinations, Europe, The Netherlands|Tags: Architecture, Art, Europe, The Netherlands|6 Comments

Photo Essay: The Centre Pompidou

It was during my last years in high school during my art class when I realized that I'm biased when it comes to architecture. I quickly fell in love with medieval cathedrals and I admired ancient Greek and Roman architecture. I learned to read Renaissance footprints and I was charmed by ornament-rich 19th century historicism. But at in the beginning of the 20th century architecture somehow lost me… When I saw a photo of Paris' huge museum for modern art for the first time, my reaction simply was "ugh, that's ugly". And it's true, the Centre Pompidou cannot be considered [...]

By Julika|2013-07-06T21:25:37+02:002013/06/25|Categories: Art History, Photo Essay|Tags: Architecture, Art, Europe, France, Museums, Paris, Photo Essay|8 Comments

Why Utrecht is a Museum Lover’s Paradise

Museums are tricky. At least when it comes to travel writing. Many travel bloggers openly admit that they "don't do museums". Some even say that they don't like museums in general. And from a travel writing perspective, I understand. Museums are not adventure sports. A visit to a museum won't include how I overcame my fear of heights while bungee jumping in the dessert. Or how I almost drowned while wild water rafting in a river full of piranhas. To be honest, writing about museums is almost doomed to be boring. And then sometimes you aren't even allowed to take [...]

By Julika|2013-07-16T21:53:39+02:002013/06/22|Categories: Destinations, Europe, The Netherlands|Tags: Art, Europe, Museums, The Netherlands|7 Comments

The Art Historian’s Guide to Not Being A Perfect Traveler

If you've been reading my blog for a little while, you know that I easily get carried away with describing architecture, or with my enthusiasm for medieval manuscripts. I think of myself as an art historian with a desire to travel as a way to explore culture and history around the world. I claim to be a bookworm and museum-junkie. And if you had gone to school with me, you probably would have hated me for being way too competitive about grades. (During my undergrad I once even had a nervous breakdown and cried for half an hour in my [...]

By Julika|2013-06-23T22:21:30+02:002013/03/26|Categories: Art History, The Art Historian’s Guide to…|Tags: Art, Museums, The Art Historian's Guide to..., thoughts|37 Comments

Photo Essay: The Windows of St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague

It's no secret that my favorite art historical period is the Middle Ages. I really can't tell you how that happened (it is a quirky favorite period after all), but I'm pretty sure it had something to do with Gothic cathedrals. These gigantic churches that were built as high as possible without any help of cranes or measurement technologies. All the builders wanted, was to praise God with sanctuaries that were symbols for a heavenly afterlife. And now, almost thousand years later, some of these churches still stand. They survived depredations and sometimes even bombs. Although our modern world can [...]

By Julika|2013-05-07T04:31:23+02:002013/02/11|Categories: Art History, Photo Essay|Tags: Architecture, Art, churches, Czech Republic, medieval, Photo Essay, Prague|18 Comments