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For centuries, women were conspicuously underrepresented in—and indeed almost absent from—art history books. Art historian Judy Pomerantz examines the role women have played in Western visual arts from the Renaissance to the present through an exploration of the works and lives of female artists who made significant marks on the art of their time and on the course of art history. (World Art History Certificate core course, 1 credit)

From Roman villas to Hollywood films, ancient Egypt has been a source of fascination and inspiration in many other cultures. Christina Riggs, professor of the history of visual culture at Durham University, examines its history, art, and religion to illuminate why ancient Egypt has been so influential throughout the centuries—revealing how the past has always been used to serve contemporary purposes.

Historian Jennifer Paxton examines how a dispute between rival branches of the English royal dynasty dominated English and European politics for nearly a century and has inspired popular culture on both sides of the Atlantic, from the novels of Sir Walter Scott in the 19th century to the current Outlander novels and television series.

The 19th-century rediscovery of Sandro Botticelli’s drawings illustrating The Divine Comedy reminded the art world of how the artist’s work embodies the spirit of the Renaissance. Joseph Luzzi of Bard College explains how and why Botticelli’s creations from the beauty of Primavera and the Birth of Venus to the drama of Dante’s Purgatorio—still move us today. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

The aesthetic appeal of the images created by Maria Sibylla Merian (German, 1647–1717) has led history to label her as an artist who painted and etched natural history subjects. Kay Etheridge, a professor emeritus of biology at Gettysburg College, draws on Merian’s own words and art to reveal she was as passionate a naturalist (biologist in modern terms) as Charles Darwin or Carl Linnaeus.

The age-old dream of venturing forth into the cosmos and even colonizing distant worlds may one day become a reality. Physicist, author, and NASA technologist Les Johnson reveals the physics and technologies that may enable us to reach the stars.

There’s no more iconic holiday performance in New York than Radio City Music Hall’s famed Christmas Spectacular. And there’s no better way to see the precision dancing of the Rockettes than from prime orchestra seats in the fabulous art deco theater where the show has been a tradition since 1933. A behind-the-scenes tour of the Music Hall adds to the experience.