Karen Ralph - Paris Muse | Private & Family Tours

I enjoy looking at art and thinking about the historical context in which it was made. Who were the artists and patrons involved? Why and how was this object made? Who would have seen it? I look at art for its beauty but also for what it can tell us about the social, political and religious ideas of the society in which it was designed. The sculpture and stained glass at Notre Dame and the precious objects at the Musée de Cluny tell us how fundamental religion and spirituality was to European medieval communities. Demonstrations of power can be seen throughout the Louvre in artifacts from the world over, from ancient Middle Eastern palaces to nineteenth-century French painting. I like that no two Paris Muse tours are the same. Each visitor looks at art and history with a different eye and brings their own experiences to the tours.

Karen holds a PhD in art history from Trinity College Dublin. Her thesis explored the manuscript illumination of late medieval Ireland with particular reference to its patronage. During her research she taught on undergraduate and postgraduate courses in medieval art and architecture and interned on the Dublin Excavations Project at the National Museum of Ireland. While not leading Paris Muse tours she enjoys visiting new places, painting and playing bridge.