LEGO® Friends 41711 Emma's Art School

After all of our recent LEGO® Friends 2023 set reviews, today we are going "old skool" and looking back at one from 2022. 41711 Emma's Art School was one of five sets released last year which told the story of where the original five Friends characters would be furthering their education; the others being 41713 Olivia's Space Academy, 41714 Andrea's Theatre School, 41716 Stephanie's Sailing Adventure and 41717 Mia's Wildlife Rescue.

Products in this article were provided by LEGO®; the author's opinions are their own.
LEGO® Friends 41711 Emma's Art School
US$69.99/ £59.99/ 69.99€/ AU$109.99
844 parts
1 June 2022
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Recoloured elements in 41711 Emma's Art School

We don't have any new moulds present, but there are some interesting recoloured elements that are all unique here:

3x Wheel Arch, Mudguard 4 x 2 1/2 x 2 in Sand Green (6395632 | 50745).
1x Hair Ponytail Long Straight with Tie in Nougat (6392205 | 17347) - this mould has not been seen since 2014 in two Collectible Minifigure Series 12 characters - Dark Brown for the Dinosaur Tracker and Bright Light Yellow for the Genie Girl. The new colour here will be a welcome addition!
4x Animal Body Part, Cat Tail in Sand Green (6395629 | 15429).
2x 18653 Brick Arch 1 x 3 x 2 Inverted [Inside Bow] in Sand Green (6393628 | 18653).
2x Hair Bubble Style (Afro) in Dark Green/ Green (6392614 | 87995).

The Sand Green elements are a useful addition for architectural details, though some might be disappointed that there are only three wheel arches in this set - a bit of an inconvenience if you intend to use them for a vehicle!

Rare elements in 41711

There are three elements which have only been seen in one other set, shown above left:

1x Flag 6x4 with U-Clips in Black (6331726 | 53912) - also in 60339 Double Loop Stunt Arena.
1x Tile 2x3 in Light Royal Blue/ Bright Light Blue (6177324 | 26603) - last seen in 70912 Arkham Asylum.
1x Rock 1 1/3 x 1 1/3 x 1 in Dark Orange (6382738 | 35646) - only in 80109 Lunar New Year Ice Festival.

The elements on the right of the above image have been in two other sets:

3x Brick Curved 2x2 with Two Top Studs in Sand Green (6335232 | 30165) - first appeared in 2003 in 7419 Dragon Fortress and then 75318 The Child in 2020.
1x 4490 Brick Arch 1x3 in Aqua/Light Aqua (6356089 | 4490) - also in 43197 The Ice Castle from 2021 and 41718 Pet Day-Care Center in 2022.

The elements shown in the above image have been in three other sets to date:

1x Plate 4x6 in Bright Bluish Green/Dark Turquoise (6365027 | 3032) .
1x Bicycle Frame, Reinforced Headlight [Hollow Stud] in Bright Reddish Violet/Magenta (6350705 | 65574) - in 2 common LEGO CITY sets and one LEGO Education release.
1x Tile Round Corners 4x4x2/3 in White (6321214 | 68869) - new in 2 other Friends sets in 2022 and now also in 71415 - Ice Mario Suit and Frozen World Expansion Set.
2x Brick Special 1x1x1 2/3 with Studs on 1 Side in Aqua/Light Aqua (6356101 | 32952) - seen two Disney releases in 2021 and now 40632 Aragorn and Arwen BrickHeadz in 2023.
2x Tile 2x3 in Medium Azure (6233166 | 26603) - in two other sets from 2021 and a rare LEGO Education set from 2022.
10x 73878 Window Round 3x3x2 in White (6329420 | 73878) - in 3 other Friends sets.

The minidolls

Notable parts in the three minidolls (and one mannequin torso) are as follows:

Emma

1x Minidoll Torso White Shirt, Pink Stripes, Medium Azure Overall, Red/Pink Pocket and Straps, Light Nougat Arms and Hands in Light Nougat (6395027 | 73141) - unique here.
1x Minidoll Hips and Layered Skirt with Light Nougat Legs and Golden Shoes Print in Medium Azure (6352592 | 35629) - in one other Friends set, 41687 Magical Funfair Stalls.

Felix

1x Minidoll Head with Dark Brown Eyebrows, Green Eyes, Open Mouth Smile print in Nougat (6387278 | 1430) - unique in this set.
1x Minidoll Torso Boy with Lavender Shirt, Front Pockets print, Nougat Arms and Hands in Nougat (6394841 | 73161) - also unique.

Professor Béatrice

Her hair is covered within the Recolours section above, and the rest of her elements are unique to this set:

1x Minidoll Head Nougat Eyebrows, Dark Pink Glasses and Lips, Sand Green Eyes print in Light Nougat (6387281 | 1433).
1x Minidoll Torso, Orange Dress, Bright Light Orange Belt, Dark Turquoise Necklace, Light Nougat Hands and Arms in Light Nougat (6395303 | 73152).
1x Minidoll Hips and Trousers with Back Pockets with Light Nougat Legs, Dark Turquoise Shoes print in Bright Orange/ Orange (6403114 | 35584).

Mannequin

1x Minidoll Torso Girl with White/Magenta/Black Shapes Shirt Print, Light Nougat Arms and Hands in Light Nougat (6351937 | 73141) - appeared in two other Friends sets from 2021.

We get three 1x2 printed tiles which are all fairly common - a mobile phone, computer keyboard and bar of chocolate, but most of the set's decorations come from the sticker sheet, which I decided to apply this time.

Building Emma's Art School

The parts come in seven different bags with one instruction booklet. Unlike a modular building, each floor is built on top of the previous floor without the ability to be removed, so it is not easy to divide up the construction tasks between several different builders. The 8+ age range means the techniques used are all fairly straightforward. Assembling the candle pieces and scroll bricks to make the architectural detailing around the windows on the front facade was a little bit tedious, but the rest was a pleasant experience.

I like the overall look of the finished model. It's constructed with a dollhouse style which aids in access for play at the back of the building. There are three floors packed with detail and we also get a lovely Autumnal tree, a bike rack and two paintings on easels which appear to be two students' interpretations of the triple-arched bridge seen in the background of the box artwork.

The ground floor houses a small snack bar on one side of the door with coffee, croissants and chocolate available to keep hungry minidolls sustained. The other side of the building has a couple of lockers and a sink, which you can see in the main rear image above.

The middle floor is a dual use classroom for needlework and dressmaking on one side, with a brick built sewing machine, some bails of cotton hanging next to a tape measure, and a mannequin for garments fittings. The other half of this floor houses a pottery wheel which lets you rotate a lump of clay on the turntable if you turn the crank handle on one side; a clever little mechanism that's always fun to see in such a play set.

The top floor contains a Computer Aided Design workstation, 3D printing machine and a photography studio, so that the students can document their finished projects.

The whole building it topped off with attractive attic shapes in sand green, evoking the feeling of the oxidised patina on a copper roof covering.

Original MOC inspired by 41711 Emma's Art School: Autumn in Amsterdam

Those roof shapes reminded me of the gables of tall canal houses in Amsterdam, so I made this little scene of a few houses along the water.

I used the roof line from the original set but separated into three sections, together with the autumnal tree dropping its leaves into the water. I augmented the tree with a few more large limb pieces and leaves from my own collection. Béatrice has just dismounted from her bike and is admiring the orange-hued foliage floating in the water.

Conclusion

This set provides an interesting build experience for younger fans, and the resulting model includes several classrooms which should inspire different aspects of role play with plenty of activities to keep the minidolls occupied. MOC builders may be inspired by the unique recoloured elements, and the set also offers plenty of potential for expansion if you would like to include it in your LEGO city layout.

At US$69.99/ £59.99/ 69.99€/ AU$109.99 for 844 parts, the price point offers reasonably good value for money, especially for UK buyers. If you're inspired to buy it, please consider using our affiliate links, we may get a commission: USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop | UK LEGO Shop.

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15 March 2023