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 impact of Goths, Huns, and Vandals.

The last few decades have seen an explosion of interest in female painters, sculptors, architects, textile artists, and performance artists. Art historian Nancy G. Heller examines the progress made by women artists in Europe and the U.S. since the end of the Second World War. She discusses the relationship of art made by late 20th- and 21st-century women to the work of their male counterparts, placing it within a broader socioeconomic, political, and aesthetic context—and considers the obstacles that remain for women artists. (World Art History Certificate core course, 1 credit)

Artist Sandro Botticelli’s career flourished in the late 15th-century under the patronage of the Medici family, whose influence is woven throughout much of his work that blends classical themes with contemporary Florentine ideals. However, his trajectory was significantly impacted by the dramatic events of the day, notably the Bonfire of the Vanities, which saw countless artworks condemned as immoral and destroyed, marking a turning point in Botticelli's life and work. Art historian Elaine Ruffolo traces Botticelli’s remarkable journey from his early triumphs as a Medici favorite to his later years shaped by religious zeal and spiritual introspection. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

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.

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.

Caravaggio's Saint Matthew cycle—three paintings commissioned for the Roman church of San Luigi dei Francesi—was the artist’s first major public work. And the story they tell contains a murder mystery. Art historian, art crime expert, and author Noah Charney deciphers a Baroque detective story centered on a complicated artist (with a murder in his history) that offers a novel way to approach and appreciate the genius behind the paintings. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

After World War II ended in Europe, participating countries’ responses to the conflict—and what evolved into their remembrances of it—were widely varied. West and East Germany, Italy, France, and the Soviet Union retold or embellished their wartime histories, which downplayed or ignored the support of fascism and the Nazi regime. Writer and former foreign correspondent Adam Tanner reflects on how these nations have come to terms, or not, with their actions in World War II.

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)