Eloise Hartford

    Hi, my name is Eloise Hartford and I am a double major in French and International Relations. I loved my time in the French department, improving my language skills and taking fun and engaging classes. My favorite French class I took was State of Rage: Art and Social Change with Professor Compan. The highlight of time in the French department was my summer study abroad in Montpellier France. The summer in Montpellier was perfect for me as I was able to get credits for my French major but also have a meaningful experience gaining exposure to French culture in an authentic and local setting. I loved living with a host family, exploring the city, improving my French while working on my independent research project. For my research, I focused on Montpellier’s connection to the Impressionism movement looking specifically at a native artist named Frederic Bazille who was a colleague of Monet and Renoir. I was particularly interested in exploring how Montpellier helped bring impressionist art to France. I visited local sites where Bazille painted including his family’s home outside the city and conducted much research on site at the Musée Fabre which has many of his paintings. I have loved my classes and research experience in the French department and cant wait to use my language skills in the future!