The real story of the American Revolution is more than the catalog of deeds by a handful of famous men. As a private in the Continental Army later put it: “Great men get praise; little men, nothing.” In a full-day seminar, historian Richard Bell explores the tumultuous years between 1775 and 1783 from the perspective of these “little men” by examining military recruitment; the wars on the home front and in Native American territory; the struggles of people of color; and the experiences of loyalists.
Overshadowed for many decades, women artists who made important contributions to the Abstract Expressionist movement are finally getting their due. Most notable were five painters whose work was featured in the groundbreaking Ninth Street Art Exhibition of 1951. Art historian Nancy G. Heller examines the art and lives of these “Ninth Street Women,” their relationships with their male counterparts, and the gender-related obstacles they had to overcome to claim their place in a changing art world. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
The feats and names of baseball’s Negro Leagues stars are legendary: Satchel Paige, James “Cool Papa” Bell, Josh Gibson, and more. The story of the league and its players is more than a history of sports: It’s a story about American society. Historian Louis Moore explores how baseball became Black America’s game; the rise and fall of the Negro Leagues; and what inclusion of their stats into those of today’s Major League Baseball means for the past and present players.
The life of Eleanor of Aquitaine is the stuff of legend. But what’s true? Tudor and Renaissance scholar Carol Ann Lloyd-Stanger considers some of the stories—such as going on a Crusade dressed as an Amazon—that have grown from the real life of the ambitious and powerful woman who managed to become queen consort of England and France and shaped the reigns of two of England’s most famous kings: Richard the Lionheart and King John.
The enigmatic boxes created by Joseph Cornell have confounded, astonished, and entranced viewers for decades. These mysterious juxtapositions of ordinary objects have been parsed, interpreted, speculated upon, and simply relished by art historians and museumgoers alike. Art critic Judy Pomeranz examines Cornell’s astonishing life and explores why his iconic boxes continue to deeply touch viewers around the world. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
During India’s colonial period (1757–1947), the British imperial system sought out Indian resources for exploitation and had a dramatic impact on the traditional arts and crafts of the subcontinent. Art historian Robert DeCaroli traces the rising influence of European powers in South Asia. Topics include the late art of the Mughal Empire, Company painting, Orientalism, photography, traditional crafts for domestic and foreign markets, Indo-Saracenic architecture, and colonial museums. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit)
This year marks the 250th birthday of Jane Austen, one of the most famous and best-loved English authors. The six novels she completed give us a window into her era and life, with the realities of poverty, illness, war, and death rumbling through. Historian and author Carol Ann Lloyd-Stanger leads a journey into Jane Austen’s world through the lens of her works and examines their ongoing relevance in the modern world.
Although writer James Baldwin and his queer contemporaries had to keep their sexuality at least partly hidden during the 1950s and ’60s, they could fight openly for civil rights. An exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery This Morning, This Evening, So Soon: James Baldwin and the Voices of Queer Resistance captures the spirit and times of the activists who created a historic and enduring force for equality. Rhea Combs, co-curator and the gallery’s director of curatorial affairs, provides an overview.
