At its peak, the Roman empire extended from Britain to the Sahara Desert, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Euphrates River. Yet in 476, the last western Roman emperor was deposed. In a 4-part series, historian David Gwynn analyzes the dramatic events which shaped the decline and fall of the Roman empire in the west, exploring the transformation from the ancient to the medieval world that laid the foundations for modern Europe. This session focuses on the fourth-century Roman empire.
The career of 15th-century painter Giovanni Bellini extended across a period that saw the introduction of new artistic mediums and technologies, including that of oil painting, which allowed him to achieve extraordinary effects in the rendering of color and light. Art historian Sophia D’Addio charts the development of Bellini’s style through works ranging from small devotional panels to majestic multi-figure altarpieces to narrative works that showcase lush, verdant landscapes—all of which are characterized by an air of refinement and serenity. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
The Easter Rising, an armed insurrection staged by a small group of Irish nationalists ended in total defeat, but nevertheless set in motion the events that eventually led to an independent—and partitioned— Ireland. Historian Jennifer Paxton explores the event’s origins in the upheavals of the 19th century and in the ongoing tensions between the majority Protestant north and the overwhelmingly Catholic south.
Few figures in history excite as passionately held and often-conflicting visions as Napoleon. Some extoll him as a genius and the spirit of the revolution incarnate, while others denounce him as a megalomaniac monster and compulsive warmonger. Historian Alexander Mikaberidze discusses the many facets of Napoleon the man and his enormous influence on history.
For approximately five centuries during the second millennium B.C.E., the Egyptian city of Thebes served as the backdrop for the construction of a bewildering array of religious temples, memorial complexes, and royal tombs. Historian Justin M. Jacobs introduces the chief cultural, religious, and political themes of the monuments of ancient Thebes: the Karnak and Luxor temples of the East Bank, the memorial temples of the West Bank, and the necropolis in the Valley of the Kings.
Within a few years of the Norman Conquest of 1066, a beautiful and intricate tapestry appeared that documented in remarkable detail the events of the Battle of Hastings. Scholars still study the Bayeux Tapestry for its expansive cultural value in understanding the complexity of the Norman–Saxon transition that carried within it the seeds of the Hundred Years War three centuries later. Historian Cheryl White examines its lasting impact as a work of art and historical documentary and how the Bayeux Tapestry speaks to the identity of a people, a kingdom, and ultimately, the role of art in reinforcing the dominant view by which scholars interpret the past.
Pablo Picasso reinvented himself every few years with groundbreaking creative developments that would change the course of art. In a 4-part series, art historian Joseph P. Cassar looks at Picasso’s early years, his Blue and the Rose periods, his masterpiece Guernica, and his lifetime of artistic experimentation and innovation marked by playfulness and genius. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit)
The South of France, with its glorious light and varied vistas, has long been a magnet for plein-air painters. Art historian Bonita Billman investigates the inspiration that places like Avignon, Arles, Aix-en-Provence, St. Remy, St. Tropez, and Nice provided for the brilliantly colored works produced by 19th and early 20th-century painters. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit)
