Field Trip Fun

On Thursday, April 21st we went on a field trip to the University of Virginia.  We visited the Rotunda and the UVA Lawn.  We went on a tour and in the Rotunda we saw the most realistic sculpture of Thomas Jefferson.  The Thomas Jefferson sculpture was so important that when the Rotunda caught on fire, students pulled it outside to save it!  Thomas Jefferson was the founder of UVA and is called the Father of the University.  We saw columns that were influenced by Greek architecture and arches that were influences by Roman architecture.  We found out that the arches were more expensive because they used more material, so Thomas Jefferson had to change his plan to use more columns.  The state government was so worried about his sloppy work that they kept giving him more money, but this was all part of Jefferson's plan.  He was a very clever man.  He was also considered a "giant of his time" because he was six feet, two inches tall.  On our tour we also learned that UVA now has many secret societies that we could be a part of if we are students at UVA and get "tapped"!

These are the most decorative columns - Corinthian. 

UVA Rotunda

These are the most plain columns and most often used - Doric.

These columns are Ionic.

Sketching the Rotunda.

Hard at work.

Details, details, details.

Working together.

Doric

Ionic

Corinthian

These are the only arches on the UVA Lawn and the first to be built, but then Jefferson decided to switch to columns because they were less expensive.

Bottom window of the Rotunda.

Rotunda sketch in progress.

Artists at work.

A beautiful day for sketching outside.

The other side of the Rotunda was a completely different view.