Download PDF - St. Catherine's College

STUDENT PERSPECTIVESClaire Berthet(2006, History of Art)It seems hard to imagine that it was just two yearsago I first crossed the bridge into St Catherine's, twosuitcases in hand, ready to begin my new life as anOxford student. In that moment, I did not know whatto expect. I do not believe anyone else did either.I was aware that life would be radically different – thelilt of the voices, the cars on the wrong side of theroad, the architecture had all told me that. Rather, itwas the lurking sense of possibility, the promise ofadventure and unforeseen experience, that was sodifficult to pin down. My choice of subject was certainlya part of this, for History of Art is Oxford's newestand smallest degree, one of the University's bestkept secrets. In a town so laden with history, taking upsomething new, having the opportunity to tread wherenone had gone before, certainly encouraged in me asense of adventure. And to do so within St Catherine's,a college which, through its architecture, infuses Oxfordtradition with a fresh experimentation and innovation,seemed strikingly appropriate.As an Art History student, I was encouraged to explorethe rich resources of the University. Within my firstweek I was ushered into the Ashmolean's print room,where drawings by Durer, Manet, and Turner wereplaced in my hands. From that point forward I haveconstantly been confronted with objects from acrossthe globe and throughoutthe span of history. Immersedin different departments,I learned to remain creativeand flexible, though alwaysrigorous, in my thinking; anarchaeologist one moment, acontemporary art critic the next. Yet Oxford was onlythe starting point. Soon my classroom extended toencompass the museums and galleries of London,then the avenues of Paris, the mosques of Istanbul,the Acropolis of Athens. In my first year I had theopportunity to conduct independent research in thecollections of the V&A and Theatre Museum, studyingthe stage designs of the Ballets Russes. Supervisedby Jon Whiteley, a curator of Western Art in theAshmolean, we would meet for tutorials in his office;the bookshelves overflowing, I would weave my waybetween the lopsided towers of books and papers,often reaching above my waist, to a spare chair.Recounting the results of that fortnight's research,it seemed hard to imagine that the man sittingopposite me, now in his sixties, was once a child actorand Academy Award winner. Yet this instance, howeverodd and unexpected, seems to typify life at Oxford,for you never know who will be hiding a story ofincredible achievement.... drawingsby Durer,Manet, andTurner wereplaced in myhands.26/CLAIRE BERTHET