The Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, or Cathedral Museum, in Siena, Italy, houses works of art and architectural fragments that were formerly in, or a part of, the Duomo of Siena (Siena Cathedral). These include a number of Italian Gothic sculptures by Giovanni Pisano and his school from the façade of the cathedral; the Maestà of Duccio di Buoninsegna, which was the altarpiece for about 200 years; and works by Ambrogio and Pietro Lorenzetti. Italian Renaissance art expert Rocky Ruggiero highlights this lesser-known museum and its treasures. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment frequently makes the lists of greatest novels ever written. A masterful combination of philosophical and psychological inquiry, the novel explores the turmoil of the antihero Raskolnikov as he plots and commits a grotesque crime. Literature professor Joseph Luzzi discusses the storytelling techniques and historical, cultural, and intellectual contexts that inform Dostoevsky’s literary vision.
The Academy Awards will be announced on March 2. Get ready by joining Washington City Paper film critic Noah Gittell for an evening that focuses on all things Oscar, from Academy Awards history and trivia to discussions of this year’s nominations and behind-the-scenes stories. He also sorts through all the story lines, rumors, and gossip.
“Sleeping Beauty” is one of our most famous and most often retold fairy tales. It has a long, complicated past, filled with goddesses, magic rings, and astrology. It can even be connected to the Greek myth of Hades and Persephone, which tells of the beauty of nature undergoing a temporary death in the autumn and returning to life with the arrival of spring. Folklorists Sara Cleto and Brittany Warman explore “Sleeping Beauty,” delving into how people tell the story around the world, what changes it has undergone, and how it has been retold to tackle new ideas in recent times.
Through classical texts and portrayals on vases and in marble, we can piece together the romantic entanglements of Greco-Roman deities such as Zeus and Leda, Eros and Psyche, and Apollo and Daphne. Despite their divine status, the gods of these myths grappled with feelings remarkedly human in nature, such as desire, jealousy, and the quest for revenge. Art historian Renee Gondek delves into Greco-Roman tales of love, lust, and woe as reflected in both ancient and contemporary artworks. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Discover how visual art can inspire creative writing and how writing can offer a powerful way to experience art. Join Mary Hall Surface, the founding instructor of the National Gallery of Art’s popular Writing Salon, for five online workshops that explore essential elements of writing and styles through close looking, word-sketching, and imaginative response to prompts. This writing session is inspired by Antonio Martorell’s La Playa Negra I (Tar Beach I).
The Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, completed in the 14th century in Florence, is the city’s principal Dominican church. Located next to the main railway station, the church, cloisters, and chapter house contain works by some of Italy’s most notable Gothic and early Renaissance artists, including Brunelleschi, Giotto, and Ghiberti. Italian Renaissance art expert Rocky Ruggiero highlights this lesser-known church and museum and its treasures. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Over the centuries, major themes in art continue to reappear. The nude, animals, events in history, and depictions of fantasies are a few notable examples of categories that artists have interpreted in styles ranging from the naturalistic to the surreal. Art historian Joseph Cassar examines important masterworks within selected genres and the similarities among—and the uniqueness of—the artists and cultural norms that influenced their choices. (World Art History Certificate core course, 1 credit)